PORTLAND — Enchanted Forest will officially reopen to the public this weekend, June 5 and 6, welcoming guests again for the first time in eight months.
The Salem-area amusement park announced the reopening Tuesday, two weeks after delaying their initial reopening plan due to a public backlash over their new policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The announcement comes following a difficult year and a half for the beloved attraction, which has struggled with coronavirus pandemic, financial woes and an ice storm.
“You just can’t imagine how excited we are,” park co-manager Susan Vaslev said of the reopening.
Enchanted Forest originally shut down at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, and reopened that June to only 200 guests at a time. It shut back down again only four months later, as COVID-19 cases rose dramatically in Oregon over the fall.
Vaslev said she expected this second reopening to be the first step toward a full reopening, as COVID-19 cases continue to decline. The park will be open at 15% capacity – or about 400 guests – for the next two weekends, she said, and by June 17 managers hope to keep it open seven days a week.
“Hopefully this will be permanent now,” she said. “We’re optimistic that it will only be getting better from here.”
Last month, the park announced a similar reopening plan, but received backlash from some fans over its policy allowing people vaccinated against COVID-19 to forego wearing face masks at the park by showing proof of their vaccination. That decision led to “threats and comments” from several angry people according to the park, and the decision to reopen was put on hold.
Vaslev said the park’s face mask policy had been “simplified,” requiring masks in all indoor areas for all guests, while allowing anyone to go without a mask while outdoors.
“Masks aren’t required outside, they are required inside, period,” she said.
The park is also enforcing a host of other rules aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus, including timed-entry tickets, an eight-guest limit per group, and the closure of some rides and attractions. Water fountains will not be available and food options will be limited, the park said. A full list of what is open and closed in the park is posted online at enchantedforest.com.
Tickets for Enchanted Forest are available online at . Tickets are $15.25 for adults, and $13.75 for kids and seniors. Ride tickets are also available online.
