Funland Amusement Park, commonly known as Funland, is a small
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
located in
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Idaho Falls (Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: Dembimbosaage) is a city in and the county seat of Bonneville County, Idaho, Bonneville County, Idaho, United States. It is the state's largest city outside the Boise metropolitan area. As of the 2020 Un ...
, United States. Funland is situated within the campus of Tautphaus Park,
and it opened to the public in 1947.
History
Early history
Tautphaus Park was established by Charles Tautphaus in the late 19th century when he made a six-acre lake and fed it with water from the Idaho Canal, which he helped create. It became a city park in 1910 and it was the center of many community events like rodeos and county fairs.
In 1934, several log buildings were constructed throughout the park by the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
. Two buildings were built at the southwest corner of the lake and were used as changing rooms and restrooms for bathers.
A group of businessmen obtained a lease from the city to open their chicken restaurant in the former dressing room building and operate amusement rides in 1947. The carousel was the first ride and others were added over the years.
1950s–2019
Equipment mechanic Leo Larsen eventually became the owner of Funland and continued to operate it under a lease with the city until 2000. At that point, Larsen sold Funland to Ann Rehnberg who continued to operate everything as it was until she sold it to the City of Idaho Falls in 2019.
City ownership: 2019-Present
In 2020, a committee was formed to oversee the revitalization of Funland. A grand re-opening is planned for the 75th anniversary of Funland in Spring of 2023. The historic rides and buildings will be retained with several upgrades to the grounds.
Rides
Other Attractions
Former Rides
References
External links
* {{Official website, https://funlandatthezoo.com, Official Funland website
1947 establishments in Idaho
Defunct amusement parks in the United States
Amusement parks in Idaho
Tourist attractions in Bonneville County, Idaho
Idaho Falls, Idaho