Anna Lebreton remembers how she felt when she learned Crystal Palace was closing last year.
“A lot of memories just came back,” she says.
Like several young people, she was upset to see it go. But some of the rides will be getting a new life at Magic Mountain in just a few weeks.
Lebreton says it will make a good park even better.
“It’s Magic Mountain in general, it’s good already,” she says. “But add Crystal Palace on top of it, I don’t think there is any way anywhere else could top that.”
John Jelley is the Magic Mountain general manager. He says getting the rides was about finding a silver lining.
“We were sad to see it announced closed as well,” he says. “But we also saw it as an opportunity when we had the opportunity to purchase the rides to see those added as part of our package here.”
Eight rides from Crystal Palace will be added in three different phases. The goal is to have them up and running by early August.
Artist Mark Cann jumped at the chance to put his mark on the bumper cars.
“I grew up loving Crystal Palace just like any local kid and of course it was kind of sad to see it go after so many years,” he says. “It feels good to be a part of its resurrection, I guess. It’s new birth. It’s new life.”
A new life, and another generation of childhood memories to come.
