Silverwood Polished Up For 10th Anniversary Fun
With a variety of new attractions planned for this summer, officials at the Silverwood Theme Park in Athol once again are banking on record attendance.
More than 300,000 people attended the theme park last year, said marketing director David Palmer. He hopes that an all-new ice show, a revamped train robbery experience, and the park’s expanded Apple Orchard Theatre will lure even more than that as Silverwood celebrates its 10th anniversary.
“We are a place where people can come to escape from the work-a-day,” Palmer said. “What could be better than selling fun?”
The park operates from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both this weekend and next, with daily operation beginning on May 24 and continuing through Labor Day.
The ice show, in its third year inside one of the former antique aircraft hangars, is expected to remain one of Silverwood’s most popular shows, Palmer said. Four to six times a day, skaters from Russia, Canada and the United States will perform in “Mystical Kingdom on Ice,” accompanied by the ice hall’s giant Wurlitzer organ.
“One of the things our patrons really like about the show is the bleachers are almost right on the ice,” Palmer said. “It’s a very close, very personal experience for the audience.”
Remodeling inside the Apple Orchard Theatre will allow The Amazing Dexter to perform more stunning illusions than he did during his first year at Silverwood last summer.
“You know how these illusionists are,” Palmer said. “They don’t want to just pull a rabbit out of a hat. The Amazing Dexter wants to pull a pig out of an egg.”
The 55 mph wooden roller coaster, introduced last year, is back - but this time under a different name.
The name “The Grizzly” already was taken by a coaster at another U.S. theme park, and Silverwood officials decided to avoid a court challenge by finding a new name. After a naming contest won by Hayden Lake resident Kathleen Tillman, the coaster has been renamed “The Timber Terror.”
Silverwood owner Gary Norton said that deciding on the new name was tough.
“We’re extremely pleased with ‘The Timber Terror’ winning name and think it fits not only the coaster, but North Idaho as well,” Norton said.
, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: SILVERWOOD RATES Silverwood Theme Park 10th anniversary rates: $79.99 single season tickets $239.99 season tickets for card holder, two guests $19.99 ages 8-64 $10.99 ages 3-7, over 65 Kids 2 and under are free