Lake George Expedition Park

Lake George Expedition Park is a family-oriented amusement park located along Route 9 in Lake George, New York. The attraction is built around the historic Magic Forest, a roadside theme park that opened in 1963, and a newer dinosaur-themed area called Dino Roar Valley, which opened in 2019. The park therefore combines the character of a traditional small-scale American amusement attraction with a newer, more explicitly themed visitor experience. Magic Forest was originally established by Arthur Gillette in 1963. Its appeal came from a mixture of storybook settings, familiar American symbols, live entertainment, family rides and attractions aimed primarily at children. Among the park's distinctive displays were scenes based on the Three Little Pigs, Jack Sprat, Hansel and Gretel, princess stories, Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, the Statue of Liberty and Spider-Man. The park also featured a magic show, cottages and a small petting zoo where children could feed animals. A large Santa Claus figure overlooking the parking area became one of its recognizable visual landmarks. Another notable feature was a giant Uncle Sam statue, described in reference material as the world's largest at the time. The statue was later moved back to Danbury, Connecticut, its home location, by May 2019. Its removal illustrates the changing physical identity of the original Magic Forest attraction as the broader Lake George Expedition Park concept developed. In 2019, Dino Roar Valley was added as a major new component. The area uses animatronic dinosaurs to provide an immersive prehistoric theme alongside the older fairy-tale, folklore and Americana displays. The opening of the dinosaur area marked a shift from operating solely as Magic Forest toward a combined attraction under the Lake George Expedition Park name. The resulting venue preserves Magic Forest as a historic and recognizable component while expanding the park's offering for contemporary family tourism. The park's positioning is based on accessible, destination-oriented entertainment for families visiting the Lake George region. Rather than presenting itself as a large national theme-park resort, it operates as a regional attraction built around recognizable characters, outdoor displays, themed environments, animal encounters and novelty experiences. Its brand identity draws on nostalgia as well as discovery: long-standing Magic Forest scenes and symbols coexist with Dino Roar Valley's animatronic dinosaurs. Publicly available reference material does not establish the current legal owner, corporate parent, executive leadership, financial performance or listed-company status. The official web address remains associated with the Magic Forest name, reflecting the continuing importance of that legacy brand within Lake George Expedition Park.

Magic Forest began operating in 1963 in Lake George, New York, after being established by Arthur Gillette. It was designed as a child-oriented family attraction, using a combination of themed scenes, storybook characters, folklore, American imagery, entertainment and animal experiences. Its setting included displays associated with the Three Little Pigs, Jack Sprat, Hansel and Gretel, princesses, Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, the Statue of Liberty and Spider-Man. These scenes gave the park a distinctive roadside-attraction character, relying on visual storytelling and recognizable cultural figures rather than the scale of a major destination resort. The original attraction also included a magic show, cottages and a small petting zoo where children could feed animals. A large Santa Claus figure overlooking the parking lot became a familiar landmark. Magic Forest was additionally known for a very large Uncle Sam statue, which was described as the world's largest at one point. By May 2019, the statue had been moved back to Danbury, Connecticut, its home location. The park's later development broadened the site beyond the Magic Forest name. In 2019, Dino Roar Valley opened as a new attraction within the Lake George Expedition Park concept. It introduced animatronic dinosaurs and a prehistoric theme, adding a more contemporary immersive experience to the existing storybook and Americana displays. The broader park thus incorporated the historic Magic Forest while presenting a new combined identity as Lake George Expedition Park. This transition represents continuity and expansion rather than a complete replacement of the original attraction. Magic Forest remained the historic core and an important part of the visitor proposition, while Dino Roar Valley provided a new thematic area intended to refresh the site and extend its appeal. The resulting park combines nostalgia, family entertainment, outdoor exhibition-style environments, animal interaction and themed spectacle. Available reference material confirms the park's location, the 1963 opening of Magic Forest, its association with Arthur Gillette, the 2019 opening of Dino Roar Valley and the major attractions described above. It does not provide reliable information about the current owner, corporate structure, executive team, admission revenue, attendance, or detailed operating strategy.

1. 2019Lake George Expedition Park identity emerges

   The park incorporates Magic Forest and adds Dino Roar Valley, a new area centered on animatronic dinosaurs.

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2. 2019Uncle Sam statue returns to Danbury

   The large Uncle Sam statue historically associated with Magic Forest is moved back to Danbury, Connecticut.

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3. 1963Magic Forest opens

   Arthur Gillette establishes Magic Forest as a family-oriented attraction in Lake George, New York.

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A regional family amusement destination combining the nostalgia of the long-running Magic Forest attraction with newer themed experiences, especially the Dino Roar Valley animatronic dinosaur area.

• Magic ForestAmusement park area1963

  The historic core of Lake George Expedition Park, Magic Forest is a child-focused attraction dating to 1963. It combines storybook scenes, folklore displays, recognizable American imagery, entertainment, cottages and a small petting zoo. Its visual landmarks and themed environments include representations of characters and stories such as the Three Little Pigs, Hansel and Gretel, Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill and various princesses.

• Dino Roar ValleyThemed attraction2019

  Dino Roar Valley is the newer themed area of Lake George Expedition Park. Opened in 2019, it features animatronic dinosaurs and a prehistoric setting, adding an immersive creature-focused experience to the park's established storybook, Americana and family-entertainment attractions.

• Petting zooAnimal attraction

  Magic Forest includes a small petting zoo where children can interact with and feed animals. It forms part of the park's broader mix of hands-on family activities and themed outdoor entertainment.

• 2019Expand Magic Forest into Lake George Expedition ParkStrategy

  The historic Magic Forest attraction was combined with a newly developed dinosaur-themed area to create a broader park concept.

  What changed. Dino Roar Valley opened with animatronic dinosaurs while Magic Forest continued as an incorporated part of the visitor offering.

  Aftermath. The site gained a combined identity that linked the legacy Magic Forest brand with a newer themed attraction.

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• 2019Dino Roar Valley opens as part of Lake George Expedition Park

  A new dinosaur-themed attraction featuring animatronic dinosaurs opened alongside the historic Magic Forest, creating the combined Lake George Expedition Park experience.

  Product launch
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• 2019Large Uncle Sam statue returns to Danbury

  The prominent Uncle Sam statue associated with Magic Forest was moved back to Danbury, Connecticut, by May 2019.

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1. Lake George Expedition Park
2. Magic Forest official website