Denver’s Lakeside Amusement Park By David Forsyth University Press of Colorado For more than a century, Lakeside has been one of Denver’s premier attractions. (Well, technically, it was built in the town of Lakeside, not Denver, but that’s beside the point.) Its rides and big-name bands, its train and fun house with the laughing lady have appealed to generations. Perhaps most remarkable of all, Lakeside has survived. Of some 5,000 amusement parks built between 1895 and 1920, only 100 were still around in 2008. Lakeside’s success is due in large part to its management. The park was built by a group of Denver businessmen, including the scion of the Zang brewing family. The design was part of the City Beautiful movement that also gave Denver Civic Center. To keep Lakeside from being surrounded by tawdry Coney Island-type businesses, Lakeside’s owners purchased a huge quantity of land and incorporated it as the town of Lakeside.