MUSKEGON, Mich — If you grew up here in Michigan, there is a good chance Michigan's Adventure was a part of your childhood.
And those memories will keep coming as the park celebrates it’s 70th year this summer.
I came here when I was a kid - Zack’s Zoomer why my first ever roller coaster - but the difference now, other than now being here as a paid professional, is the park is now under new ownership.
Sold to EPR Prosperities back in early April, the park is operated by Enchanted Parks, but the magic that has been bringing people, like me, here for decades hasn’t changed.
“I think what keeps parks like this alive and relevant is the the generations that grew up visiting here, and in our in our world today, there are fewer and fewer things that you can do where you can say, hey, we're going to go somewhere where grandma and grandpa had their first date, or where mom and dad took their engagement photos at the park,” Park President Carson Weingart told me on a recent visit.
One of those generations is Director of Marketing and Group Sales Jill Emery. Who told me, she never would have dreamed as a kid that working at the park would be her career.
“This park is where my parents brought me to as a kid," Emery said. "Rode my first roller coaster corkscrew here. It's where I brought my kids when they were little. I hope to bring my grandkids here one day."
But Nobody knows that generational connection to this place better than the park’s director of revenue, Alexander Mark. Because for him, this park is the family business.
"I remember thinking when I was younger, like what's what amusement park does your family have? And I quickly learned that's a unique experience,” Alex told me.
His grandfather bought the park back when it was Deer Park Funland, then in 1988 Alex’s mom became General Manager as the park transitioned into Michigan’s Adventure. And now he’s following in their (wooden) tracks.
"I got to grow up in the conference room behind my mom's office when I was younger, and I would play Rollercoaster Tycoon on the computer there," said Alex. "So now, fast forward a few decades, and I'm having meetings there with the team in that same office. is just It's crazy to think about.”
To me, that’s a great example of how this piece of West Michigan has been connecting families for generations.
Sure, it’s got the rides and the food, but it’s the memories made here that mean the most.
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