Creator Discusses Inspiration & Impact In Creating His Own Theme Park In The Oregon Woods
His work as a jeweler ended up financing the Enchanted Forest, paying for the plot of land in 1964. People called him crazy, but he had a vision. He noticed there wasn't really anything for families to do in Oregon at the time. That's when he purchased the 20 acres of land to create the storybook park.
So what's in the Enchanted Forest? A stroll through Storybook Lane allows visitors to wander in the lush forest surrounding the park. There's the Tofteville Western Town, full of secret passageways and caves. The Old European Village is the home of the park's Fantasy Fountains Water Light Show There's live music from the band Possibly Irish, fairy-tale themed games, food and a theater. Recently, the Enchanted Forest also gained amusement park rides, including bumper cars, a haunted house and a bobsled roller coaster that's 100 feet tall, with 1600 feet of track.
Who would have thought that this now thriving amusement park was once the long-standing joke between Tofte's friends and co-workers, who often called it “Idiot Hill” during the years Tofte worked on the Storybook Lane portion of the park.
“I was seven years old when he started building it and 14 when it opened up,” says Susan Vaslev, Tofte's daughter and current co-manager of the park. “I believed in him right from the beginning as a kid. For me, it was normal. I knew other people thought he was crazy doing it. But I figured they didn't understand. I knew he could do it.”
Tofte started Enchanted Forest in 1964 by himself. He built a castle and a bunch of storybook characters, including Humpty Dumpty, Alice in Wonderland and Snow White's Seven Dwarves. He also fashioned a crooked house with a shoe-shaped slide and a gingerbread house.
But, before The Enchanted Forest, Tofte had never built a sculpture in his life.
Not to say Tofte wasn't creative.
“I've been interested in art for many years,” said Tofte. “That is what prompted me to do this. When I first started painting, I was inspired by the paintings of Norman Rockwell…the first book he ever put out. [In the back of the book, they showed] step by step how he worked. I painted quite a few pictures [that way].”
At 19 years old, Tofte went to the Saturday Evening Post in Philadelphia, leaving his hometown in Minnesota, to see the art editor. The editor wasn't there that day, but his assistant told Tofte to come back the next day. He didn’t. And, for reasons Tofte doesn't know to this day, he doesn’t know why.
He went to the Chicago Art Institute, studying composition and color. He was interested in moving to New York to work at McGraw Hill Publishing. “It all freaked me out,” said Tofte, who ended up moving with his parents back to Minnesota, where he became a jeweler and fixed watches for a living.
“[I remember] we took a trip back to Minnesota to visit relatives,” recalls Vaslev. “There were a lot of things to do along the way but nothing back in Oregon at the time. [My father] wanted to create something that would be great for families to share. Our parents always read to us when we were young. We had fairytale books around the house.”
The park opened in 1971, after Tofte worked on it alone for seven years. During that time, Tafte worked many jobs including as an artisan draftsman for the state highway department, a jeweler who specialized in fixing watches and as an artist doing commercial art for printers. After work he'd come home and immediately start working on the park.
“Opening day went really well,” recalled Vaslev. “Our family had spent every dime and even gone into debt to open [the Enchanted Forest]. We spent a lot of years struggling. The first Sunday where we were open all day long we made $1,000. I remember going home and throwing the money around, jumping on the bed. I didn't realize how much it cost to have a business at the time.”
The Enchanted Forest rakes in more than $1,000 a day these days and is considered one of the best attractions in the area. Plus there's no sign of business slowing down.
“It's encouraging because so many people come year after year,” said Tofte, who is now 86 years old. “People visiting will bring others with them. It's pretty gratifying to see parents and grandparents coming and having a good time.”
“There is no shortage of ideas,” continues Tofte. “Just time and money. We believe in attention to detail and want to offer our visitors something unique, with lots of variety. We strive to be that hidden gem that people discover as their own special place.”
Vaslev explains why she thinks people can't get enough of the Enchanted Forest: “It is intimate. It's hand-crafted. It's a different experience than other parks. It's not mass produced…and people appreciate that.”
Tofte continues, even today, to build and sculp. He said he loves being in the woods and the atmosphere. Visitors can usually see him around every day. He considers himself lucky.
“[When visitors come into the park, they] can see the old things [my father] did first versus things [made later]. Things [evolve] as he does it more and more,” admires Vaslez. “He [still] works on the buildings, which are quite detailed. [It’s about] continuing. He's just one man. In the old days, it took a long time to do a project. [But] it was [about] getting started and [to continue] working. [You just] keep working…keep working. I got that from him.”
Olivia Richman
A graduate of East Connecticut State University in Journalism, Olivia has written for Stonebridge Press & Antiques Marketplace among others. She enjoys writing, running and video games.
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