Sitting just off Oregon’s Interstate 5 rests one of its most magical places, Enchanted Forest, a 20 acre theme park, owned by the same family that built it 55 years ago.

I grew up going to Enchanted Forest, and it wasn’t until shortly before moving to California that I really began to appreciate it. Unlike many amusement parks built by a large corporation, Enchanted Forest was hand built one bag of concrete at a time by one man and his family, Roger Tofte. Roger was always passionate about art, and apprenticed at a jewelry store doing watch repair. Eventually he started working at the Oregon State Highway Department as a draftsman, while continuing to repair watches on the side, along with doing freelance commercial artwork. Roger met and quickly fell in love with and married Mavis. They started a family, resulting in four talented children, who would go on to play vital roles in their father’s dream.

On family road trips, Roger noticed various roadside attractions, and realized Oregon was lacking in that area. In 1964 he purchased 20 acres of a wooded area off of I-5, and in his spare time he began bringing storybook characters to life using concrete hand mixed in a wheelbarrow. While some people called his little plot of land “Idiot Hill” he was able to convince some friends and coworkers to help him.

After seven years of hard work by friends and family, Enchanted Forest opened on August 8, 1971 with a castle, winding pathways with storybook scenes, picnic areas, and a massive slide only accessible through a witch’s mouth. One of the most iconic characters is Humpty Dumpty, larger than life, sitting on his wall. In 2014, the story of his “great fall” became a reality when two men climbed atop his wall to take a photo, pulling him down on accident. Thankfully, Roger was still as talented as he was when he first built Humpty Dumpty and unlike all of the King’s Horses and all of the King’s Men, Roger was able to put Humpty Dumpty together again.

During the park’s second year they began building a western town, and by 1973 the park is so successful that Roger was able to retire from his job with the Highway Department. The western town, dubbed Tofteville, is home to a small museum showcasing the park’s history. You can learn even more by stepping inside the Wagon Wheel Opera House and watch a documentary about the history of the park. The park continued to grow with its now infamous Haunted House, a theatre, and on July 31, 1977 they welcomed their one millionth guest. The 1980s saw their iconic Ice Mountain roller coaster rise from the mossy ground and the creation of an English Village with its beloved Fantasy Fountains show. In 1997 they added one of their biggest rides, Big Timber Mountain, a log flume ride. Roger and the family didn’t slow down in the new millennium, adding many new kiddie rides and the interactive Challenge of Mondor. Mavis even wrote a book chronicling the history of the park. After years of spooky activity, the park was explored on Ghost Adventures in 2018, with investigators believing the park holds onto childhood fear and joy.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in extended closure and limited capacity, but the park survived hanks to many wonderful people who participated in their Buy-A-Brick campaign, GoFundMe, and auction.

Mavis passed away in 2023, but Roger was still seen in his electric scooter zooming around his little kingdom until this year. Sadly in February, Roger passed away at age 96. Thankfully, Enchanted Forest is still owned by the Tofte family, with Mavis and Roger’s children and grandchildren playing vital roles in the park’s operations.

Explore Oregon’s Enchanted Forest at 8462 Enchanted Way SE in Turner, Oregon, just outside of Salem. However, like Oaks Amusement Park, and the 99W Drive-In, Enchanted Forest operates seasonally. Visit their website for opening date, and hours.

Sources
“History.” Enchanted Forest.
“Mavis Ann Tofte.” Statesman Journal, 25 October 2023.
“Real Humpty Dumpty Has a Great Fall Off Oregon Wall.” NBC News, 7 July 2014.
Tofte, Mavis. The Enchanted Forest And Its Family. Shelton Turnbull Printers, Inc., 2001. Print.