A Salem staple theme park, Enchanted Forest has recently opened up for its 2026 season. The park is known to hires students, many of whom attend South Salem High School. Enchanted Forest has been open since the mid 1960s, opened by Roger Tofte, originally from Astoria, Oregon.
Tofte conjured the idea of a theme park after moving to Salem with his children, and finding the lack of family-friendly activities. Using his creativity and architectural skills, he was able to draw up blueprints for the park and eventually buy the plot of land off of Interstate Five.
“There is no shortage of ideas, just time and money. We believe in attention to artistic detail. We want to offer our visitors something unique, with a lot of variety. We strive to be the hidden gem that people discover as their own special place,” Tofte said, according to the History of Enchanted Forest.
Serving The Salem Community for 60 Years
Now, for over 60 years, Enchanted Forest has been a long time favorite of Salem residents during the summer. Fan favorite rides including Ice Mountain and Big Timber Log ride have been standing for around 40 years.
Along with the rides, the park features Storybook Lane, with statues of iconic storybook characters like the Old Woman Who Lived in the Shoe, Peter Piper and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The park made newer developments in the 2000s, like the Summer Comedy Theatre.
The theme park as a whole has been widely considered a prevalent piece of children who grew up in the Willamette Valley, so much so that when the park suffered damages from the ice storms, the park was able to crowdfund $360,000 in order to repair the damages.
Why Enchanted Forest Is An Ideal Job For Highschoolers
Due to Enchanted Forest being so vital to the community, it has been a great opportunity for high school students to work a low-matience, yet engaging job over the summer. South student, McKayla Peck ‘27, works as a park sweeper, cashier and ticket-seller.
“I think it is a great place for high school students to work during summer. They are only open on weekends so you do not have the stress of working right after school. It is also a very positive environment,” Peck said.
