Sloan’s Lake has views for days, a perfect path for walking, biking, or rolling, and of course, a lake that welcomes canoes, kayaks, and small boats. But did you know this lovely greenspace was once home to an amusement park?
Manhattan Beach opened in 1881, not far from Lakeside and the original Elitch Gardens. The Gilded Age park offered popular amenities for the time, including elephant rides, boxing matches, lush gardens, and rides on a “pleasure barge” — a steamboat named “The City of Denver” that took guests around Sloan’s Lake.
Unfortunately, Manhattan Beach didn’t last on the north shore of Sloan’s for long. After a fatal accident, a fire, and a changing of hands, the park closed in 1914. (Special thanks to the Denver Public library’s Genealogy, African American and Western History for being a wonderful resource!)
