One man, seven years, twenty acres: how Oregon’s fairy tale park came to life

Oregon’s old-school storybook park is still one of a kind

Seven miles south of Salem, a wooded hillside along Interstate 5 holds something you won’t find at any corporate theme park.

Enchanted Forest sits on 20 acres in Turner, Oregon, and almost everything you see, touch and ride came from the hands of one man. He didn’t have a construction crew or a big budget.

He had a vision, seven years, and weekends to spare. That’s how you end up somewhere that feels genuinely different from anywhere else.

One man spent seven years building this park himself

Roger Tofte bought 20 acres in 1964 and built this place almost entirely on his own time. He held down a regular job while shaping figures from cement over metal frames, one by one, on weekends and evenings.

By 1971, he had enough to open Storybook Lane to the public. He never really stopped working on it, either.

Three generations of his family still own and run the park today, and Tofte himself kept planning and fixing things right up until he passed away in early 2026 at 96.

Storybook Lane’s fairy tales come alive around every bend

Storybook Lane was the park’s first section and it’s still the heart of it. The shady path winds uphill under a full canopy of trees, cooler than the towns just down the road.

Along the way, you meet life-sized scenes from fairy tales and nursery rhymes: Humpty Dumpty, Hansel and Gretel, Alice in Wonderland, Goldilocks.

Press the buttons as you walk and the scenes come alive with sounds and movement. It’s slow and low-tech, and that’s exactly the point.

Slide out of a witch’s mouth at the top of the hill

Near the top of the park, a giant witch’s head has been a landmark since the beginning. Kids walk in through the mouth and slide right out.

Down the hill, a massive Old Woman’s Shoe sends riders flying down on burlap sacks, and you don’t have to be a kid to do it.

These handmade pieces are among the most photographed spots in the park, and it’s easy to see why. Nothing quite like them exists anywhere else you’ll visit.

The Big Timber Log Ride drops 40 feet into a pool

The Big Timber Log Ride is the largest log ride of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.

Your log floats through an old logging mill packed with detailed scenery before the ride ends with a 40-foot drop into a pool of water. You will get wet, so the gift shops sell ponchos if you’d rather stay dry.

If you want to watch before you commit, an observation deck sits right next to the splash zone. It gives you a clear view of exactly how soaked people get.

The Ice Mountain Bobsled coaster rattles through the trees

The Ice Mountain Bobsled was the park’s first ride, and it still runs.

Enclosed cars whip through about 1,600 feet of twists, turns, drops and hops, threading right through the trees and past icy-themed scenery.

It won’t terrify seasoned coaster riders, but it moves fast enough to get the job done.

What makes it worth riding is the old-school charm of it, the rattle, the creaking track, the sense that this machine has been running since before many of your kids were born.

Battle dragons with infrared guns on Challenge of Mondor

If a coaster isn’t your speed, Challenge of Mondor offers something completely different.

This indoor ride opened in 2006 and sends you on a wizard’s quest through a dark, colorful world of dragons and strange creatures. You ride in a car and fire infrared guns at targets along the way.

The ride keeps score, so your group can compete.

It’s a good break from the outdoor sections and a solid pick for anyone who wants a little strategy mixed into their afternoon.

Pan for treasure and shoot your way through Tofteville

Tofteville Western Town recreates a frontier main street with wooden storefronts, a saloon and raised plank walkways. You can pan for treasure and take home whatever you find.

A shooting gallery lets you test your aim against moving targets.

Stop into the Wagon Wheel Opera House gift shop, where a documentary plays with old footage and interviews about how the park came to be.

It’s one of the better spots to sit down, catch your breath, and understand what you’re actually walking through.

The Old European Village hides a marble maze and moving figures

Walk into the Old European Village and the whole feel of the park shifts. It’s built to look like a medieval town, with carved figures peering down from the buildings.

Inside, you can explore Pinocchio’s Playhouse and watch the animatronic Blackbird Pie show.

Sir Newton’s Gravity machine sends silver spheres through a maze of contraptions that’s strangely hard to stop watching.

Look down as you walk, and you’ll find engraved bricks set into the ground that helped support the park over the years.

359 water jets dance to music in the Fantasy Fountains show

The Fantasy Fountains show runs indoors, using 359 water jets set to music with colorful lights choreographed to the sound. Tofte’s daughter, Susan Vaslev, created it in 1988, and it runs multiple times through the day.

The seating area is small, so it fills up. Your best move is to catch it early in your visit before the crowds settle in.

It lasts just a few minutes, but it’s one of the more distinct things in the park, and worth building your schedule around.

The Haunted House, comedy shows and Irish music fill the afternoons

The Haunted House has been running since 1974, and its three floors still deliver. On summer afternoons, an outdoor comedy theater puts on musical takes on fairy tales with laughs aimed at every age.

A band called Possibly Irish plays family music most afternoons as well. The schedule changes by day, so check what’s happening when you arrive.

On a good summer afternoon, you can move from a haunted house to a comedy show to live music without ever leaving the park.

Little kids have their own rides, and families can bring a picnic

The youngest visitors have a whole section built for them, with a carousel, a Ferris wheel and bouncing frog hoppers. Bumper cars and bumper boats tend to be a hit across ages.

A tiny train rolls past the Three Little Pigs and Pinocchio, giving smaller kids a chance to see the storybook characters from a moving car.

You can bring your own food and eat at picnic tables scattered through the park, which makes it easy to stretch a half-day visit into a full one.

Visit Enchanted Forest in Turner, Oregon

The park sits at 8462 Enchanted Way SE in Turner, Oregon, just off Interstate 5. Check Oregon Department of Transportation updates before you go, since exit closures on I-5 can affect how you get there from the highway.

In 2026, the park runs seasonally from March 21 through Sept. 27, with hours and specific open days varying by time of year. Admission gets you into the park, and ride tickets are purchased separately.

Confirm both on the official website before you head out.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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