Cliff’s Amusement Park, the only place in the city with a roller coaster, is preparing for the opening of its 2023 season on May 6.

"Right now, we’re finishing up projects that we had going in the wintertime and getting it cleaned up,” General Manager Justin Hays told KRQE.

Cliff’s Amusement Park opened in 1959 in Lomas but moved to its current location at Osuna and San Mateo in 1964. It is the only amusement and outdoor waterpark in the city. The park now features 23 rides and the Watermania area on the north end of the park. Other attractions include Kiddlyland, Galaxy, and Rocky Mountain Rapids. A new addition in 2023 is a kid-sized drop ride in the Kiddyland area. Hays said there are more plans to add more water attractions in the future.

Families are encouraged to attend the park for a day full of fun, excitement, and adventure.

Since the pandemic, there has been a big turnover in employees. Before 2020, more than half of the workers returned each year. “After the pandemic…that’s changed a lot,” Hayes said. “We have a lot less [sic] returners coming back, so a lot of new faces. More than what was the norm.”

There is a section on the website for those interested in applying for a job. Employees earn wages, and park employees enjoy rides, employee parties, a variety of incentives, discounts, and more.  

The amusement park was closed for 18 months during the pandemic. Once it reopened, the park became a popular attraction again.

“We received a lot of support from (customers),” Hayes said. “We were busy that summer; we were just rockin’ and rollin'. And we really needed that; we almost didn’t survive that shutdown.”

Cliff’s Amusement Park will be open on weekends throughout May with an extended schedule during June and July. Season passes are available on the Cliff’s Amusement Park website.