PHOTO ESSAY
Photo Essay: Utah’s Evermore Theme Park Enchants
In the heart of Pleasant Grove in Utah County, lies a surprise—a little corner of Europe in an old-world Gothic-styled village. This is Evermore, a fantasy theme park, opened last Saturday, which invites visitors to enter a world of discovery, imagination and whimsy as it unfolds before their eyes. Meridian was there for the grand opening and the ribbon cutting. Short of seeing it soon (just off the I-15 at exit 275), we take you there in the following photo essay.
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The brainchild and lifetime dream of Ken Bretschneider, the park invites people to enter into a new level of immersive entertainment and become part of the story unfolding there. Ken and wife Patrice are thrilled to welcome visitors from all over the world. -
The hundreds of guests were greeted by Mr. James Bertwhistle Wikam, a character right out of Victorian England (although he was born in Scotland). -
The variety of characters was impressive.
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Onlookers of the ribbon cutting varied in looks and personality.
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Ken Bretschneider cut the ribbon with great gusto and to a crowd of cheering fans.
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Josh Shipley (right) worked for Disney for 20 years. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience to Evermore. Jimmy Mulligan (left) was a character artist for Disney and other studios.
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Each character in the park has his or her own story and brings life and magic to the experience.
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Animal handlers let visitors come face to face with various creatures including this great horned owl.
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Visitors can wander through a misty garden, feel their way through a dimly-lit crypt, and enjoy feeling a part of another world that seems straight out of a fantasy novel.
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Characters are dressed in costumes that are theatrical quality, so as visitors wind their way through the crowds they come upon people in cloaks and armor, a man with a teapot for a hat, fairies and enchanting women in fancy gowns of another time.
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In the fall, the theme park will create a story and décor called “Lore.”
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Within a few minutes of walking through Evermore, one can begin to suspend reality and yield to the clutches of another world.
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As we walked into the tavern, carefully made to look centuries old…
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…the characters there warned us to “beware of the darkness which lies out in the woods…
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…but if you want to know any more about it, you will have to ask someone else.”
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Pieces of the park are still under construction.
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Ken Bretschneider says it will be that way for some time, because they will be continually adding more to enrich the fantasy.
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You can stop anyone and ask them about their lives, the setting, where they are from…or find out another clue to the coming darkness.
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A maze of pumpkin huts invites the visitors deeper into the realms of fantasy.
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Each dressed character is a part of the story and has pieces to tell.
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Getting to know more about each character made the experience more and more immersive into the world of fantasy.
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A stunning fountain and sculpture of the battle of light and darkness overlooks the park from the west.
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Evermore is designed as an old-world, gothic-styled European village.
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Evermore comes to life through theatrical performance, movie quality costuming, state of the art effects, and cutting-edge technologies.
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There is a hobbit hole and medieval tents displaying wonders, including a miniature imp, who thrashes around in frustration as he is caught in a cage.
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Strict attention to every detail helps create Evermore’s one-of-a-kind mystique; a fully immersive, live-action, theatrical experience; performed on what is being touted as the “world’s largest stage.” These fairies were especially delightful (as fairies so often are).
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A headless horseman is not out of place in Evermore.
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The crowds were “testing the waters” of Evermore. One passing visitor said to her friend, “This place is SO cool.”
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Children were especially attracted to this baby dragon (not yet able to breath fire–it was a safe experience).
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It was easy to suspend reality around this baby dragon done with puppetry, it seemed about as real as could be. There wasn’t a youngster there that didn’t think it was real.
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Some elves were better looking than others (this wasn’t one of them).
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Hundreds of actual antique relics from the countries of Europe adorn the Park.
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A little music from a fiddler made the evening so pleasant.
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A troop of fire dancers were lit and ready to entertain the growing crowds.
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In the darkness the fire dancers performed with grace and agility.
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Fire dancers entertained royalty for hundreds of years in Europe and continue to mesmerize crowds today.
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As night fell upon Evermore, the fantasy continued to unfold in new ways.
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The colored lighting and the night sky made quite a scene.
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The gardens are still underway and will be quite the place for photo ops and beautiful walks.
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As we were getting ready to exit the park, we came upon this amazing moment–a real-life proposal of marriage in the midst of fantasy! With a name like Evermore, this may become a common scene in the park.
Ken FarnsworthOctober 1, 2018
We are excited for our family to experience “Evermore” and meet the creative people who make it happen! “Evermore” will be amazing for Utahns and visitors alike.
Richard JukesOctober 1, 2018
Great photo essay! I'll be looking forward to being with some of our grandkids there.