When you think of great amusement parks in El Paso, one that triggers great memories is the one that old school locals will remember: Magic Landing. After having a conversation with a friend online, I began to ask myself, “where WAS Magic Landing even to begin with? What did it look like back in the day?”.
Here’s a brief history lesson of El Paso’s Magic Landing
The park opened up in the summer of 1984. It would be located off of I-10 East between El Paso & Horizon. However the park would be most known for a tragic accident in 1985 after an employee, Frank Guzman Jr., died after having his arm ripped off by a roller coaster, as reported by The El Paso Times.
Despite this, many people would continue to enjoy Magic Landing until its closure in 1988. Several people have shared their experiences by going to the park with their families when Magic Landing was still open like Roberto Franco’s retelling on Texas Highways.
Some people even went further and posted their own home videos like Jesus Herrera’s personal 1985 collection that’s found on Texas Archive, and probably most famously, Braker Lane’s home videos from 1987 that were uploaded onto YouTube.
Oh and let’s not forget to include THIS blast from the past about KAMA 750’s big ol’ picnic event from 1987.
What did Magic Landing look like after it closed?
After the parks closure in 1988, not many photos have surfaced of the park afterwards. But…thanks to Google Earth’s historical satellite imagery we can at least see what the park looked like after it was abandoned. Google Earth doesn’t show what the park looked like in the 80s, but it DOES show what it looked like in the 90s.
So where is Magic Landing in El Paso today?
DISCLAIMER: Do not try to find remnants of Magic Landing today because you will not find any AND it’s private property today.
Sadly you will not find any remains of what was once Magic Landing; today the park has been transformed into the site of the Outwest Express trucking company.
Google Earth, Canva[/caption]That doesn’t mean this can be the ending of Magic Landing’s story however; if YOU have any memories of the park or photos you’ve taken on vacation from when the park was open, you can always send us photos to use using our KLAQ app.
If you want to relive more El Paso nostalgia, you can read all about the classic skate park called Earth Surf here.
El Paso’s Magic Landing Then & Now From Google Earth
What did Magic Landing look like back in the day? Well thanks to the help of satellite imagery, we’re able to see what the park used to look like before & after it’s destruction.
Gallery Credit: Daniel Paulus
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