Evermore–A New Kind of Theme Park

I was following Evermore Park well before they opened in September 2018. I already love theme parks, and the idea of this one sounded so different than the Disneyland and Six Flags-dominated landscape of SoCal. Evermore has no rides! And focuses on immersive storytelling! I dearly love roller coasters, but with immersive entertainment taking more of my attention lately, I couldn’t have been more interested. However, Evermore is in Utah, and I wasn’t sure when/if I would get to visit.

We Must Away Ere Break of Day

Through a lucky convergence of events (and force of will), I created a multi-state, multi-activity trip that included a stop at Evermore. I allocated the maximum amount of time (6pm to 11pm on a Saturday) and even considered packing a costume. Dressing up is encouraged at Evermore, but I ultimately didn’t have room in my luggage. I was very pleased when I arrived to see that many guests WERE in costume, some so elaborate they were hard to distinguish from the cast. Evermore smartly anticipated this problem and gives each official character a crystalline amulet to wear.

On this summer night, Evermore was in the midst of their MYTHOS season. Since it’s a relatively small park, they change the theme and story three times a year. Fall is LORE, a spooky season to fit Halloween. Winter is AURORA, a festive celebratory season to coincide with Christmas and other major holidays. And Summer is MYTHOS, a time of dragons, Norse influences, and classic fantasy tropes like knights and ogres. Fantasy has always been one of my favorite “genres” of imagination. With 5 hours to spend, and no rides…I was not sure if there would be enough to DO in the park.

I needn’t have worried.

Evermore is essentially a medieval/renaissance-style village built in a circle around a central lawn. There is a graveyard, a tavern, ruins, dwarven dwellings, a mausoleum, a greenhouse, and more. The buildings are all convincing and the well-dressed interiors often use real antiques and artifacts brought over from Europe. Upon first entering, we received a list of three tasks/quests to accomplish if we wanted to “level up” as World Walkers (visitors to Evermore). If you achieve Level 1, you can buy Adventure Cards for Levels 2, 3, and 4. For $2, you can get all 3, so I suspect the price is not aimed at making profit. Rather, they want visitors to mentally buy into the land and feel personally invested in their own adventure.

The Greatest Adventure Is What Lies Ahead

The quests give a sense of what to do first. All 3 involve interacting with the cast of characters who inhabit Evermore. After some sightseeing, we tried our hand at archery and axe-throwing. Mingling with guests were two members of the Rangers of the Red Fletch. Talking to these Guild members was part of one of our tasks, so we engaged and learned about them. If we wanted to join their ranks, they had 3 MORE tasks for us, plus an optional challenge. Meanwhile, we found mysterious symbols and riddles discretely posted at the target practice, so here were more mysteries to look into. Quickly, we had more to do than we imagined.

Explaining each task would be tedious and would take away from their joy. They are not homework assignments. The way you complete them leads to a unique experience for every visitor. In my case, while doing my first task for the Rangers, I started talking to a different Guild, and I liked their story better. So I bailed on the Rangers, started assisting the Dragon Trainers and am now a proud member of their Guild. Joining the Dragon Trainers took time and effort to talk to other characters, but I felt like it was something I genuinely achieved. It wasn’t obligatory or routine. I did things my own way and succeeded.

Quests are not the only thing to do either; you can be an observer and still enjoy Evermore. For a while, we watched a Dwarf duo sing their take on pop songs with an enthusiastic audience. We explored a crypt, watched segments of story play out live, and gambled and bartered with the locals. We listened to stories and explored the town. And, in one of the most authentic and bold interactions I’ve ever seen between performer and audience, my friend was trying to get a prized item from a character who insisted it was too rare to give up for anything insufficiently special. So my friend offered the earrings she was wearing at that very moment. A bargain was struck, and she took them out of her ears and handed them over on the spot. I was amazed. An incredible memory, and a tangible item go with it.

The Road Goes Ever On and On

While all of this can be experienced in a single visit, it’s set against a larger backdrop. A real story unfolds over the course of each season, almost like a fantastical soap opera. Bits of the story are performed each night, so anyone attending frequently will be able to follow along like it was a favorite TV show. And there are locals who attend frequently, coming every week–often in costume, sometimes with their own invented Guilds and characters. This helps the park feel even more vibrant, even if you are only a one-day visitor. I’ve also learned they have a podcast to keep visitors up-to-date with the story if you can’t attend often.

The CEO is a big fan of Halloween and LORE is his favorite season at Evermore. There will be a new story building on what has come before, along with great new set dressing and props, new characters and interactions, all taking advantage of the shorter days and darker nights. Plus Evermore grows bigger every month. I’m very tempted to find my way back to Evermore this fall. Maybe the Dragon Trainers will need my help! Or maybe they were only around for MYTHOS and I will discover something new to capture my imagination. The possibilities are as varied as each person that visits, and I encourage anyone who can to do so.

Into the West

Regarding practical matters, Evermore looks very easy to maneuver for wheelchairs. There are ramps and wide walkways in most places except the central lawn. There are still several unfinished buildings and landscaped areas, with potted trees and flowers waiting to go into the ground. A train will eventually run around the perimeter of the park, and it’s almost ready to start chugging along. Food and drink are limited at the moment, but reasonably priced. My $3 ice cream cone was huge! A full-service restaurant and bar (they’ve already got the license) will be installed as soon as possible.

Evermore Park is located at 382 S. Evermore Lane, Pleasant Grove, Utah, 84062. They are open Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays, starting at 6 pm. August 16-17 is their final performance of MYTHOS, with LORE debuting on Friday, Sept. 6. Tickets are very affordable– $29 for adults and $16 for children. More information, like a map of the park, season descriptions, Guild information, etc. can be found at their website here.

And hey, if you’re already in Pleasant Grove, check out The GRID, another form of entertainment from Evermore’s CEO. Literally across the street, it’s a high-tech playground with a bar, arcade, VR from The Void coming soon, and my favorite part: high-speed electric go-karts on a 3-level track. The multi-level track allows for hills and banked turns. Plus the walls will be a canvas for projection-mapping software to display a variety of environments all around you. It will feel like you’re racing your friends through the jungle, Manhattan, or anywhere they want. I got to take a few test laps and it was a rush! The GRID opens later in August 2019.