The Royal Gorge Bridge & Park’s effort to rebound from a devastating 2013 fire took a major leap Saturday as it opened a new $4 million tramway and reopened its Plaza Theater.
The June 2013 wildfire destroyed an aerial tram and all but four of the park’s 52 structures, and damaged the 188-seat Plaza Theater. The Cañon City attraction embarked on a $23 million reconstruction project and has been rolling out offerings in phases to visitors.
It reopened a year ago on weekends only for guided tours of the bridge, which was slightly damaged by the fire, and rides on its Royal Rush Skycoaster, which allows three people to swing on a cable 1,300 feet over the gorge. A 14,000-square-foot visitors center, which includes an observation deck, gift shop and cafe, opened in August, when the park resumed daily operation.
The new tramway can carry eight passengers in each of the six cabins, or 13 more than the old 35-passenger aerial tram.
The Plaza Theater has been repaired and outfitted with a new $70,000 state-of-the-art projection system, screen and surround sound that will show a video about the reconstruction project. Rides on the gondola and entrance to the theater are included in the park’s $21 admission price.
Mike Bandera, vice president and general manager of the attraction, said that on March 21, the park plans to reopen two ziplines, which are the highest in North America, and the Silver Rock Railway mini-train. A children’s play area — with a 20-foot climbing structure, carousel, maze, water feature and climbing mounds — is scheduled to open in late April. Construction is scheduled to begin in September on a 5,000-seat outdoor amphitheater and the Mountain Man Trading Post and town, and be completed for a spring 2016 opening.
