Shops At Heritage Square Closing, Amusement Park Staying Open

GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4) - At the end of this season, the shops at Heritage Square will be closing, but not everything will shut down at the park.

As summer fades, main street at Heritage Square is starting to look like a ghost town. The old West-style theme park is closing after 44 years of fun.

"A rich history ... a family atmosphere is dying," said David Methvin, a former maintenance technician who lived and worked on the property for four years.

In it's heyday, all the buildings were bustling with business. You could hear a show coming from the Music Hall, and in recent years the Alpine Slide packed them in. But the wear and tear has become visible and the park is too much to maintain.

"I can understand. Right now there's a need for work," Methvin told CBS4.

Methvin would love to see Heritage Square renovated and reopened at some point in the future.

Alan Bader plans to keep running his amusement park.

"We have no intention of closing," said Bader, the owner of the Amusement Park at Heritage Square.

The Amusement Park at Heritage Square will stay open. Bader is even planning on expanding.

PHOTO GALLERY: Amusement Park At Heritage Square

"We're looking into getting bigger attractions, for example a roller coaster, in the next couple of years," Bader told CBS4.

The amusement park gets as many as 1,000 visitors a day during the summer. It features timeless attractions like paddle boats and a ferris wheel.

LINK: The Amusement Park at Heritage Square

"Families are seeking out this kind of attraction where they can connect with one another as a family and create family memories, and that's what our niche is," Bader explained.

Bader plans to keep his niche at Heritage Square for years to come.

Heritage Square will be open weekends only from now until Halloween. Next year, the amusement park will open again on Easter weekend.