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A scale model of an upcoming 46-acre adventure park planned for Pleasant Grove is displayed at the Evermore office in Lindon on Friday, May 2, 2014. GRANT HINDSLEY, Daily Herald

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Ken Bretschneider, founder of Evermore, a coming adventure park, talks about different attraction designs in a meeting at the Evermore office in Lindon on Friday, May 2, 2014. GRANT HINDSLEY, Daily Herald

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1. Evermore Park Website
2. Facebook: Evermore Park

PLEASANT GROVE — Adventure is coming to Pleasant Grove, giving residents a taste of fantasy, fun and excitement while providing 700 jobs.

Evermore Park will sit on 45 acres and will feature year-round themed attractions and interactive entertainment. It will be located at 550 S. North County Blvd.

“This is the first type of project like this in the world,” said Ken Bretschneider, founder and owner.

Bretschneider and his team of artisans have been designing the project for two years. They are hoping to begin construction this summer, and the first phase should be finished the following year.

“We want to build a place that we’ll love to go to,” he said.

Evermore Park will look and feel like an old European village set in the Victorian period.

“We like the Victorian era. It’s magical,” Bretschneider said. “The greatest stories come out of that era.”

Traveling through the park will be like traveling through a cohesive, interactive story — and the story will change. The experiences will change throughout the year with the seasons and holidays, Bretschneider said. There will be Autumnfest, Winterfest and Summerfest, each with unique major events.

For example, during Autumnfest, the park will feature a pumpkin festival and the world’s largest haunted attraction. Different from the norm, visitors will not be chased by chainsaw-wielding monsters.

“It’s not all about being scared,” said Curtis Hickman, creative director.

Rather, it’s about being immersed in entertainment, he said. This will include state-of-the-art illusions and actors throughout the park.

“We will feature hundreds and hundreds of events all year round,” Bretschneider said.

Some of these will be costume balls, a Shakespeare Festival, a Renaissance Fair and a concert series.

The park will have a town square, ice cream parlor, three restaurants, shops, three-acre lake, island, caves and a replica of an old Victorian hotel. The hotel will be fully functioning, and if visitors are feeling adventurous, they can request one of the haunted rooms, which will comprise 10 percent of the lodging.

Bretschneider said the park site was chosen because of its central location and beautiful views. Being close to Interstate 15, almost 200,000 cars travel past the location each day, he said.

The desire to bring enjoyment for all ages to Utah was another factor in the location decision.

“One reason Evermore came about was to provide Utah with more entertainment,” Hickman said.

City leaders are optimistic about the plan.

“My impression is that there is a lot of attention to detail and commitment to quality, and there are plans for heavy marketing throughout the region, both in state and out,” said Ken Young, Pleasant Grove’s community development director. “The right mix of these factors, I believe, will make for a successful project.”