Fairy Tale Forest, the beloved fairy tale-themed attraction in West Milford, is set to reawaken from its long slumber on Aug. 8.
Inspired by the Brothers Grimm, the once popular attraction just off Route 23 holds a collection of imaginative handcrafted structures representing classic tales, such as The Three Little Pigs, Hansel and Gretel, and Pinocchio remain.
Christine Vander Ploeg, the current owner and granddaughter of the park's founder, said the storyland park is set to reopen Wednesday through Sunday starting the second week of August after more than a decade of restoration. The schedule will be curtailed for Friday through Sunday after Labor Day, said Vander Ploeg, who plans to close the park's first season back during the last week of October.
The restoration of Fairy Tale Forest has been a labor of love for Vander Ploeg, who started her mission to revive the park’s structures and sculptures in 2011. She initially planned to restore the site's curb appeal, but ultimately embarked on a full-scale restoration with the help of family members and local tradesmen.
“We just started working on it and, before you know it, we kept working on it,” she said back in 2018. “I think I must have inherited my grandfather’s passion for the park.”
Vander Ploeg's grandfather Paul Woehle was a German immigrant, who spent four years hand-crafting the park before opening it to the public in 1957. Vander Ploeg said the reopening will be a throwback to that time. There will be no rides, and the restaurant inside the pastel-roadside castle will be closed. However, there will be a snack bar available to park patrons who pass through the gates under the iconic windowed shoe.
A grand opening is tentatively scheduled for May 2025, Vander Ploeg said. Next year is set to bring the return of the original 24-horse children's carousel and special events, including twilight events after the daytime park hours, she said.
Vander Ploeg had initially planned to reopen the park in 2018, but unforeseen setbacks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, created a series of delays. In its previous iteration, the park was a popular attraction for school groups and families. Though the park's 16-acre now include a self-storage facility, many of its original features remain. Vander Ploeg has said she envisions the park as a place for artists to sketch and for families to enjoy leisurely strolls.
Located at 140 Oak Ridge Road in southwest West Milford, the park's schedule starting Aug. 8 will be Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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