Fairy Tale Forest coming back, but rides, restaurant aren't part of initial reopening

Many North Jerseyans of a certain age felt a surge of nostalgia after learning that the long-shuttered Fairy Tale Forest in West Milford is set to reopen next month .

But while several aspects of the Forest will be familiar to visitors from long ago, not all of the features will be back — at least not right away.

Owner Christine Vander Ploeg — whose grandfather, Paul Woehle, opened the Fairy Tale Forest in 1957 — told NorthJersey.com this week that the reopening will primarily include elements from those early days. Visitors can walk through the park and explore cottages from classic Brothers Grimm stories like The Three Little Pigs, Hansel and Gretel, and Pinocchio.

The initial reopening will not include rides, Vander Ploeg said, and the restaurant inside the castle will remain closed. However, there will be a snack bar on site.

In response to a Facebook comment, the Forest posted that it is unsure whether it will bring back the winter wonderland theme featuring "Santa's Village."

Beginning in 1987, winter visitors would greet Frosty the Snowman and give Santa Claus their Christmas list, according to the park's website . The popularity of the site reached pop singer Mariah Carey, who filmed scenes from her 1994 holiday song " All I Want For Christmas Is You " in the Forest.

News of the Forest's revival began to circulate after users noticed a message on the website that it would open to the public starting Thursday, Aug. 8. The owners confirmed the rumors over the weekend with a Facebook post — the first on the page since November 2020 — announcing they were hiring.

The announcement prompted a wave of comments on social media from excited locals. The residents fondly recalled memories of visiting the themed attraction, located on Oak Ridge Road near Route 23, as children or taking their own kids.

Woehle, a German immigrant inspired by his mother's nightly readings of Brothers Grimm fairy tales as a child, and his family operated the Forest for nearly 50 years before declining attendance prompted its closure in the early 2000s. The park was originally set to reopen in 2018 before a series of setbacks, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, delayed the project.

The park is planning a grand opening tentatively scheduled for next May with more offerings to patrons, Vander Ploeg said. Among the upcoming attractions are the return of a children's carousel and twilight events after regular hours.

The park will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday, according to the website. The schedule will shorten to Friday through Sunday after Labor Day before the forest closes for the season at the end of October, Vander Ploeg said.

Staff writer David Zimmer contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Fairy Tale Forest coming back, but rides, restaurant aren't part of initial reopening