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As fans of South Park, our travels had taken us to the namesake of the TV comedy’s state over the years. Fairplay, CO, also known as South Park, is home to a wild west town circa 1800s.
Casa Bonita was another real place featured on the long-running show. This beloved landmark is now owned by Matt and Trey themselves, the creators of South Park. Previously our family had watched the documentary “Casa Bonita Mi Amor” walking through their undertaking to revitalize this relic and we became enchanted.
As luck would have it, our travels would lead us through Colorado on an upcoming road trip. Checking into reservations, Casa Bonita releases their slots seasonally, a few months in advance. Ahead of our summer road trip, I made our reservation in early March to secure our slot on the day of my preference. See more about their hours here for your own adventure, Mate-y!
A simple form after waiting my turn in the queue, and we were all set for our summer adventure!
What other sites did we see on our way to Casa Bonita?
Find out more here!
Finding the place isn’t too difficult. It's a tall eye-popping pink tower standing out in a random strip mall. Our group assembled 15 minutes or so before our reservation time. I went for the earliest seating option for the day which was at 4pm. Other days are open as early as 11AM.
After a few photos in front of the picture-perfect fountain out front, we hopped into the security line outside. Metal detectors and a bag check later, a host was stationed outside to direct us to where our group would be dining for the evening.
Formerly, guests ordered entrees lined up in a cafeteria-style fashion. When you're ushered to your table, you see this portion of the restaurant which is no longer part of the new business model. Now, guests order their meals tableside.
Deep, down into the depths of the building, single-file into the Gold & Silver Mine. Next to our table was a snoring miner.
Starting things off with their chips and guacamole while we considered our dinner options there was a loud rumbling overhead. Down where we were, it appeared to be a cave-in at the mine! Above us, on another level, the volcano was erupting at the same time.
Our crew ordered entrees of taco salads, enchiladas as the kids settled on chicken tenders with fries. We dove into the food and quickly signaled with the flag our need for sopaipillas. There was no opportunity for a photo op since we downed the sticky, sweet pillowy portions of goodness shortly after they hit the table. Check out the tasty menu items here.
After consulting the map, our group engaged with Amazon Ani and the Sheriff across from the dig site hanging out for Old West style photos at the Jail. We made our way to the pirate, Bubbles, at the Treasure Room near the base of the erupting volcano. Here, everyone crammed inside where the kiddos received small pearl prize bubbles with a toy octopus inside.
Climbing back up to the Root Beer Cantina arcade, everyone took turns at various machines. There was even a Casa Bonita-themed pinball machine! A crowd favorite was an old-west style sharp shooting game where one target activated a nearby fountain that would spurt water onto the nearest person! It caught the kiddos by surprise, and we all had a good laugh about it. At the Cantina, they also serve large mugs of root beer if anyone has a thirst.
Nearby was the puppet show and Black Bart’s Cave. Our group lined up to slowly make our way through the dark cave with our youngest leading the way. In hindsight she should maybe have been second since some of the features are triggered by movement. With her leading the way, she was jump-scared a few times by various elements as we made our way through the narrow path. She was such a trooper! Further down the line was our older kid with me. We were walking through quickly saying “Ah! So, scary!” as Cartman does in the episode during his brief visit.
Winding your way through a busy restaurant that’s also an attraction is no small feat. We did manage to track down Cartman’s table with his full spread.
Then, everyone went separate ways when our kids got stuck at the Dancing Monkeys. We made wishes at the Wishing Well. Heading deep into the Limestone Cavern and the Bat Cave, we wound what seemed like all over the place!
When we were about to head out, the cliff divers were about to jump. Fortunately, we found ourselves at a primo viewing spot by the water in the splash zone. The diver did not disappoint and dove a few times while flexing and showing off in between. This guy was definitely hamming it up for the cheering crowd.
The kids believe the only thing we missed was the giant Gorilla. The rest of the group had spotted him running around being chased by Captain Isabella. Finally, we made our way to the gift shop and the exit.
Visiting Casa Bonita isn’t just dinner: it’s an unforgettable experience! One our family will never forget!