MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - Its name has changed and its original attractions have come and gone, but its goal has remained the same: to provide fun for the entire family.

Whether your memories are tied to Deer Park, Deer Park Funland or Michigan's Adventure, the 250-acre amusement park property between Muskegon and Whitehall has been entertaining visitors of all ages for nearly six decades.

Originally founded as Deer Park in 1956, the park originally featured a petting zoo with deer, llamas, monkeys, chickens and ducks. The first ride was built in 1958, an Alan Herschell 16-gauge train called the Deer Park Special.

RELATED: The insider's guide to Michigan's Adventure

In 1968, Roger Jourden purchased the park and renamed it Deer Park Funland. The park's first rollercoaster, The Corkscrew, opened in 1979. Jourden's daughter Camille Jourden-Mark took over as the park's general manager in 1988 and renamed it Michigan's Adventure.

Since then some of the park's most notable rides have been added to the sprawling park including the Wolverine Wildcat (1988), Zach's Zoomer (1994), Shivering Timbers (1998) and Thunderhawk (2008).

The Wildwater Adventure water park opened in 1991 and originally included eight water slides, a wave pool, a children's play area and lazy river.

Cedar Fair Entertainment -- which owns and operates 11 amusement parks, including Cedar Point, four water parks and five hotels -- bought Michigan's Adventure in 2001. The park opens for its 2015 season on May 20.

Brandon Champion covers arts and entertainment, business, sports and weather for MLive Muskegon Chronicle. Email him at bchampio@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter @BrandonThaChamp.