Magic Mountain Ski Area

Magic Mountain is a ski resort located on Glebe Mountain in Londonderry, Vermont. It features a 1,500-foot vertical drop. The summit is at 2,850 feet and the base at 1,350 feet. Magic has a long history, dating from the 1960s when ski instructor and film-maker Hans Thorner founded the area as its terrain reminded him of his native Swiss Alps. Part of Vermont's original "Golden Triangle" of ski areas all within 10 miles of each other (Stratton and Bromley the other two large areas), Magic thrived in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. Eventually Magic was purchased by Boston Concessions which also owned Bromley in the mid 1980s. After a downturn in the real-estate market starting in the late 1980s, Bromley decided to close Magic in 1991. The multi-year closure in the 1990s ended in 1997 and Magic re-opened to the public and re-gained a small, but passionate following among ski enthusiasts because of its classic, challenging terrain. However, the ski area also struggled through multiple owners, operators, and aging infrastructure during the 2000s, even as it continued to slowly expand its customer base. With limited capital reserves, Magic was in danger of not re-opening in 2015 and 2016 so the ownership group decided to look for a buyer. A group led by a local Magic skier then raised enough capital to purchase the property and invest over $2 million in significant snowmaking, lift, bar, and lodge improvements (including a 4 person shot ski). This group, SKI MAGIC LLC, successfully closed on the purchase of Magic in November 2016 and re-opened the ski area in late December. SKI MAGIC continues to operate Magic and invest in these critical infrastructure enhancements to improve and sustain the ski area.