The Orange County coast had its Joy Zone and its Fun Zone in the early decades of the 20th century. Knott's Berry Farm sprouted from a simple berry stand in Buena Park. The spot that would become Walt Disney's theme-park empire began as a citrus grove in Anaheim. Before long, Orange County was recognized as the nurturing ground for the growing amusement park industry. This book concerns the early history of such parks in the county east and south of Los Angeles, before high-tech digitization, when custom cars, enormous alligators, stunt planes, dolphin leaps, and movie stars' wax likenesses thrilled patrons. Some amusement parks have come and gone over a century of development, and some are still here, changing with the times to create new adventure and excitement for park goers.
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Title: BOOK REVIEW: Early Amusement Parks of Orange County
Author: Staff Writer
Publisher: Carousel News and Trader
Date: 4/12/09
"Early Amusement Parks of Orange County" is a tribute to early entertainment venues like the Lion County Safari and the Japanese Village, as well as the early days of well known parks like Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. The book boasts more than 200 historic images. Here are just a few excerpts from the book:
The Orange County coast had its Joy Zone and its Fun Zone in the early decades of the 20th century. Knott's Berry Farm sprouted from a simple berry stand in Buena Park. The spot that would become Walt Disney's theme-park empire began as a citrus grove in Anaheim.
Before long, Orange County was recognized as the nurturing ground for the growing amusement park industry. This book concerns the early history of such parks in the county east and south of Los Angeles, before high-tech digitization, when custom cars, enormous alligators, stunt planes, dolphin leaps, and movie stars' wax likenesses thrilled patrons. Some amusement parks have come and gone over a century of development, and some are still there, changing with the times to create new adventure and excitement for park patrons.
Balboa Fun Zone
In 1935, Al Anderson leased the boat yard next to the Balboa Island Ferry Landing with the intention of constructing an attraction of rides and games.
The original Balboa Fun Zone opened in 1936 and was run by families, much like it is today. Anderson was known for his alleged love of gambling, and during World War II, secret poker games were supposedly conducted in his upstairs apartment on the Fun Zone grounds. Anderson owned the Ferris wheel, carousel and other signature rides, while nearby families set up other attractions such as the boats, bumper cars, and arcades.
Anderson would purchase the property in the '40s and operate it until 1972 when a lawsuit over a diving accident off of the diving platform forced him into foreclosure.
Seal Beach Joy Zone
In the early 1900s, Philip A. Stanton set out to transform his new city of Seal Beach into "The Coney Island of the Pacific." The Joy Zone started out as a beach side amusement center in 1916. The original pier, which was erected in 1906, ended up being part of the Joy Zone.
The wooden roller coaster, known as the Derby, was originally built for the exposition in San Francisco. It was dismantled, moved and reassembled in Seal Beach. The Joy Zone billed itself as the "playground of Southern California."
A structure at the pier's foot served as a bathhouse, and the second story held Frank Burr's Jewel City Cafe. The Joy Zone, which attracted as many as 20,000 people a week, saw patronage decline during the Great Depression. The roller coaster eventually burned down.
Knott's Berry Farm
The year was 1920 when Walter and Cordelia Knott moved to the then-sleepy community of Buena Park, CA, to farm 20 acres of rented land. Today that land is part of the 160-acre Knott's Berry Farm, America's first theme park and, in the 21st century, the twelfth most-viewed amusement park in the country.
Cordelia began selling jams and jellies from Walter's boysenberries. In 1934, Cordelia Knott began using her wedding china to serve visitors her home-cooked chicken dinners for 65 cents each. With the immediate success of the chicken dinners, the berry farm's fame grew, and by 1940 the restaurant was serving as many as 4,000 dinners on Sunday evenings.
Walter Knott wanted to give his waiting customers something to do and also wanted to pay homage to the pioneering spirit of his grandparents and his love of the Old West. So, Walter developed Ghost Town, and eventually it became the first of Knott's Berry Farm's six themed areas.
In the 1960s, the Calico Mine Ride was added. The ride took trips into the depths of an Old West mine, the "Calico Glory Hole." The special effects used in the mine ride set the standard for the future of Knott's attractions.
The Timber Mountain Log Ride opened on July 11, 1969, and remains one of the top attractions at Knott's Berry Farm into the 21st century. It has carried more than 150 million guests.
Fiesta Village was the second themed area in the amusement , also debuting in 1969. Constructed under the supervision of Marion Knott, the daughter of the founders, it is a tribute to California's early Spanish Heritage.
Walt Disney and Disneyland
Walt Disney's plans for his amusement park date back as early as 1932 when he considered building an attraction to house his cartoon characters on the back of his Burbank Studios lot. However, as Disney's activities expanded, so did his dream. It became apparent to him that he needed a larger site.
Walt's brother Roy contacted Harrison "Buzz" Price who analyzed the top 10 potential sites in Orange County. Ultimately, Price, Walt and Roy selected 160-acres of orange groves in Anaheim, near the new Santa Ana Freeway, as the ideal location for Disneyland. At the time, Anaheim was a small town of 14,000 people.
The construction of Disneyland began on July 21, 1954, and the park opened on July 17, 1955, at a cumulative cost at that time of $17 million.
On opening day, 28,000 visitors entered the gates, some holding counterfeit tickets.
Entertainment Attractions
The story of the entertainment attractions in Orange County is fascinating and includes; Movieland of the Air Museum, Movie World Cars of the Stars/Planes of Fame Museum and Movieland Wax Museum. The book includes a great amount of history and an abundance of photos.
Wildlife Attractions
California Alligator Farm, Japanese Village and Deer Park, which later evolved into Enchanted Village and Lion County Safari are covered in the second to last chapter of the book with numerous photos and insightful history.
Old MacDonald's Farm
The final chapter takes a look at Old MacDonald's Farm, which began at Knott's Berry Farm and later moved to its own location.
Author Richard Harris grew up in Orange County and operated rides at Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland. His lifelong fascination for the amusement park industry has been channeled into articles on rides and rider safety as well as this book. The vintage images gathered for this window to the past, some of which have never before been published, came from private collections, museums, and the Orange County Archives.
"Early Amusement Parks of Orange County" by Richard Harris is published by Arcadia Publishing. The book is available through Amazon and other retail outlets or can be purchased at www.arcadiapublishing.com.
Author: Staff Writer
Publisher: Carousel News and Trader
Date: 4/12/09
"Early Amusement Parks of Orange County" is a tribute to early entertainment venues like the Lion County Safari and the Japanese Village, as well as the early days of well known parks like Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. The book boasts more than 200 historic images. Here are just a few excerpts from the book:
The Orange County coast had its Joy Zone and its Fun Zone in the early decades of the 20th century. Knott's Berry Farm sprouted from a simple berry stand in Buena Park. The spot that would become Walt Disney's theme-park empire began as a citrus grove in Anaheim.
Before long, Orange County was recognized as the nurturing ground for the growing amusement park industry. This book concerns the early history of such parks in the county east and south of Los Angeles, before high-tech digitization, when custom cars, enormous alligators, stunt planes, dolphin leaps, and movie stars' wax likenesses thrilled patrons. Some amusement parks have come and gone over a century of development, and some are still there, changing with the times to create new adventure and excitement for park patrons.
Balboa Fun Zone
In 1935, Al Anderson leased the boat yard next to the Balboa Island Ferry Landing with the intention of constructing an attraction of rides and games.
The original Balboa Fun Zone opened in 1936 and was run by families, much like it is today. Anderson was known for his alleged love of gambling, and during World War II, secret poker games were supposedly conducted in his upstairs apartment on the Fun Zone grounds. Anderson owned the Ferris wheel, carousel and other signature rides, while nearby families set up other attractions such as the boats, bumper cars, and arcades.
Anderson would purchase the property in the '40s and operate it until 1972 when a lawsuit over a diving accident off of the diving platform forced him into foreclosure.
Seal Beach Joy Zone
In the early 1900s, Philip A. Stanton set out to transform his new city of Seal Beach into "The Coney Island of the Pacific." The Joy Zone started out as a beach side amusement center in 1916. The original pier, which was erected in 1906, ended up being part of the Joy Zone.
The wooden roller coaster, known as the Derby, was originally built for the exposition in San Francisco. It was dismantled, moved and reassembled in Seal Beach. The Joy Zone billed itself as the "playground of Southern California."
A structure at the pier's foot served as a bathhouse, and the second story held Frank Burr's Jewel City Cafe. The Joy Zone, which attracted as many as 20,000 people a week, saw patronage decline during the Great Depression. The roller coaster eventually burned down.
Knott's Berry Farm
The year was 1920 when Walter and Cordelia Knott moved to the then-sleepy community of Buena Park, CA, to farm 20 acres of rented land. Today that land is part of the 160-acre Knott's Berry Farm, America's first theme park and, in the 21st century, the twelfth most-viewed amusement park in the country.
Cordelia began selling jams and jellies from Walter's boysenberries. In 1934, Cordelia Knott began using her wedding china to serve visitors her home-cooked chicken dinners for 65 cents each. With the immediate success of the chicken dinners, the berry farm's fame grew, and by 1940 the restaurant was serving as many as 4,000 dinners on Sunday evenings.
Walter Knott wanted to give his waiting customers something to do and also wanted to pay homage to the pioneering spirit of his grandparents and his love of the Old West. So, Walter developed Ghost Town, and eventually it became the first of Knott's Berry Farm's six themed areas.
In the 1960s, the Calico Mine Ride was added. The ride took trips into the depths of an Old West mine, the "Calico Glory Hole." The special effects used in the mine ride set the standard for the future of Knott's attractions.
The Timber Mountain Log Ride opened on July 11, 1969, and remains one of the top attractions at Knott's Berry Farm into the 21st century. It has carried more than 150 million guests.
Fiesta Village was the second themed area in the amusement , also debuting in 1969. Constructed under the supervision of Marion Knott, the daughter of the founders, it is a tribute to California's early Spanish Heritage.
Walt Disney and Disneyland
Walt Disney's plans for his amusement park date back as early as 1932 when he considered building an attraction to house his cartoon characters on the back of his Burbank Studios lot. However, as Disney's activities expanded, so did his dream. It became apparent to him that he needed a larger site.
Walt's brother Roy contacted Harrison "Buzz" Price who analyzed the top 10 potential sites in Orange County. Ultimately, Price, Walt and Roy selected 160-acres of orange groves in Anaheim, near the new Santa Ana Freeway, as the ideal location for Disneyland. At the time, Anaheim was a small town of 14,000 people.
The construction of Disneyland began on July 21, 1954, and the park opened on July 17, 1955, at a cumulative cost at that time of $17 million.
On opening day, 28,000 visitors entered the gates, some holding counterfeit tickets.
Entertainment Attractions
The story of the entertainment attractions in Orange County is fascinating and includes; Movieland of the Air Museum, Movie World Cars of the Stars/Planes of Fame Museum and Movieland Wax Museum. The book includes a great amount of history and an abundance of photos.
Wildlife Attractions
California Alligator Farm, Japanese Village and Deer Park, which later evolved into Enchanted Village and Lion County Safari are covered in the second to last chapter of the book with numerous photos and insightful history.
Old MacDonald's Farm
The final chapter takes a look at Old MacDonald's Farm, which began at Knott's Berry Farm and later moved to its own location.
Author Richard Harris grew up in Orange County and operated rides at Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland. His lifelong fascination for the amusement park industry has been channeled into articles on rides and rider safety as well as this book. The vintage images gathered for this window to the past, some of which have never before been published, came from private collections, museums, and the Orange County Archives.
"Early Amusement Parks of Orange County" by Richard Harris is published by Arcadia Publishing. The book is available through Amazon and other retail outlets or can be purchased at www.arcadiapublishing.com.
About the Author
Author Richard Harris grew up in Orange County and operated rides at Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland. His lifelong fascination for the amusement park industry has been channeled into articles on rides and rider safety as well as this book. The vintage images gathered for this window to the past, some of which have never before been published, came from private collections, museums, and the Orange County Archives.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun Memories,
This review is from: Early Amusement Parks of Orange County (Images of America: California) (Paperback)
Early Amusement Parks of Orange County by Richard Harris is part of the Images of America series from Arcadia Publishing. For you who love memorabilia and old photos, this is the book to enjoy. From the brief history of amusement parks I was amazed to learn that the oldest one in the world still in operation dates from 1583 in Denmark. There is a difference between theme parks and amusement parks and themed amusement parks, which Disney started. The concept of amusement parks, which first consisted of picnic tables near a trolley stop, has changed through the years as new inventions made people want more for entertainment. The book is filled with old sepia photographs and explanations which you will find quite interesting, especially if you live in or visit Southern California
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The "Playground" in California,
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This review is from: Early Amusement Parks of Orange County (Images of America: California) (Paperback)
This book took me back to my childhood growing up next door in Long Beach, CA. I can remember many of these attractions that are long gone now. I also learned of earlier attractions in Orange County that existed before I was born. Very informative. Great archival pictures. This book is a must for anyone that grew up in Southern California. I especially enjoyed the section on Lion Country Safari...now absent from Irvine.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
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This review is from: Early Amusement Parks of Orange County (Images of America: California) (Paperback)
My brother is kind of a buff, of sorts, on this kind of stuff. He LOVED this book.
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alligator farm, berry farm Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Courtesy of the Orange County Archives, Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, Courtesy of Dan Brucker, Fun Zone, Walt Disney, Lion Country Safari, Movieland Wax Museum, Enchanted Village, Walter Knott, Seal Beach, Courtesy of First American Title, Mission Viejo, Courtesy of Rick Bastrup, Movie World Cars of the Stars, California Alligator Farm, The Joy Zone, New York, Old West, Santa Ana Freeway, Movieland of the Air Museum, Bud Hurlbut, Planes of Fame Museum, The Alligator Farm, Calico Mine Ride Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
alligator farm, berry farm Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Courtesy of the Orange County Archives, Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, Courtesy of Dan Brucker, Fun Zone, Walt Disney, Lion Country Safari, Movieland Wax Museum, Enchanted Village, Walter Knott, Seal Beach, Courtesy of First American Title, Mission Viejo, Courtesy of Rick Bastrup, Movie World Cars of the Stars, California Alligator Farm, The Joy Zone, New York, Old West, Santa Ana Freeway, Movieland of the Air Museum, Bud Hurlbut, Planes of Fame Museum, The Alligator Farm, Calico Mine Ride Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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