Early Amusement Parks of Orange County

Japanese Deer Park.

2010-05-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

Do You Remember?

2010-03-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

Buster Keaton the Ghost Town & Calico Railroad.

2010-02-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

Buster Keaton caught in the "frog" on the Ghost Town & Calico Railroad at Knott's Berry Farm in 1956

Santa's Village owner-operator of the elfin theme park during its final two decades, has died.

2010-01-25T15:05:00.001-08:00

J. Putnam Henck, who built Santa's Village in the 1950s on family land near Lake Arrowhead and was the owner-operator of the elfin theme park during its final two decades, has died. He was 91.

Henck died Jan. 15 of kidney failure at his home in Skyforest, said his daughter, Pam Thompson.

The year that he was born -- 1918 -- his parents paid $10,000 for 440 acres in the San Bernardino Mountains, planning to build a resort. After his family moved to Skyforest in 1923, his father became a pioneering developer and his mother opened Lake Arrowhead's first school.

In 1953, the Henck family leased 15 acres to developer Glenn Holland, who wanted to create a North Pole-themed amusement park and hired Henck, a general contractor, to build it.

With a crew, Henck used trees cleared from the land to build fake log cabins topped with artificial snow and create giant candy canes, candles and gingerbread men.

When Santa's Village opened six weeks before Disneyland in 1955, "traffic was backed up all the way down the mountain," Henck told The Times in 2006.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, a steady stream of day-tripping motorists drove the Rim of the World Highway, seeking out the sliver of faux Arctic that featured kiddie rides, a candy kitchen, a toy shop, live reindeer and, of course, Santa.

After the original investors went bankrupt in 1978, Henck and his family took over the park. He handled the maintenance and finances while his wife, Pamela, wrote scripts for the puppet show, hired performers and became the Lollipop Lady, who handed out lollipops to park guests.

Space Mountain Construction.

2010-01-20T18:17:00.000-08:00

Space Mountain Construction 1977.

Disneyland Hotel.

2010-01-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

Looking North on West street Date unknown.

Can we guesss were this go's at.

2010-01-19T12:56:00.000-08:00

Marineland Of The Pacific.

2010-01-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

Here we have the last of the Commercials for now Marineland of the pacific.

Santa's Village (San Bernardino California).

2010-01-10T13:51:00.000-08:00

Here is a oldie but goodie commercial.

Do You Remember This one?

2010-01-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

Six Flags Commercial?

Do You Remember This Disneyland Commercial?

2010-01-06T18:08:00.000-08:00

Do you remember this Disneyland Commercial?

Do You Remember These Pt 4?

2010-01-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

Knott's can can show commercial.

Do You Remember These Pt 3?

2010-01-05T18:28:00.000-08:00

How about this Commercial that Knott's gives away a house.

Do You Remember These Pt 2?

2010-01-05T02:22:00.000-08:00

How about this commercial?.

Do You Remember These?

2010-01-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

Cable Car Kitchen Ice Cream Parlor?

The old Grand Ave entrance?

Do you remember the Gun Fight show at Knott's Berry Farm?

Bud Hurlbut and his Calico Mine Ride Pt 2.

2010-01-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

The mine ride is a total of eight stories, two stories down and six stories up.

The mannequins in the mine ride were created Bud Hurlbut and his staff. A couple of them that were also done by Claude Bell. Three mannequins that Claude did were located in the square right before you go up the lift and head in to the Cavern Room.

Bud Hurlbut.

2009-12-31T08:02:00.000-08:00

About this time I went to see Walter Knott about putting a couple of amusement rides in his park. At the time he didn't see much value in putting in a couple of rides. He wanted to keep Knott's Berry Farm as a ghost town and he could not visualize it any other way. I knew Walter because I went to school with his daughters and got to know the family.

Bud Hurlbut and his days starting with Walter Knott.The first carousel that I obtained was one thatI traded for one of my trains and some cash. I kept it in storage for a couple years. I bought a piece of ranch property on Washington Boulevard with the idea that I would open up my own amusement park.Then I bought that Dentzel carousel.

Lion Country Safari

2009-12-30T12:07:00.000-08:00

The park was originally in the city limits of Laguna Hills and opened in June of 1970. It was the second Lion Country Safari (after Florida).

Lion Country Safari was founded in 1967 by a group of South African and British entrepreneurs who wished to provide a safari experience for families who would not normally be able to experience it. The park originally exhibited only lions.

Japanese Village and Deer Park Advertiseing.

2009-12-29T10:31:00.001-08:00

Log Ride.

2009-12-28T18:58:00.000-08:00

The Log Ride opened on July 11, 1969, by actor John Wayne and his son, Ethan. The ride had opened up one mouth early than expected The ride didn’t have every thing done when Bud Hurlbut had opened.

Where in Knott's Berry Farm was this?

2009-12-27T18:04:00.000-08:00

Can you tell me what attraction sits here now?

Sky Jump Tower Construction.

2009-12-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

Knott's Berry Farm Animals.

2009-12-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

Horse Merry Go Round old Macdonald's Farm.

Trained Monkey 1960.

Seal Pool.

Fantasyland

2009-12-22T18:06:00.001-08:00

This is what Fantasyland looked like back then. Casey Junior tracks are on the bottom left, Tomorrowland, as defined by the rocket ride, to the right in the far distance..

Walt Disney invited officials from Orange County.

2009-12-22T17:57:00.000-08:00

Walt Disney invited officials from Orange County to his studios to discuss his plans for Disneyland and to pose for a few photos. Inside the stagecoach are Orange County Supervisors Willard Smith (on the left) and Willis Warner (on the right). Walt Disney stands with his hand on the break.

2009-12-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

5571 built for D&RG. Date of trial 4/4/1881 #400 "Grand River" BLW class 10-26-E
5655 D&RG trial 5/30/1881 #240 "Lake City" BLW class 10-24 1/2 E

More of the Buffalo Ranch Irvine.

2009-12-12T06:40:00.000-08:00

Buffalo Ranch Irvine.

2009-12-11T06:59:00.000-08:00

In the 1960s, Buffalo Ranch was shut down due to rising land costs. At the same time, a nearby site had been chosen for the University of California, Irvine campus

Buffalo Ranch, which was a working part of the Irvine Ranch until 1954 when buffalo rancher Gene Clark who was the great-grandson of Indian chief Geronimo Gene imported over 72 buffalo to the land and opened it as a public attraction.

Chirstmas at Disneyland part 2.

2009-12-09T10:42:00.001-08:00

Chirstmas at Disneyland.

2009-12-08T12:47:00.001-08:00

Chirstmas at Knott's Berry Farm 1964.

2009-12-07T10:55:00.001-08:00

Chirstmas at Knott's Berry Farm 1966.

2009-12-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

Universal Studios Hollywood 1971 Pt 3.

2009-12-04T06:54:00.000-08:00

Universal Studios Hollywood 1971 Pt 2.

2009-12-03T15:04:00.000-08:00

Universal Studios Hollywood 1971.

2009-12-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

Oustside of the Orand Curtin here i have some Photos from 1971.

Three months after Disneyland's Opening.

2009-11-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

More of Autopia Construction.

2009-11-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

Tom Sawyers Island the Early Years.

2009-11-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

Pullman Passanger car.

2009-11-23T12:30:00.000-08:00

Oriinal blueprint for the passangers rail car,

Knott's Berry Farm Trains.

2009-11-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

Blueprint of Knott's Berry Farm steam engine original print.

I'm back from small Vacaction.

2009-11-22T12:59:00.001-08:00

Steve Knott grandson of Walter Knott.

2009-10-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

Steve Knott and Carl and Margret Kracher.

Buddy Ebson and Steve Knott.

Steve Knott Year unknown.

Marineland of the Pacific.

2009-10-29T16:35:00.001-07:00

Busch Gardens.

2009-10-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

Palace of the Living Art.

2009-10-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

Virgin and the swan a marble masterpice done in ilty.In this tranquill setting.

Venus de Milo was created by an unknown greekiartist 200 years before the birth of christ.Replica of the original made by artists of the louver in Paris.

Disnyland Construction Pt 2.

2009-10-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

Town Square Construction laying of the rail for the horse drawn cable cars.

Disneyland Construction.

2009-10-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

The Spruce Goose.

2009-10-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

the Spruce Goose The craft was built of wood to determine whether that non-critical material could be used in lieu of metals which were in short supply in the waning years of World War II. The plane's wing span would reach beyond the goal lines on a football field. Hughes designed the Spruce Goose to carry 500 to 700 troops.

Nov. 2, 1947 Hughes climbed into toe pilot's seat and taxied the mammoth plane through to waters off downtown Long Beach. More than 15,000 persons lined the beach to watch. Hughes pushed toe bank of eight throttles forward: The engine's propellers kicked up a frothy saltwater spray on either side of toe broad-bellied bird. The plane slowly picked up speed.

The Spruce Goose.

2009-10-20T12:41:00.001-07:00

Until the day Hughes died, he dreamed of flying his big wooden boat again. The plane is 218 feet long and 79 feet high. It has a wing span of 320 feet — 196 feet wider than the 747. It weighs 300,000 pounds.

The Spruce Goose, the giant flying boat Howard Hughes flew only once - and on which he spent $60 million over 30 years to keep ready to fly at any moment.

Queen Mary.

2009-10-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

THE CITY'S PLANS for operating the Museum of the Sea aboard the Mary, conducting tours of the vessel and for operating a hotel-convention-restaurant shop complex should provide Long Beach with one of the major tourist attractions in the United States.

Purchase of the Queen Mary has achieved instant recognition for the City of Long Beach throughout the world and promises to become the greatest single catalyst for progress in the history of the city.

Jungle Island Knott's Berry Farm.

2009-10-17T16:48:00.001-07:00

One of Few prades at Knott's Berry Farm.

Pacific Ocean Park.

2009-10-16T16:52:00.000-07:00

Disneyland 1957 Home Movie Part 2.

2009-10-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

Disneyland 1957 Home Movie.

2009-10-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

Pacific Ocean Park.

2009-10-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

opened to the public July 22. Inspired" by the universal attraction which the sea holds for pleasure seekers, the park has been designed around ocean wonderland theme.

Pacific Ocean Park, it was a 28 acre multi-million dollar family entertainment center located on the shoreline in Santa Monica.

Long Beach Pike.

2009-10-13T07:40:00.000-07:00

The Cyclone Racer, the 80-mile per-hour roller coaster that claimed several lives and challenged the courage of millions of riders.

The name Pike dates back to 1906 when the area was a popular swimming spot and bathhouse. By about1915. Though, it was a booming fun zone with tumbling rides and concessions.

Japanese Village and Deer Park.

2009-10-12T13:16:00.001-07:00

2,500 seat Sea Arena, which was built around one section of the Japanese Village inland Sea. The sea-waterway was said to be the largest inland artificial body of salt water in the world, requiring 150 tons of salt. (The two million gallons of processed salt water in the waterway are recirculated through complex sand filters by giant turbines every four hours.)

More than 300 deer imported from Nara — inhabit the park. Confined to a large holding pen ringed by other attractions, visitors are welcome to feed the deer with special crackers purchased from coin operated machines.

Two Akita dogs, a breed once used to guard; the Japanese Imperial Palace.

More of Movieland Wax Museum.

2009-10-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

The Different Looks Of Movieland Wax Museum.

2009-10-09T05:41:00.000-07:00

The different Looks of Movieland Wax Museum.

Lion Country Safari.

2009-10-07T19:32:00.001-07:00

Marineland Of The Pacific.

2009-10-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

In addition to the two enormous tanks, there are numerous smaller aquaria or "jewel" tanks, at various locations, for specimens requiring special conditions. Even in the big tanks, different environmental conditions are provided. In the round tank that holds 600,000 gallons of sea water, drawn fresh from the ocean by pumps through a specially filtered source, the water temperature is left to fluctuate with the weather, to accommodate fish and marine life native to the region.

The sea water supply is obtained by means of a subterranean collecting drain. A perforated cement-asbestos pipe, buried in the beach below the tide level, empties into a sump where it is pumped up the hill to the tanks. The collection pipes about 2500 ft from the Oceanarium building, and the water is lifted 125 ft by two, 100-hp pumps.

Claude Bell.

2009-10-06T03:39:00.000-07:00

Starting out at the age of 12, Bell has been doing .portraits of people ever since. His operation at Knott's has become a training school for thousands of quick-sketch artists. "I've broke in more portrait artists than any other man in history," he estimates. Bell started on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City in the early 1930s with his sketch pad and pencils, and that is where he met "Lucy," the inspiration for his Cabazon monster. Lucy, as a huge elephant-like. Building was known on the Boardwalk, was used as a hotel and later a restaurant. Built in 1909, it was a local landmark.Here is Claude do a head bust of Walter Knott.

Claude Kenneth Bell is the statue maker in residence at Knoll's Berry Farm,where he made like-size statues of people like Walter Knott, John Wayne or the famed Minuteman of Lexington and Concord fame.And the prospector at Knott's Berry Farm.

Long Gone but not Forgotten Knott's Music Hall.

2009-10-05T03:36:00.000-07:00

Santa's Village (San Bernardino California). PT 2

2009-10-03T20:09:00.001-07:00

Over the years various promotions were tried, including the addition of exotic animals and local celebrity guests such as Captain Satellite, Smokey the Bear, and Romper Rooms Miss Nancy.

The publicity surrounding the building of Disneyland sparked ideas in many an entrepreneur’s head during the fifties. By 1955, the year Disneyland opened for business, H. Glenn Holland had already opened the first of what would become a chain of three Santa’s Village amusement parks at Lake Arrowhead in Southern California. Meanwhile, the success of a local builder’s temporary Santa’s Wonderland in Scotts Valley the winter of that same year convinced Holland that this area could support a second Santa’s Village. Acquiring the polo pony farm previously owned by golf pro Marion Hollins, Holland began plans for the park to be located on the east side of highway 17 as it passes through Scotts Valley.

Santa’s Village opened Memorial Day of 1957 complete with winter-themed rides such as the spinning snowballs, a mirror-maze, puppet shows, a petting zoo, and of course Santa’s house complete with a refrigerated “North Pole.” All the buildings in the park featured high peaked roofs with artificial snow and icicles, even the gas station out front was adorned in this fashion.

Santa's Village (San Bernardino California).

2009-10-03T06:43:00.000-07:00

"Bee Flight" monorail.

Park creator Glenn Holland insisted that theme presentation was important. Numerous static displays were in the park. Buildings and grounds were decorated with elaborate details. Even money never exchanged hands as a small passport ticket was used to keep track of the guest’s expenses. The passport would be checked out at the end of the visit in the exit shop. Children’s belief in the myth was paramount

470,219 guests visited! The colorful storybook .town in its first seven months of operation,An Impressive! Figure When compared Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm -southern California's' major' attractions.

Glenn Holland built Santa's Village in 1955 in Lake Arrowhead Glenn Holland who introduced us to his fairyland world Holland was 39-year-old former advertising agency executive.

Lion Country Safari.

2009-10-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

Lion Country Safari was the greatest thing to happen to endangered species of African wildlife since Noah's Ark. Success bred success. In June 1970, America's second Lion Country Safari blossomed on a 485- acre tract of California's famed Irvine Ranch in Orange County, near Disneyland. It, too, won immediate acclaim, attracting more than 1.2 million visitors in its first year.

The Southern California temperatures were quite as warm as Equatorial Africa, but the balmy environment well suited the transplanted critters.

Opened on 140 acres of Irvine Ranch in 1970. Visitors stayed in their cars and drove among free-ranging lions, giraffes, and hippopotami. The park drew more than one million customers a year.

Knott's Scary Farm.

2009-10-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

The pioneers foe Knott’s Halloween Haunt in 1973 were Larry Vincent, Bill Hollingshead (Entertainment Manager of the Knott's Berry Farm Entertainment Department), Gary Salisbury (Entertainment Supervisor), Gene Witham (Head of the Makeup Department), Bud Hurlbut (Attractions), Martha Boyd.

Knott’s Halloween Haunt saw its first year in 1973. Knott's Scary Farm has a long and interesting history, and for the most part, has been Larry Vincent was in a bit but, according to Bill Hollingshead (Entertainment Director of Knott's Berry Farm in the early 1970's)

"Sinister Seymour" served as the first celebrity host of the first two big Halloween Haunt events at Knott's Berry Farm in 1973 and 1974. The photo above shows Seymour near the exit of Knott's Haunted Shack.

Balboa Fun Zone.

2009-09-30T10:17:00.001-07:00

In 1906, Fred Lewis owned a tract of land on the waterfront in old Balboa, which is a portion of today’s city of Newport Beach. For years, he operated a boatyard, storing and repainting boats for the locals. In 1935, Al Anderson bought the old boatyard, located next to the Balboa Island Ferry Landing, with the intention of constructing an attraction of rides and game.The original Balboa Fun Zone opened in 1936, and was run by families, much like it is today.

Japanese Village and Deer Park.

2009-09-29T10:13:00.001-07:00

Most deer at Japanese Village & Deer Park were sika deer, considered "divine messengers" by Japanese. Sika deer are found in several regions in East Asia and were native to Japan. Other species of deer at the park were English fallow and Indian axis deer.

The deer park had many pools throughout its gardens. In the background here, it’s evident that the Nabisco factory was very near to the deer park.

Japanese Village was landscaped in a traditional Japanese method with serene Koto Music, through hidden speakers and bamboo rustles in the breeze as you proceeded down the landscaped walks.

S.F. Cable Cars Saved From Retirement.

2009-09-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

the Cable Cars antiques were fairly costly "for four cars in use since about 1873."Large crane lift's the cable cars from the truck beds and onto the new-laid narrow- gauge tracks.

Knott’s Berry Farm paid $3.040 for two of the cars in a tie-in bid; $1,150 for the third and $1,310 for the fourth.

Bud Hurlbut and his Calico Mine Ride.

2009-09-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

In the 1960s, the Calico Mine Ride was added to Knott’s Berry Farm. The Calico Mine Ride would take foreboding-seeming trips into the depths of an Old West mine.

The Calico Mine Ride building was constructed at a cost of $3.5 million in 1960 dollars.

Disneyland Home Movies.

2009-09-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

Carousel of Progress.

2009-09-25T06:26:00.000-07:00

Below is a model-community of the future in "Progress City,on the second floor of the Carousel of Progress" presented by General Electric.

Theater was a two-level structure. On the lower level, an outer ring consisting of six theaters revolved around a core of stationary stages. The theaters made one sixth of a revolution after each act of the show.

"Carousel of Progress" where six theaters revolve around a hub of stages as "Audio-Animatronics" families enact the drama of electricity's contributions to better living.

Richard Nixon at Knott's Berry Farm.

2009-09-24T06:26:00.001-07:00

2009-09-23T05:58:00.001-07:00

The Durango, started out life at Jackson & Sharp in 1880 as a 25-seat chair car. By 1903, it had been rebuilt as a parlor car (with mahogany interior trim) and renamed Pagosa.

The cars were hauled to Knott’s by one of Jack Belyea’s trucks. No. 580 appears to be a heavy Sterling truck-tractor equipped with an engine-powered winch. The driver is wearing the standard uniform for truckers back in the early 50s and appears to be slowly lowering the car down the inclined trailer to the ground. Jack Belyea moved SP No. 3025 to Griffith Park and was no stranger to moving railroad equipment with his trucks and trailers. Note the railroad jack being used to steady the car as it slowly moves back down the trailer. The jack gets slid along the cribbing and prevents the car from leaning drastically towards the men in the event it derails

Way Outside of the O.C.

2009-09-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

Construction of Anheuser-Busch California Busch Gardens was built at the cost of $3,500,000.

Busch Gardens occupied 17 acre site adjacent to the Anheuser Busch brewery.

Busch Gardens will surround visitors will be series of cliffs, waterfalls and forest Pier-supported pavilions are to be constructed 22 feet above water level, providing excellent view of entire area Busch Gardens project.

Skyway.

2009-09-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

Skyway after the construction of Autopia notice no Matterhorn.

Here is the Tommrow land Autopia under construction.

Old Besty at Knott's Berry Farm.

2009-09-20T05:57:00.001-07:00

Besty the old Borax engine circa 1942.Walter found it sitting it in the desert on a small piece of track so he moved it.This was an old wood burning steam engine that has been a favorite for the guest of Ghost Town.

Knott's Berry Farm Train and Passanger cars.

2009-09-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

There aren't enough clues in this photos for us to identify the location, but the presence of the palm trees suggests it's a team track rather than one of the area’s big railroad yards. Santa Fe's San Diego line goes through Buena Park, Fullerton, and Anaheim, and both UP and SP had branch lines down to Anaheim. One thought is that after taking the D&RGW over La Veta Pass, the cars may have gone the rest of the way on the Santa Fe. (A possible Santa Fe routing would be Pueblo–La Junta–Las Animas–Amarillo–San Bernardino–Fullerton.) Walter Knott was a thrifty, pragmatic farmer, so it makes sense that to keep his trucking costs to a minimum, he would have routed the cars as close to the farm as possible

The passenger cars were shipped to California from Alamosa in September by railcar and carried the rest of the way to the farm by Belyea Trucking Company. By January 1952.

This is the Calico engine being restored by Ed Randow, standing here on the structure above the cowcatcher.

Knott's Cable Kitchen.

2009-09-19T08:25:00.001-07:00

Cable Car Kitchen nameing contest.

Knott's Berry Farm Auto Rides.

2009-09-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

From the Roaring 20's Gasoline Alley added in the 1970's these cars were powered by a Briggs and Stratton engine.

The Merry Go Round auto ride in what now is called Fiesta was designed and Built by Bud Hurlbut these cars were driven by electric powered the cars were added to Knott's Berry Farm in 1958.

Henry's auto livery opened in July of 1957 located on the corner of Beach Blvd and Crescent Ave.Outside the main portion of the park this ride had no tracks just bumpers.The cars were gasoline powered.These cars were designed by Walter Beckman.

Disneyland Home Movies.

2009-09-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

Do you Remember the Old Balboa Fun Zone?

2009-09-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

The Fun Zone in 1916.

Grand Opening of Balboa Harbor.

Place of Living Art..

2009-09-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

Leda and Swan (Uffifi Gallery)Florence Italy,Replica of the original,carved from rare pure white marble by an artist in Florence for exhibition in the Place of the Living Art at the Movieland Wax Museum.

Boy with Tortoise Itallian (Louvre Museum) Replica of the original made by artists of the Louvre Museum in Paris ,France for exhibition in the Palace of Living Art at the Movieland Wax Museum.

Before there was a Matterhorn at Disneyland.

2009-09-14T08:24:00.001-07:00

Skyway headed east over the spot were the Matterhorn now sits.

Place of Living Art.

2009-09-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

Christ in the garden of Gethsemane -A copy of the famous painting by Heinrich Hoffman,German, (1824-1895) is exhibited along side the three dimensional reproduction in wax. Here the visitors would pause to reflect on this moving scene from the Bible.

Statue of Winged Victory -Done by an unknown artist at the end of the 4th century B.C and discovered on the island of Samothrace in 1863. Reproduced for The Palace of Living Art.

More of Lion Country Safari.

2009-09-12T08:58:00.001-07:00

Lion Country Safari was built at the cost of $11.5 million. During its first year in operation, attendance was 1.2 million. The first Lion Country Safari venture was in West Palm Beach, Florida, built in 1967. The park in Florida had received national acclaim as an authentic game preserve.

Admission to the game reserve was $3.25 for adults and $1.50 for children under the age of 11. Cassettes provided a tape-recorded narration.

Lion Country Safari

2009-09-11T05:41:00.001-07:00

Lion Country Safari was the greatest thing to happen to endangered species of African wildlife since Noah's Ark. Success bred success.

The animals would always have the right-of-way at the park. Windows had to be rolled up at all times. Photography was only allowed through the windshield or other windows in a car truck or bus.

After the tour, visitors could leave their cars at the Safari Camp and the Entertainment Area. The Zambezi River Cruise was available at 75 cents for adults and 50 cents for children. Thirty-six-foot boats cruised past and among live hippos.

Viewliner.

2009-09-10T05:33:00.000-07:00

The attraction went into operation on June 26, 1957 and was advertised by Disneyland as "the fastest miniature train in the world." Two separate trains, designed and built as scale replicas of General Motors' futuristic Aerotrain, traveled along a figure-eight track through parts of Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. The Tomorrowland train featured cars that were named for the planets, while the cars of the Fantasyland train were named after various Disney characters.

The Viewliner was powered by a modified 1954 Oldsmobile 88 engine. It traveled on narrow gauged rails. There were two trains each with six cars. The trains were the salmon-colored Tomorrowland Viewliner and the blue Fantasyland Viewliner.

Ariel View of the Viewliner under construction.

Disneyland Midget Autopia.

2009-09-09T05:24:00.000-07:00

The small car on the left, with dual-steering wheels, was acquired from Arrow Development for the Fantasyland "Midget Autopia" at Disneyland. It was not designed by Bob Gurr (as in the case of the other Autopia vehicles) and couldn't actually be steered or driven on its own. The Midget Autopia cars were electric and guided along a track, similar to ride vehicles used in Snow White's Adventures or Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

Movie World Cars of the Stars.

2009-09-08T09:58:00.001-07:00

More of Movie World Cars of the Stars.

2009-09-07T07:06:00.000-07:00

Rotar stands for "Roth Air Car". Ed used two Bell Auto Parts built 650cc Triumph twins laid on their side. A high pressure prop was mounted to each engine that created a cushion of air that allowed Rotar to propel itself on land and water. Directional flaps on the bottom were plywood and the rear fin was fashioned after Ed's '59 Cadillac.

Movie World Cars of the Stars.

2009-09-06T20:04:00.001-07:00

Jim Brucker had one of the biggest parking problems in Hollywood. As the owner-operator of Oxnard's Movieland Cars of the Stars and Picture Car’ Company in Los Angeles, he had one of the largest privately owned collections of antique, classic, vintage and just plain cars in the world.

Jim Brucker, a former farmer, collected cars for fun, 700 of them, and rented them to moviemakers. Brucker and his son, Jimmy, opened Movieworld: Cars of the Stars and the Planes of Fame Museum in Buena Park in 1970.

Built by Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, the Beatnik Bandit is one of the most recognized custom show cars of its time, built on a 1955 Oldsmobile chassis, and powered by an Olds engine. The car was built from fiberglass and had twin Ford carburetors. The car had Joy-stick steering control, a feature under the Bandit's custom bubble top.

Besides movie ' cars, Brucker featured motion picture props, posters and other mementos of the early years of films in Hollywood. It seems everyone has a Hollywood Museum.

Disneyland Home Movies for us who remember Yesteryear.

2009-09-06T05:38:00.000-07:00

Disneyland Trains.

2009-09-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Walt Disney built the Carolwood Pacific Railroad on his property in Holmby Hills district of Los Angeles, California where he and his family moved in 1949. He was inspired by his animators Ward Kimball and Ollie Johnston, who already had their own backyard railroads. The railroad was named for the street on which his home was located — Carolwood Drive. Walt's 2,615 feet (797 m) of track included a 46-foot (14 m) long trestle, loops, overpasses, gradients, an elevated dirt berm, and a 90-foot(27.4 m) tunnel. All aboard Walt Disney's Railroad and Walt's passion for his trains and dream. Walt Disney's uncle, Michael Martin, had been a steam locomotive engineer. As a teenager in Missouri, Disney had a summer job selling newspapers, candy, fruit, and soda on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway. Walt loved the uniform, the trains, the candy, and the chance to see the country.

It was Disney's lifelong fascination with the railroad that in 1950 led to the building of the Carolwood Pacific Railroad (and even before that, a huge Lionel layout in a room adjacent to his office at the Studio).With his daughters and their friends happily in tow in his backyard, Disney would ride on his 1/2 mile (0.8 kilometer)-long, 1/8th scale miniature railroad. This led to Walt Disney to include the railroad as the backbone of his family-oriented Disneyland.

The Santa Fe and 'Disneyland's Locomotive and cars are five-eighths scale models of one of the early Santa Fe passenger trains.The SF&DRR makes a complete circle of the entire area- with virtually all seats taken on every trip. Passengers are treated to such exciting scenes as a replica of the Grand Canyon, savages in the jungles and many "wild" animals in natural habitat. The atmosphere on Main Street keynotes a leisurely pace, reminiscent of the much slower paced and more closely knit social life at the turn of the century

The Bird Cage Theatre.

2009-09-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

The original Bird Cage Theater is located in Tombstone Arizona and was latter Reproduced at Knott’s Berry Farm.Tombstone Arizona was,a silver mining town of the old days, once boasted of 15,000 population. The Bird Cage Theater was the main entertainment for Tombstone the Bird Cage Theater, was known throughout the world as being the place where Lottie Crabtree and Eddie Foy played to large crowds 50 years ago. Tombstone was started. When news of Ed Schieffelin's discovery reached the outside world, a stampede of miners was on to the new diggings. With them came all that human riffraff.

Knott's Berry Farm the Early Years Book Review.

2009-09-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

I had enjoyed reading Knott’s Berry Farm the Early Years by Jay Jennings. Jay is Author, filmmaker, and amusement park historian Jay is a Los Angeles native who grew up in the 1970s, spending his weekends at various Southern California amusement parks. After graduating from Beverly Hills High School, he attended Columbia College of Film, after which he embarked on a successful career as a writer-director. Jennings has spent the last 25 years researching the history of Southern California amusement parks, with an emphasis on Knott’s Berry Farm. In addition, he owns one of the largest collections of Knott’s Berry Farm memorabilia in the country.

Jay divided the content into five chapters.

Chapter 1 ………………………….The Early years of Knott’s Berry Farm

Chapter 2…………………………………..Introducing Knott’s Berry Place

Chapter 3...…………………………………………..Building a Ghost Town

Chapter 4……………………………..Knott’s Berry Farm and Ghost Town

Chapter 5………………………………………Vintage Knott’s Memorabilia

Jay has created an online museum to display photos of his personal collection of Knott’s memorabilia – you won’t find more pictures of Knott’s ashtrays, beer mugs, shot glasses and menus on the Internet. And now here comes his book of a photo-filled book on the theme park that took over Walter and Cordelia Knott’s humble berry stand to become one of the earliest and best-known theme parks around. There are over more than 200 photos that have never been seen before this book was published.

Book Description:
What started out in the early 1920s as a small, roadside berry stand in Buena Park, California, grew over the next 60 years into one of the most popular amusement parks in the world. Its founder, Walter Knott, along with his wife and family, knew no boundaries when it came to expanding his small berry market and tearoom into the world-famous Chicken Dinner Restaurant and later adding his ultimate achievement, Ghost Town. This book documents the early history of Knott’s Berry Farm, featuring over 200 rarely seen images.

One of many pictures that have never been seen The Grand Opening of Knott's Berry Farms Train Ride.This is one of many never seen photos in the book.

John wayne interview on the opening of the John Wayne Theater.

2009-09-03T06:09:00.000-07:00

1971 The 2,100-seat John Wayne Theater (now the Good Time Theatre®) opens June 19. California Governor Ronald Reagan and John Wayne himself preside over the celebrity-filled Grand opening ceremonies, which the The Knotty Post employee newsletter describes as "the biggest event ever held on the Farm."

Richard Boone on Knott's Berry Farm.

2009-09-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

Richard Boone was born in Los Angeles as the middle child of Cecile (née Beckerman) and Kirk E. Boone, a well-to-do corporate lawyer. He was descended from a brother of frontiersman Daniel Boone, and was an uncle of actor Randy Boone (born 1942) and a cousin of singer-actor Pat Boone. Boone graduated from Hoover High School in Glendale, CA, he attended Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, but left prior to graduation and tried his hand at oil-rigging, bartending, painting and writing, before joining the United States Navy in 1941. He served as an aviation ordinance man and saw combat on three ships in the South Pacific during World War II.