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    Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks
    Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks
    Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks
    Ebook184 pages53 minutes

    Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks

    By Rose Ann Hirsch

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    About this ebook

    The first kiddie parks in North America were born in the lush forests of the Adirondack Mountains in the 1950s. These parks brought to life the characters of beloved fairytales,
    legends, and nursery rhymes through live performers, animated figures, and themed mechanical rides. Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks contains images of some of the Adirondacks most popular kiddie parks: Storytown U.S.A., Enchanted Forest of the Adirondacks, the Land of Make Believe, Magic Forest, and Santa s Workshop. Each park is home to various fantasy-themed amusements built to accommodate children rather than adults. Four of the five parks are still in operation and continue to entertain new generations of children every year.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateJun 28, 2006
    ISBN9781439617816
    Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks
    Author

    Rose Ann Hirsch

    As a western New Yorker, Rose Ann Hirsch grew up visiting several of the area's parks and spent 31 summers riding the Comet at Crystal Beach. She has written various articles and books on amusement park topics, including Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks.

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      Book preview

      Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks - Rose Ann Hirsch

      Workshop.)

      INTRODUCTION

      Once upon a time, a Lake Placid businessman told his youngest child a story about a little bear whose adventures led him to Santa’s North Pole Workshop. The little girl was so enchanted by the tale she pleaded with her father to take her to see Santa’s home. The father wanted to please his young daughter, but where could he take her to see Santa outside of a department store? So the father began to dream of a summer home for Santa Claus where children could visit him, his elves, and his reindeer. A local artist helped him realize his dream, and four years later, Santa’s Workshop opened at the base of Whiteface Mountain.

      Santa’s Workshop was one of the first kiddie theme parks and the first petting zoo in North America. It brought to life a childhood fantasy as no other kiddie park had done before, and the Adirondack Mountains provided the perfect setting.

      The beauty of the North Woods sparked the imaginations of other entrepreneurs as well. In the Lake George area, Charley Wood gave Mother Goose a story town in which her characters could romp and play. A former carnival owner created Magic Forest, where children discovered fables and nursery rhymes displayed among the pines. In Old Forge, Enchanted Forest sheltered the homes of the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, and their friends. Children were given untold freedom to touch, play, and dream at the Land of Make Believe in Upper Jay. Animal Land, near Storytown, U.S.A., and Old McDonald’s Farm, in Lake Placid, were places where nature and children came together. The Land of Enchantment near Plattsburgh created a magical retreat for kids and their parents.

      During the 1950s and early 1960s, many kiddie parks sprung up throughout North America. They offered the growing number of families with young children a safe, gentle, and relaxed place where they could play make-believe. The parks glorified childhood. The popularity of the kiddie parks peaked in 1960 when a majority of the baby boomers were between 3 and 10 years of age. However, as the baby boomers grew into adolescence, kiddie parks lost their allure. The innocence of childhood was mislaid and the charm of the parks forgotten.

      The late 1960s and early 1970s proved trying for the parks and their owners. Fewer children had been born during those decades, reducing the number of young visitors the parks had been created for. Double income households and parents’ crazy work schedules restricted the family’s weeklong vacation to weekend getaways and day trips, resulting in a major decrease in park attendance. The need to constantly change to attract the teen crowd drove some of the parks to make modifications that sent them beyond their original concepts. It seemed as if the kiddie parks would not survive.

      Yet, as in all fairy tales, a happy ending hovered on the horizon. Today four of the kiddie parks of the Adirondacks continue to operate. Their customer base is primarily baby boomers who are returning to their favorite childhood park with their children and grandchildren where they are entertained happily ever after.

      During my research for this book, I visited all four operating parks and their petting zoos. I found healthy, well cared for animals, including Santa’s reindeer team at Santa’s Workshop and Lightning the Diving Horse at Magic Forest. I observed Lightning’s dive. He was led to the ramp by the park manager and was allowed to enter it on his own. Lightning was not reluctant to jump into the pool on such a hot day, and no one coaxed him to do so. When the dive was completed, he was rewarded with his favorite oats and returned to the paddock.

      Due to a lack of photographs, postcards, and information, Animal Land, Old McDonald’s Farm, and the Land of Enchantment are not covered in this book.

      A young goat considered Wayne Lauzon’s sunglasses as a possible snack while being petted by Wayne’s sister Diane. Milk was recommended for feeding the baby goats and sheep at Santa’s Workshop. For 10¢, children could get a bottle of milk from the converted Pepsi Cola cooler. The animal’s food intake was carefully monitored, and milk sales were stopped when the animals were full. (Courtesy Martha Lauzon.)

      One

      SANTA’S WORKSHOP

      A FAMILY TRADITION

      Mother Goose, Santa, and his elves greeted visitors at the rustic gateway of the North Pole. Nestled near the base of Whiteface Mountain, Santa’s Workshop was a one-of-a-kind entertainment venue no one had ever seen before. It all began when Lake Placid businessman Julian Reiss told his five-year-old daughter a story about a baby bear’s adventures, which led him to Santa Claus’s North Pole Workshop. (Courtesy Santa’s Workshop.)

      His child’s wish to visit Santa’s workshop inspired Julian Reiss to create Santa’s summer home. Needing assistance to visualize his attraction, Reiss turned to local artist Arto Monaco. Monaco enthusiastically worked up a few sketches to show to Reiss’s father, who was asked to provide the capital for the project. Monaco became the park’s designer. His engaging artwork accented the Bavarian-style buildings inside and out. (Courtesy Santa’s Workshop.)

      With plans developed, a contractor experienced in building log structures was sought. Harold Fortune and his nephew Fred were constructing log cottages for Whiteface Inn in Lake Placid. When approached about the project, Fortune became excited, offering property he owned for the site. In exchange, he received park stock. Fortune was named construction manager and was a tireless promoter of the park. Nephew Fred became maintenance supervisor. (Author’s collection.)

      Santa’s Workshop was comprised of 220 acres of land, 25 of which, including the deer pasture, was actually used for the attraction. The rest of the property provided both environmental and visual protection for the park. The property was lightly wooded with a brook running through it. Hills on both sides formed a little bowl around which the village was placed. Fortune, Reiss, and Monaco planned the park by placing stakes in the ground for the size of each structure and its location around the pond. The builder worked from Monaco’s drawings. There were no blueprints. In the center of the village was the amazing north pole, which remained frozen even throughout the sizzling summer months. Santa’s Workshop staff gathers around the

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