Amusement parks have been a staple of California recreation and entertainment for over a century. First appearing along the beaches and multiplying up and down the coast, these parks ignited an industry that has seen tremendous change and innovation. Children's Fairyland--America's first theme park--and Knott's Berry Farm--the first children's park--set high standards for the amusement world. When Disneyland opened in 1955, amusement parks became destinations in themselves, transforming surrounding communities. Discover how these magical places came to be. Learn little-known secrets of 20 California parks and what makes them landmarks. For guests of all ages, California's theme parks offer an abundance of entertainment possibilities. 301 color photos provide a unique glimpse into an industry that forever changed family entertainment.

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.

The writing is academic, but it is not inaccessible. It will have wide disciplinary appeal within academia, as tourism studies cross into a variety of fields including history, American studies, fandom studies, performance studies and cultural studies. It will be invaluable to those working in the field of theme park scholarship and the study of Disney theme parks, theme parks in general and related areas like world's expositions and spaces of the consumer and lifestyle worlds. It will also be of interest to Disney fans, those who have visited any of the parks or are interested to know more about the parks and their cultural situation and context.

The companion and follow-up to Disneyland Detective is an enthusiastic investigation of the $2.1 billion expansion invested in the Disneyland Resort in 2001 that celebrates California’s storied past and dynamic future. This exploration of hidden treasures and secret references in the park that highlights the diversity of the Golden State--from the Gold Rush to the golden years and California's present-day allure--features original illustrations, photographs, trivia, and the behind-the-scenes story of a park that was 40 years in development. With the help of this guide, readers will be able to discover the whereabouts of several "hidden Mickeys,” locate the Twilight Zone television props placed in the Tower of Terror attraction, and learn about California’s contributions to the aviation industry.

Experience the electrifying, never-before-told true story of amusement parks, from the middle ages to present day, and meet the colorful (and sometimes criminal) characters who are responsible for their enchanting charms. Step right up! The Amusement Park is a rich, anecdotal history that begins nine centuries ago with the "pleasure gardens" of Europe and England and ends with the most elaborate modern parks in the world. It's a history told largely through the stories of the colorful, sometimes hedonistic characters who built them, including: Showmen like Joseph and Nicholas Schenck and Marcus Loew Railroad barons Andrew Mellon and Henry E. Huntington The men who ultimately destroyed the parks, including Robert Moses and Fred Trump Gifted artisans and craft-people who brought the parks to life An amazing cast of supporting players, from Al Capone to Annie Oakley And, of course, this is a full-throttle celebration of the rides, those marvels of engineering and heart-stopping thrills from an author, Stephen Silverman, whose life-long passion for his subject shines through. The parks and fairs featured include the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, Coney Island, Steeplechase Park, Dreamland, Euclid Beach Park, Cedar Point, Palisades Park, Ferrari World, Dollywood, Sea World, Six Flags Great Adventure, Universal Studios, Disney World and Disneyland, and many more.

Discover the story of Disneyland, Walt Disney's visionary theme park in Anaheim, California. This bountiful visual history includes stunning color photographs, concept drawings, as well as ephemera from the historical collections of the Walt Disney Company and the golden age of photojournalism, to trace the park's development and immersive...

This imaginative Little Golden Book, originally published in 1955, tells the story of the creation of Disneyland and the little man who lives there. Boys and girls ages 2 to 5 will love joining Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck as they meet little Patrick Begorra. Great for Disney fans, theme park enthusiasts, and Little Golden Book collectors of all ages!

Placing theme parks from the United States, Europe and Asia in a comparative, multidisciplinary framework, this fascinating book argues that these fantasy environments are an extreme example of the totalization of public space. By illuminating the relationship between theme parks and public space, this book offers critical insights into the ethos of total landscape. Illuminating the relationship between theme parks and public space, the book offers an insight into the ethos, design and expectations of public space in the twenty-first century.

How could one place have the world's best boysenberry preserves (no, Aunt Susan's isn't better!), world-class roller coasters, and Independence Hall, too?Where does a Ghost Town exist alongside a two-hundred-foot Sky Jump, while people wait three hours for a chicken dinner?Knott's Preserved: From Boysenberry to Theme Park, the History of Knott's Berry Farm has all the answers--and many, many more.From the earliest days of the Farm, when Walter Knott, his wife Cordelia, and their kids were serving up baskets of berries "as big as a man's thumb" and berry pies that weighed in at three pounds, to the advent of themed rides, Camp Snoopy replete with the Peanuts gang, and the arrival of the fastest coasters the coast had ever seen--it's all in Knott's Preserved.This updated edition to the book is brimming with more than 200 images--most of them never before published--Knott's Preserved reveals exactly how the Knott family turned a berry business into one of the major theme parks in the world. Artists and designers will flip at the details and artwork the authors display--the how-it-happened of Knott's from the earliest days. The berries and fried chicken were a just a yummy lead-in to what would become a thrills capital of the world. Plus, it's a story of how a man and a woman remained true to their values, sharing profits and credit whenever they could. Heartwarming? Yes. Decidedly so.For everybody who ever put their arms around Whiskey Bill and Handsome Brady, screamed in terror at Knott's Scary Farm, or marveled at the Calico Mine, this is the book that's filled with as much nostalgia as the Farm itself. Knott's Preserved is a must for every theme park lover and all those kids at heart.