Amusement Parks Past and Present…
I was recently thinking about the amusement parks I grew up visiting that are no longer around. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m getting on in years, maybe it’s the onset of spring, or this whole Disney thing, or maybe the fact that our boys are getting older (my oldest is just tall enough to ride the big coasters with me).
Growing up in San Jose, California, summer as a kid consisted of hopefully going to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Frontier Village, Happy Hollow, and Marine World in Redwood City. Happy Hollow and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk thankfully still exist today fairly unchanged from when I was young, Marine World moved to Vallejo and has now become Six Flags Marine World. Though I loved the original Marine World — the safari ride on a large rubber raft and the opportunity to pet a real dolphin (feels like a wet inner tube) — my fondest memories were of Frontier Village. Though it was only 15 minutes from home, a trip to Frontier Village felt like a grand trip to the Old West. It’s Wild West theme came complete with a gun fight on main street, a ride in a real stagecoach, and a train ride complete with a make-believe holdup. It was the first place I got to ride a burro (riding a horse came much later for me) and paddle a canoe. The closest thing to an “immersion” ride was the Lost Dutchman Mine Ride.
Frontier Village closed in 1980. The local commission had approved a plan for them to expand but the growing community surrounding the area protested and it was decided pursuing the expansion idea wasn’t worth the fight. Frontier Village had also been struggling with competition from the recently-opened Great America in Santa Clara and this along with the skyrocketing value of land in the emerging Silicon Valley helped seal their fate.
I miss the little park which symbolized a simpler time for me, a place where for just a little while we played as a family. That’s why it makes me feel good to hear stories about places like Oaks Park here in Portland, Oregon that will celebrate its 100th anniversary! It’s also exciting to learn about new endeavors like Bonfante Gardens Family Theme Park in Gilroy, California. Selling his successful grocery store chain, Michael Bonfante opened this unique and beautiful park which celebrates the history of the Santa Clara Valley. Oaks Park is run as a non-profit corporation and Bonfante Gardens has been set up as a community charity which returns a percentage of revenue for beautification and park projects throughout the southern part of Santa Clara County.
Special thanks to Frontier Village.net for some of the information about the rides and kick-starting the wonderful memories of that goofy little park.