Let's set the Wayback Machine to Palos Verdes, California, to visit Marineland of the Pacific! Marineland of the Pacific was a public oceanarium and tourist attraction located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula coast in Los Angeles County, California. Architect William Pereira designed the main structure. It was also known as Hanna-Barbera's Marineland during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Marineland operated from 1954 until 1987, when it was purchased by the owners of SeaWorld San Diego.
This first one is dated "July 1958", and is an interesting look at some signage that I don't recall seeing before. Perhaps it predated this one that I am familiar with (see it HERE), with the leaping pilot whale and two dophins. Don't just go to Marineland for the fish (and sea mammals)! Go get a cocktail, a nice meal, and maybe stay in their hotel (I didn't know they had their own hotel). "Honey, there are goldfish in the toilet!".
This next one is undated, but certainly from the 50s; a family poses for a group shot in front of a large flowerbed, with some of Marineland's buildings in the distance (possibly the restaurant, based on that sign that we can barely see). "I'll have a seal burger, one fried-fish sandwich, and some tuna ice cream for dessert". "VERY good, sir".
And finally, here's another group, from July 1960; they are in front of the iconic large amphitheater with the zig-zag ramps. I'll bet you would have seen Corky and Orky in there - two orcas who liked living in a little swimming pool. Or perhaps Bubbles the pilot whale. Or Pablo the porpoise. OK, I made that last one up, but he would have been a star!
Major-
ReplyDeleteI don't recall that sign, either. It's very reminiscent of motel signage...
"I didn't know they had their own hotel."
They didn't - it was a motel. See-?
I want to know if the youngster near the right in the 2nd image is related to one of the Singer's Midgets-? He has one of those "adult" faces.
The 'gals' in the 3rd image appear quite proud of their hats, and couldn't quite figure out how to place them on their heads, as movie stars do, to allow for a flattering picture. (Nice cigarette, Pops-!)
Thanks, Major.
The hotel (motel) couple should be glad that there are only goldfish in the toilet... there could be whales! (Small whales, but still whales.)
ReplyDeleteThis entrance is kinda neat. It resembles a ship with a mast and sails (and nautical flags). On the right, there is an alien spaceship in the grassy field The Zanti misfits have landed! (Anybody?) Get out the bug spray! Odd to find them here, near Marineland. They usually land at the Vasquez Rocks.
A (mostly) nice family portrait. Yes indeed, the kid on the right in the front row definitely has a very natural smile. :-\ And I think the baby has some drool or 'spit up' dribbling down her(?) chin. I can't tell what kind of flowers those are.
Looks like maybe the ladies just bought those sun hats, the way they're displaying them (as Nanook also noted). I think I saw Bubbles the whale when our family visited Marineland in 1957. Pretty sure we has a 35mm slide featuring a pilot whale. And I recognize the name "Bubbles".
We haven't seen vintage Marineland photos for quite a while. Thanks, Major.
Yay....vintage Marineland pics. It met such a sad fate, and so did some of the animals.....all at the hands of the owners of Sea World, but I won't repeat the details of that story again!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a pic of that early sign, either! I wonder how long it lasted before being replaced? I also wasn't aware of the restaurant or the motel until after the park closed for good and there were news stories about the abandoned buildings, which remained standing for quite some time. I guess when we would pull in to the parking lot, I never looked off to the side to see the restaurant or the motel. Or if I did, I guess I didn't realize they were a part of Marineland.
Nanook, that maybe also looks kind of "mature." Perhaps they are criminal "Fidgets", just like the babies that Stymie tried to warn everyone else about, but nobody believed him. "I'm telling you that those two babies are FIDGETS!"
I remember those zigzag walkways up to the seating area of the main amphitheater. And I remember thinking it was ridiculous how much walking back and forth it took to get up there, and then again to exit the complex. I guess there really wasn't any better design, other than having elevators take people up.
Thanks for the great vintage Marineland pics, Major!
Ha, ha.....I meant to type, "Nanook, that BABY also looks kind of mature!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sign, it’s got everything! Some part of it should rotate, that would be the topper. Put a spinning fish on top! It’s an Oceanarium, because mere aquariums are old hat!
ReplyDeletePhoto 2, the kid is older than his Dad. Maybe he’s a cousin to the others and sitting with his mom, Aunt Myrna?
I vaguely remember those long ramps, made so guests didn’t have to climb so many stairs and eased getting strollers and wheelchairs up to the upper levels.
Sad story of the business, and the animals too. Thanks for these pics Major!
JG
Nanook, as Hemingway said, “A motel is just a hotel with an ‘M’”. I couldn’t have said it better myself. The Singer’s Midgets, er, um, I don’t know them. Popular 80 years ago perhaps? I’m sure those hats cast big shadows over the faces of those ladies, no wonder they took them off for the photo!
ReplyDeleteJB, I guess there could have been piranhas in the toilet, so I’ll take goldfish any day. I like that entrance too, especially since I’d never seen it before, though I admit that the later version with the leaping whale and porpoises is pretty striking. Baby drool - yuck. This is why I don’t let babies near me. I think I saw Bubbles the whale too, for some reason I was always more fond of Marineland than I saw of Sea World, even though Sea World was bigger and more (wait for it) splashy.
TokyoMagic!, maybe I knew about the fate of some of the animals at Marineland, but if so, I’ve forgotten it. I can use my imagination though, thanks to Disneyland. I assume that the sign in today’s photo wasn’t there for very long, since this is the only photo I’ve ever seen of it. Sadly there’s not a lot of hard info about Marineland’s history, at least not the way there is about Disneyland. “Fidgets”, I am imagining little people in baby bonnets. Smoking cigars? I always thought the zigzag walkway looked neat, but I guess it could be kind of a drag to walk up. But… at least they didn’t have to worry about elevator breakdowns.
TokyoMagic!, that baby shaved that morning!
JG, yes, rotating signs are the highest form of art. Sorry, ballet! I love the classic fish shape. You know what you’re in for. Maybe that kid is his own grandpa? I guess that’s a whole different issue. I don’t remember those ramps at all, but it does make sense for wheelchairs and strollers, as you say.
Ah, Marineland. Back in those times it was an outing into the country with a terrific sea view, not to mention clean sea air to rejuvenate the attendees with a day off from their smoggy inland abodes. And those crazy fish in the aquariums that did tricks and splashed the audience.My family CD archive holds a number of visits made and captured by my Dad with his 8mm motion camera. We looked just like the folks here. KS
ReplyDeleteI am imagining little people in baby bonnets. Smoking cigars?
ReplyDeleteMajor, exactly! They dressed in baby clothes and climbed into baby carriages, so they could infiltrate a high society garden party and steal jewelry! It's the first "Our Gang" short in which Spanky appeared.
Sorry I missed this yesterday! Marineland is special as it was literally down the street and we visited frequently. It was the "value based" day out instead of Disneyland. I found it interesting that there was a sign for Disneyland and Movieland Wax Museum with pointers 40 miles away...and they weren't decorative, they were more instructional. I wonder if they are still there....in any case: the entrance is new to me: I never saw that version, but I do like it. The "newer" marquee was much more elegant, with Bubbles and the porpoises....and I wonder what happened to them...I remember reading an article that they were indeed "somewhere"...moving on to the Restaurant and Motel: these were actually super cool buildings that were round and hugged the jagged cliffs. We didn't have a reason to stay in the Motel, but were generally in the Restaurant as it had a bar...and plenty of ashtrays. I can feel the salt air, breeze and the smell through these photos...there was a dry brush/salt/sea smell...and when you got close to the aquariums an "ocean" smell, but not fishy. And that grassy area was very closed to the fast foods...which of course we did not have, as we always brought a picnic lunch and sat on that same grass. There is a photo of us kids sitting there on the grass with our very glamorous aunt...who might have even wore a fur collar or something. Performers always gotta do their thing....I loved the seal shows and the dolphins/porpoise shows...I liked them better than the whale shows as the stadium was more "amphitheater" and less "in the round". I felt bad for Orky and Corky and Bubbles, even as a kid. The show was pretty old school with the trainer holding a fish in his mouth, etc. Those flowers are a big field of geraniums...which grow like crazy in PV. The hat sisters, and kind of studly older guy...something is up there...he's probably wound up about the drive over there...it's arduous for mortals. You can see where the "gated" section began: there behind them. Irwin Allen also sponsored a half baked attempt to take over...and the Robbie the Robot people...and on that switchback there were IP displays on every level...the reason that there were switch backs is because the aquarium behind had a few viewing levels: so you would get off at the level of your choice. If you chose the lower level: you could see the divers feeding the giant fish...and they were definitely giant...there were two "bowls" of water there: one for the whales and the other for the fish....and the levels were connected so you could see the whale show from underneath...which was kind of cool because Orky/Corky would start way down at the bottom to jump and you could almost feel the power...and the splash down from underneath. Later on there was "Baja Reef" where you could swim with fish (never did it as it was an extra charge) and they also had training tanks down in that area that had public access where you could play with dolphins from the edges. Some guests brought plastic bowls and things as the dolphins loved to play and would balance them on their noses before pitching it back to you to throw again.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't call the current resort that took over "Amazing", but the location is definitely amazing. I went to the website and saw some old palm trees that I can remember...and I think that's all that's left of Marineland...they also let guests go down to the ocean: which there was access and if I remember correctly a dock where animal rescues would come in off boats. Be sure to watch the Partridge Family episode where they sing "Whale Song" a tribute to Orky and Corky and the "singing" that they do. That was a BIG deal back then, although I did not see it in person. It was a very controversial situation when Harcourt Brace Jovanovich bought everything....and in moments took away Orky and Corky in the middle of the night in total secrecy...and shortly thereafter closed the park and poured concrete in drains so that it could never be opened again. The community was very up in arms, and today: I don't think they would be able to get away with it. It was really horrible and so cruel to the animals. Orky lasted about a year. Corky is still alive at Sea World San Diego, and is heading into her 70's. There is still much controversy. Her little babies live in a controlled natural environment in BC, and the thought is to take her to a similar and more controlled environment so she can talk to her babies before crossing to the other side. Transporting her may not be the best idea however...I love seeing the whales, but I'm not a fan of them performing for a paying audience, or living in such a small "ocean"...Thanks Major for the trip back to childhood!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the stories, Bu. At first I thought those might be geraniums, then changed my mind. Too dense? Too pale? Too something.
ReplyDelete