Many people are familiar with "Magic Mountain" (now owned by Six Flags) in Valencia, California. But there used to be another Magic Mountain near Golden, Colorado. It never really took off, but it is a fascinating footnote in theme park history.
Entrepreneur and developer C.V. Wood was instrumental (according to him!) in helping Walt Disney build Disneyland. After the success of that Anaheim park, he decided to capitalize on the phenomenon and build his own theme parks in various places around the country, many of them loosely modeled on the Disneyland concept. Freedomland in New York, and Pleasure Island in Massachusetts are two of his other short-lived attempts!
Here's a great photo from November 1958, showing the entrance to the park, which is open to the public even in its far-from-finished condition. Much like Disneyland, you walked beneath train tracks to enter the park (that's part of the depot in the upper right).
Everybody loves clowns! It's a known fact. The only people who don't are certifiably insane and should be considered to be dangerous. Here's a delightful fellow (cigarette hanging from his painted lips), apparently about to perform a balancing act, or juggling. Or something. Check out that kid to the right with the fedora! I'll call him "Mister Spiffy".
Well, sorry, that's all the color photos I have. But I decided to include a few related items, including this prospectus that would hopefully persuade investors to part with some of their cash in order to finance the construction of Magic Mountain. A lot of it is awfully dry. If some of you are REALLY interested in the investment details, I'll scan those pages too. Plus you can send me five bucks.
Ben F. McCleave (junior) was thoughtful enough to leave one of his business cards tucked inside the prospectus. I like the little map on the back. Just dial DUmont 8-2674!
The prospectus did provide a few tantalizing details of what was in store for visitors of Magic Mountain.
Here's a slightly better look at the map. It kind of reminds me of Herb Ryman's famous rendering of Disneyland. I'd love a big, clear, color rendering of this! But for now this will have to do. Disneyland had a train encircling the park, and so many parks copied that idea afterwards.
It's interesting to see that they did have a plan for the park to operate in the winter. As always I am intrigued by the "Tomorrowland" rip-offs. This artwork bears a strong resemblance to Freedomland's "Satellite City".
Magic Mountain limped along for a few years, many of it's concepts never realized, until it finally closed. The site lay abandoned for years, until it reopened in 1971 as Heritage Square, "...a theme shopping village of artisan shops and attractions". According to Wikipedia, "Over time Heritage Square has grown and changed, and today continues to feature family attractions."
To read more about Magic Mountain/Heritage Square, check out this informative website!
17 comments:
Fascinating stuff, Major! Another clown...that's three clowns in three days (including the two in the toy shop pic on Saturday.)EEEEEEVIL!!!
I find clowns strangely arousing.
Taking a second look at that map this morning....the shape of the park looks like it's pretty much the same shape as Disneyland. They just put the entrance off to the side of the "inverted triangle" layout.
Hey, where's Chiana???
Yes, more clown porn for everyone!
TokyoMagic!, Chiana occasionally disappears for weeks due to work as a top secret spy.
Until I saw the back of this business card, I had no idea that Buffalo Bill and St. Francis Cabrini were buried so close together. We live and learn!
Disneyland... the concept no one would buy into became the concept no one would stop stealing.
Swiper! No Swiping!
Amazing info - another lost park!
Major Pepperidge and the Traitors of the Lost Park.
Great post. I think you should send the brochure and slides to me for safe keeping in Denver close to Heritage Square and Magic Mountain.
Pilsner- yes Buffalo Bill and Mother Cabrini graves are close together. The Mother Cabrini shrine is a very long 500+ steps up a mountain.
great post...
my first thought also was how much the park looks like Disneyland in its layout, even where things are located...copycat!
i love the entrance sign, too....more Disney influence in the "font" they choose it looks like to me. i am going to the website and read more!
thanks for good stuff, keep it coming :)
Really enjoyed this post. I worked at the former Heritage Square Opera House in my high school years and always wondered about Magic Mountain. My mother spoke about it, as it was built near the old mining town of Apex, that my mother always referred to as Tincup. I don't know if this was a mistaken reference or not as my grandfather was an assayer in many mountain towns of Colorado. I was only two when Magic Mountain opened and I don't believe I ever went there, but in looking at your post and the map, I see that a lot was resurrected as Heritage Square. Thank you for sharing this with me. With kindest regards, ~Tari SG-Mitchell
Tari SGM, I'm glad you found these photos and that you enjoyed them! I sure wish I could find more pictures of "Magic Mountain", but they must be as scarce as hen's teeth.
Hi, thank you for the Magic Mountain history
Tari I also worked at the Opera house, it was great seeing this post
After reading your article about Heritage for the second nite, I wanted to say thank you again for the information. I think I may have worked with your blogger in the above comment Tara.
Tari if your reading this blog feel free to contact me, Im curious if we worked together.
I have been scanning (December 2015) pictures of defunct Magic Mountain decaying and decrepit when I poked around there in 1972. Heritage Square was opened in 1971, and it seems the Magic Mountain area was not fenced off, just signed "NO PEDESTRIANS."
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