Gold City, July 1969

Gold City! North Carolina, that is. I can't find very much about this park on the interwebs, but it apparently was open from the 1960's through the 1990's; as you can see from this sign, you could take a chair lift up (waaaay up) the side of the mountain to the actual western town at the top.


There's the chair lift! And a giant slide, whoo-hoo. I used to love those big slides when I was a kid (they had one somewhere in Orange County). From what I've read, Gold City was a typical western-type amusement park, with shootouts, girls dancing at the saloon, mine tours, and a "Kiss the Toothless Prospector" booth. I made that last part up.


See, I told you the chair lift was a doozie. It has been removed, and from what I've read, the city at the top of the hill has fallen into disrepair. The cluster of buildings at the bottom of the hill now comprises the Gold City Gem Mine, one of those places that encourages you to look for real gemstones. According to their website, a sapphire was found that was over 1000 carats.


The next time we visit Gold City, we'll see the actual western town!

New York World's Fair...

I seem to have a lot of scans from the '64 World's Fair that aren't the most stunning images in the world. So I'm posting five of them here just because.

Looking past the "Sermons for Science" building, we see the Eastman Kodak pavilion and its giant color prints. On the horizon to the right you can see the Aerial Tower Ride...


"Four gondolas, each seating 15 people, rise to the top of a 120-foot tower for views of the Fair". There was also a snack bar at the base that served Belgian waffles. Seriously.


Hey look! A picture of the Unisphere. We've never seen one of those before. This one looks like a postcard.


Here's another general view, with the New York State Pavilion in the background, one of those inflatable egg-cluster snack bars, and the American-Israel Pavilion. "Various aspects of the Holy Land and its people come to life in this privately sponsored pavilion. A shopping mall and snack bar lead to an open-air cafe."


This appears to be an interior of the United Arab Republic pavilion. Notice the map of the Red Sea and the Nile River in the background. The display of textiles in the center has a very "Rollie Crump" look to it! In the foreground is what I believe is a model of the Aswan High Dam: "On exhibit is a scale model of this massive irrigation and electrification project, which will turn two million acres into fertile farm land. Another display illustrates the international effort now underway to move and reconstruct on high ground the famous Abu Simbel temple threatened by the dam's artificial lake." What, no snack bar?

Cascade Peak, January 1961

A few years ago I had a conversation with a guy who had a low opinion of Frontierland's Cascade Peak. It didn't "do anything", you couldn't climb it or ride through it, and the fact that it was now gone - a victim of neglect and penny-pinching - was no big deal. D'OH!

Talk about somebody who just didn't get it! Take a look at this neat mini-mountain and tell me that Frontierland is better off without it. I dares ya! Notice how the Mine Train tracks pass beneath this particular waterfall.


Zooming in a bit, we can see one of the big horned sheep that were only on the mountain for a short while. Apparently they scared the pack mules.


Here's a slightly different angle. I'm pretty sure that the aforementioned mules passed over that "natural arch" bridge, following a trail that took them around the opposite side of the peak and into Nature's Wonderland.


I think that this photo was taken from the Nature's Wonderland side of the mountain. It looks great from every angle! This waterfall was known as the "3 sisters".

Atomium, October 1958

Constructed for the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels, the Atomium could not help to impress. And it's still there, over 50 years later! There are nine steel spheres that are arranged to resemble a gigantic unit cell of an iron crystal. It's 102 meters high, but 335 ft. sounds more impressive. Visitors can ride escalators inside the connecting tubes, and go all the way to the top. If you look closely, you can make out a window on it.


Near the Atomium is this "Map of Belgium". You could view it from ground level like this, or cross that zig-zagging walkway seen at the top of this photo. The "map" itself featured major landmarks of Belgium, including the famous sprouts of Brussels. You can see the little roadway that had moving traffic; notice the "roundabout". It appears that the muddy area at the bottom of the photo represented the North Sea. Maybe the tide was out!

New Orleans Square, September 1969

The Imagineers have designed a lot of great stuff over the years - to put it mildly. But I think that New Orleans Square is still one of the masterpieces. I'm not even talking about "Pirates of the Caribbean" or "The Haunted Mansion"; I'm referring to the winding streets, the wrought iron, the bricks and wood and balconies and windows and doors that all add up to more than the sum of the parts.

In this 1969 view you can get a feel for the details that enrich but don't overwhelm. Perhaps Disneyland's limited real estate was a blessing in disguise in this case; New Orleans Square is a surprisingly intimate experience.


Here's a look into the Court of Angels. This lovely little courtyard that seems to have no purpose (as far as guests are concerned) other than the fact that it looks great. That staircase (tastefully roped off to prevent hippies from going up) surely leads to some secret cast member facility. If anybody knows for sure, please share!

Main Street Stuff, 1956

I have a couple of stereo views of Main Street to share with you. Well, they're stereo to me, anyway. Don't worry, you're not missing much.

Here's the Plaza Pavilion, looking neat and tidy. Unless you happen to notice that ladder on the roof. Which I don't. All the gingerbread detail really adds to the sense that this is a nice place to eat. Who else is suddenly in the mood for gingerbread?


The Horse Drawn Streetcar actually employed two adult men. One to drive, and one to glare at the passengers who dare to stand up, like that girl. Luckily, she was promptly beaten and then ejected from the park. They warned her to stay seated...

Castles and More Castles

It's hard to think of Disneyland and not picture Sleeping Beauty Castle. Its image is everywhere, and there are enough photos of it so that if you placed them end to end, they would reach to Jupiter and back 20 times. Which is a pretty amazing fact that I just made up!

Check out this first lovely image taken on a brisk March day. Part of the Carnation Plaza is to our left.


Here's the other castle; Cinderella liked to hang out there. Sort of reminds me of the castle at Disneyland Paris. The building with the tower in the lower left is where Cindy lived with her smelly stepsisters and evil stepmother, and all of those squeaky mice.


And finally, yet another photo of Sleeping Beauty Castle. A tour guide is in the foreground; I like this outfit with the little bonnet instead of the plaid riding cap. See the family to the left? Sis is perfectly in step with mom, and little bro is perfectly in step with pop.

Two From 1958

Here's a familiar view of vintage Tomorrowland; taken from the Skyway, I have quite a few photos that resemble this example. But I'm not complaining, which for me is unusual, because I looove to complain. How can I be unhappy with the fabulosity of the Rocket to the Moon and its show building? Well I can't, that's how.


Moving on to Frontierland, and back in time 120 years or so, here's a great shot of the Mark Twain, with one of the rafts to Tom Sawyer Island about to dock. It's amazing that these two photos were taken within 1500 feet of each other (and probably a lot less than that).

The Mustangs, July 15, 1968

Here are two great photos taken at the Carnation Plaza featuring The Mustangs! This nonet looks sharp in those matching cobalt blue suits. One might even say they look Beatle-esque, only we're talking about the Beatles from four years earlier. This July evening The Mustangs are playing to an apparently almost-empty house. How can that be? Where are the kids? I want to see them doing the swim, the jerk, the frug, the crawl, the mashed potato, and the always popular monkey.


What could they be singing with those horns backing them?

Parking Lot, May 1960

It's parking lot nostalgia time! Today's fond memories of a parking lot must baffle humans and replicants who were busy doing things besides going to Disneyland. But anyone who went there as a kid before there was a California Adventure can tell you that arriving in the parking lot was an integral part of the whole Disneyland experience. Looking for your spot, remembering where it was ("B" for "Baloo"!), and waiting for the tram - all the while, looking towards the entrance, with the Monorail whizzing by, hearing the sound of the train whistle, and even glimpsing the icy peak of the Matterhorn. It was all so close!


Speaking of the tram, there's one now! You can also see the Freight Train at the station. What's that sporty little car? An MG?