A Little Present Anita Fashion Park Rides
 Vintage postcard circa 1959 showing the archway plaza of Pacific Body of water Park | |
| Location | Santa Monica, California, US |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°59′53″N 118°28′55″W / 33.998°N 118.482°W / 33.998; -118.482 Coordinates: 33°59′53″Due north 118°28′55″W / 33.998°Northward 118.482°W / 33.998; -118.482 |
| Status | Closed |
| Opened | 26 July 1958 (1958-07-26) |
| Closed | 6 October 1967 (1967-10-06) |
Pacific Ocean Park was a 28-acre (eleven-hectare), nautical-themed amusement park built on a pier at Pier Artery in the Bounding main Park section of Santa Monica, California in 1958. Intended to compete with Disneyland, it replaced Ocean Park Pier (1926-1956). After it closed and fell into disrepair, the park and pier anchored the Dogtown area of Santa Monica.[one] [2] [3]
History [edit]
Entrance Pacific Ocean Park
Pacific Ocean Park was a joint venture between CBS and Santa Anita Park.[4] Information technology opened on Sabbatum, July 28, 1958 with an attendance of 20,000. The next twenty-four hours, the park drew 37,262, outperforming Disneyland's attendance that day.[5] Admission was ninety cents for adults, which included access to the park and certain exhibits. Information technology was locally known by the acronym POP, (pronounced "pee-oh-pee"), as it was soon nicknamed and commonly used to refer to the name of the park, was as well marketed equally "Pay I Cost", though other rides and attractions were on a pay-per-use basis.
Similar Disneyland, it found corporate sponsors to share the expense of some exhibits.[6] Six of the pier's original attractions were incorporated into the new park, including the Sea Ophidian roller coaster, the antique Looff carousel, the Toonerville Fun House, the Glass Business firm and the twin diving bells.
Attractions [edit]
Amid a standard complement of carnival-style attractions and rides were:
- Westinghouse Enchanted Forest/USSNautilus Submarine Exhibit featuring a 150-foot (46 m)-long model of the diminutive reactor section of a submarine
- Business firm of Tomorrow, themed like similar "looks at the time to come" at Disneyland's Tomorrowland and the World's Off-white. Elektro, the talking and smoking robot from the 1939 World'due south Off-white, was a prominent display.
- Ocean Circus was included in the basic archway price. Performing dolphins and sea lions played to audiences of 2,000. Later on shows, visitors could feed seals in the Seal Pool.
The Sea Circus Pacific Ocean Park
- Diving Bells where passengers were submerged underwater in dual diving bells operated via hydraulic pistons. An underwater view of the tank was visible through the portholes. (Like rides also existed in unmarried fashion at the Long Beach Nu-Pike and Coney Island's Astroland.) The ride's thrill occurred when the bell was allowed to surface. When the hydraulic pressure holding the bong downward was released, they shot back up to the surface in dramatic mode. The ride was manufactured past Martine.
Heaven Ride Pacific Ocean Park
- Sea Skyway, built past Von Curl, consisted of bubble-shaped gondolas suspended 75 feet (23 m) above the surface of the ocean. Passengers were treated to a half-mile (800 m) trip out to sea and back.
- Union 76 Ocean Highway, similar to Disneyland's Autopia attraction. Visitors collection miniature gasoline-powered automobiles on a faux highway.
- Flight to Mars, an audiovisual presentation that fake a trip to Mars
- Flying Carpet, a ride themed effectually the One G and One Nights folk tales. "Flight carpets" suspended on an overhead track took visitors over an Arabian-themed diorama.
- Mirror Maze, a standard funhouse attraction.
- Davy Jones' Locker, another funhouse with a nautical theme
- Flying Dutchman, a nighttime ride similar in theme to Disneyland'due south Pirates of the Caribbean, just without animatronic figures
- Deepest Deep, a false submarine voyage. Unlike Disneyland'southward Submarine Voyage allure, Deepest Deep took place above h2o.
- Round the Earth in 80 Turns was an unusual combination of travelogue and thrill ride. Tub-similar ride vehicles whipped sharply to the right and left to show travel scenes from effectually the world. The attraction was closed during the middle of the park's second season following client complaints of nausea and cervix and back pain.
- Safari Dark Ride was an interactive children's ride where riders in miniature Jeeps used an electronic rifle to "chase" animals in the African jungle.
- Mystery Island Banana Railroad train Ride was considered by many the park'due south best ride. Passengers took a trip aboard a tropical banana plantation train, complete with a simulated volcano and faux earthquakes.
- Sea Snake Roller Coaster, the wooden 1926 Hi-Male child rollercoaster from the original pier.
Gangplank to Mystery Isle Banana Train attraction
- Mahi Mahi, massive Stantzel Strat-O-Liner tower with rotating arms ending in jet-style cars, each of which held eight passengers. Six of these rides were manufactured, but none exist today.
- Whirl Puddle, a centrifuge that pinned riders to its walls as the floor slowly lowered below them.
- Mr. Dolphin, some other original pier attraction
- Flight Fish, a miniature rollercoaster made by Carlos and Ramigosi. Information technology was the first steel Wild Mouse roller coaster in the U.S.
The Midway at Pacific Sea Park
- Carousel, the 1926-vintage Looff carousel from the original pier
- Fisherman's Cove and the International Promenade, shopping, dining and souvenir areas with a number of international restaurants
- King Neptune'southward Courtyard, a colorful walk under the ocean to view King Neptune's lair
- Mrs. Squid, also known as the Ahuna Thrill Ride, an Eyerly Octopus ride with a squid decor in the center and 16 tubs, each carrying two passengers
- Mr. Octopus, a standard Eyerly Octopus ride with eight tubs
- Infinite Wheels, a unique pair of double Ferris wheels manufactured by Velare Brothers. The attraction still exists and is owned by Drew Exposition of Georgia.
- Fun Wood was a children's surface area with mazes and slides as well as helicopter, boat, monorail and covered-wagon rides.
By January 5, 1959, POP had attracted i,190,000 visitors. Although plans were fabricated to add four new attractions, merely two were completed, at a cost of $2,000,000: Space Wheels and Fun Wood.
Film location [edit]
The park was used as a filming location for television shows such as The Millionaire ("The Jeff Mercer Story", 1959), The Fugitive, Get Smart (1968), The Twilight Zone and The Mod Squad , and films such as Gun Crazy (1950), Vicki (1953) and The Chapman Report (1962).[7]
The Miss Teen USA dazzler pageant was held at the park in 1962, with the winner, Linda Henning, 15, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota crowned by television comedian Soupy Sales. [8] [9]
Decline [edit]
Aeriform view of Pacific Sea Park
In 1965, Santa Monica began the Ocean Park urban renewal project. Buildings in the surrounding area were demolished and streets leading to the park were closed.[x] As a upshot, visitors found it hard to achieve the park, and attendance plummeted to 621,000 in 1965 and 398,700 in 1966.
At the end of the 1967 tourist flavor, the park's creditors and the City of Santa Monica filed suit to accept control of the property considering of dorsum taxes and back rent owed by the park's new possessor since 1965. Pacific Ocean Park closed on October 6, 1967. The park's assets were auctioned off from June 28-thirty, 1968. The proceeds from the sale of 36 rides and 16 games were used to pay off creditors. The ruins of the pier became a favorite surfing area and hangout of the Z-Boys of Dogtown fame. The park'south dilapidated buildings and pier structure remained until several suspicious fires occurred and it was finally demolished in the winter of 1974-75.
Other than a few underwater pilings and signs warning of them, cipher remains of Pacific Ocean Park today. A few miles north, the original Santa Monica Pier features a newer amusement park, similarly chosen Pacific Park. Today, the rides and attractions of the Santa Monica Pier include the carousel that is featured in the 1973 University Award-winning motion picture The Sting.
References [edit]
- ^ Stanton, Jeffrey (April 6, 1998). "Sea Park Pier 1926-1956". Venice History Site . Retrieved 2022-02-26 .
- ^ Merritt, Christopher; Priore, Domenic; Wilson, Brian (2014). Pacific Body of water Park: The Rise and Fall of Los Angeles' Space Historic period Nautical Pleasance Pier. Port Townsend, Wash.: Procedure Media. ISBN978-1-9341-7052-6.
- ^ Artsy, Avishay (July 23, 2014). "Remembering Pacific Ocean Park". KCRW . Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ Stanton, Jeffrey. "Pacific Ocean Park (1958-1967)". Venice History . Retrieved 25 Oct 2016.
- ^ Miranda, Carolina A. "The rise and spectacular fall of Venice Beach's Pacific Ocean Park". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Merritt, Chris. "10 photos from L.A.'s long-gone Pacific Ocean Park, a solar day out by the ocean you lot'll never enjoy". BoingBoing . Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Filming Location Matching "Pacific Sea Park, Santa Monica, California, U.s." (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)". IMDb . Retrieved 2020-09-21 .
- ^ "Miss Teen USA". Ames Daily Tribune. United Press International. April 23, 1962. p. 10. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (UPI) — A pert 15-twelvemonth-old brunette from Sioux Falls, Southward.D., was named 'Miss Teen USA' Saturday nighttime at the teen-age fair at Pacific Ocean Park. Linda Henning won the championship in competition with 32 other girls from beyond the nation at the climax of the week-long teen activities at the seaside amusement park.
- ^ "Miss Teen". Ottawa Herald. April 23, 1962. p. 4. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
Photograph caption: Linda Henning (center), 15, Sioux Falls, S D. [S Dakota], is crowned Miss Teen USA at Pacific Body of water Park in Santa Monica, Calif., by television comedian Soupy Sales.
- ^ Miranda, Carolina A. (July 28, 2014). "The ascension and spectacular fall of Venice Embankment'south Pacific Ocean Park". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 25 Oct 2016.
Further reading [edit]
- Jeffrey Stanton, 1987, Venice of America: Coney Island of the Pacific, Donahue Publishing: Los Angeles, CA, 1987, 176 pp., 1960s, Chapter 8: Pacific Ocean Park (1958-1967)
External links [edit]
- The Underground Spider web Site of P.O.P.
- Vintage photos, map and history of Pacific Sea Park
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