Fairyland and My Family

The year 1948 was a prehistoric era for children’s entertainment. There was no Disneyland or Nickelodeon TV, and most amusement parks catered to thrill-seeking teenagers. The few “kiddielands” in the U.S. included a simple carousel, pony ride, and cotton-candy stand.

Oakland businessman Arthur Navlet had an idea to change all of that. The well-respected nursery owner took his proposal for a storybook theme park, featuring fairy-tale sets, farm animals, and live entertainment, to the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club, a group dedicated to civic betterment (and still in operation today). They loved the idea.

With the support of Oakland’s parks superintendent William Penn Mott, Jr., the Breakfast Club and the citizens of Oakland raised $50,000 to build Children’s Fairyland on the shores of Lake Merritt.

 My daughter has been going there since she was about 18 months old.  My son has been going pretty much the same.  However, we will be discontinuing doing so.  My daughter has out grown it and the last few times we went, she was too big to ride on a number of rides.  Likewise, my son isn't as interested in the rides.  He loves the stuff that is really not much different than what you would find at a normal playground.  So...we'll not be going anymore.

Here are some pix from the last few times we went.

The color coordinated one is the absolute last time.  Probably ever.  A bit sad.  Each kid is different.  Each kid grows up.  Its an end of an era, of sorts.  And the beginning of a new one.