Tour of Children’s Fairyland in Oakland, California (1962)

Sci Fi Bob Ekman has posted this great circa 1962 footage of Children’s Fairyland (U.S.A.) in Oakland, California. Located near the city’s Lake Merritt, this storybook theme park still operates today and I can attest that it is still as charming as it was in the early 1960s. Normally open only for small children and the adults who accompany them, the park now opens once in a while for adult only events. The next such event is the third annual Fairyland for Grownups, a collaboration between Fairyland and Oaklandish, which happens on August 16, 2013. Fun fact: Walt Disney was inspired by a visit to Fairyland to create Disneyland and even hired away their first executive director and puppeteer, according to the park.

Early advertising art for Children’s Fairyland

image via Children’s Fairyland Facebook page

Thanks Moe Gadishu!