Once you crossed the moat and entered the castle gates of Storyland it was hard to believe you were anywhere else but in another world. The 11-acre park was once home to some of the biggest names in nursery rhymes.
Storyland opened in 1955 and in its first two years of business saw 600,000 visitors to its Pompano Beach, Florida location just north of Fort Lauderdale on US1.
One of the parks owners Rupard Conrad, had a fickle imagination. His workshop at Storyland was filled with incomplete prototypes that never saw the light of day. He was the stereotypical mad artist often acting like the white rabbit from Wonderland.
"A place like this does not take money alone," Conrad told a reporter in 1958. "It takes time."
Conrad's business partner was Sydney Casswell, a former manager at General Electric. He had come up with the idea of making a roadside attraction that would appeal to children.
The pair gave an air of authenticity to Storyland that was not always seen at some of the other attractions. The Three Bears had genuine antiques in their house. Bo Peep had live sheep.
After a decline in business, Storyland closed in 1961. It would open again for a few more years under new management.
Although just a land of make believe, the park did have to face the reality of Mother Nature. In 1964 it was hit by Hurricane Cleo with winds of up to 110mph. Anything remaining was later destroyed. The Florida roadside attraction that had delighted so many children became nothing more than a fairy tale left to old travel brochures.
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