The multi-masted Pirate ship with its giant wheel and elaborate riggings is unlike anything you could every find in any pre-manufactured play catalogue today. A large clock face is painted on the pavement and party tables are set inside a walled garden.īut there is much more at Storyland to explore. The theme of the other party space is Alice In Wonderland where the White Rabbit presides at the entry and the 3 of Hearts stands guard. A narrow passage way leads into the Camelot room that has a circular table for the knights, painted stone interior, colorful hanging banners, and a tall, carved chair for the king or queen. Access to the castle is via a wooden draw bridge over the castle moat – beware of the sea serpent lurking in the moat near the bridge. My favorite is the castle tower party room designed with a Camelot and Knights theme. There are at least two areas that families can rent for birthday parties or other special events. There are at least 25 fairytale exhibits including Little Boy Blue, The Old Woman In The Shoe, The Crooked Man who Walked a Crooked Mile, Mother Goose, The Wicked Witch at Candyland, Jack and Jill, Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, Miss Muffett, Alice In Wonderland, Humpty Dumpty, and The 3 Little Pigs.
Here adults have to stoop, bend down and crouch. Every detail is scaled to accommodate children – doorways are low, light standards short, benches and seats small, and pathways are narrow. It is a richly stimulating environment with so many colorful and delightful elements that it can be overwhelming. Like Fairyland in Oakland, Storyland is a theme park for young children with exhibits based on familiar fairy tales. It would have been a strong contender in the national Theme Park Challenge initiated by the Northern California Chapter of the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) and sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Storyland is now 49 years old and is a valuable contributor to our state’s cultural landscape. Today I want to focus on just one of the many features of this wonderful regional park – Storyland, which was a gift to the children of Fresno given by the Fresno Metropolitan Rotary in 1961. A few weeks ago I wrote about Roeding Park for my September 26th post.
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