Although the
Los Angeles area has long been known as the home of Disneyland and the Hollywood studios, the
area does have a heritage of other amusement parks, most of them long gone due to
insurance and maintenance costs, as well as the competition from huge corporations.
On the site of the huge Beverly center, an eight story
monstrosity of a shopping mall, just 
south of West Hollywood in Los Angeles,
resided a much different world, the home of
Kiddieland and the adjoining Pony Rides. This
little amusement park, complete with roller coaster and spook house, sat in the shadow of one of the
thousands of disguised oil pumps creakily pumping up profits from the huge oil reservoir
under the area. Many a bedraggled parent found solace here, as for the price of a few 25
cent tickets, children could be let loose to ply the cheesy old rides while Mom and Dad
sipped soda under a tree. Right to the west of the park were the pony rides, were many a
brave cowhand (including the author) rode tired old pony's around a 1/4 mile track,
returning breathlessly to their eager parents arms.
Heading over to the west side just down the beach from
the Santa Monica pier, was a more unusual amusement park, Pacific Ocean Park, or P.O.P as
the locals referred to it. Built in 1958 to compete with Disneyland, the park was built
out over the ocean with a nautical theme reminiscent of some of 
the
attractions at Coney Island, New York. The park included many innovative rides including
the diving bells, which transported nervous patrons down below the pier and under the
waters surface to view sea life through leaky portholes. Another was the Arial Skyway that
took adventurers on a tour of the pier from one end to the other. The park also boasted
restaurants and shops and was actually profitable until the city of Santa Monica began
urban renewal of the oceanfront, and the constant maintenance required to fight off the
effects of the ocean ushered in it's demise. The park closed it's doors in 1967.
Out in the San Fernando valley, just west of the 405 freeway
at Roscoe Boulevard, lies the immense Budweiser brewery. Now completely covered with
huge warehouses and brewing facilities, this was once the home of the west coast Busch
Gardens. At first free to the public, one could see exotic bird shows, sip free beer in
one of the three pavilions, or take a leisurely cruise on the man made river.
Another highlight was the Arial tramway, taking passengers right through
the brewery and then into an immense warehouse were one could view more cases of beer than
they thought existed. As the company improved and enlarged the park to include real
amusement rides, and began charging admission, a battle began to ensue between Budweiser
and the City. Knowing a cash cow when they see it, Los Angeles began insisting on higher
and higher taxes, culminating in the end with Budweiser basically saying screw you we will
just make beer instead. The only remnant of the park is a bridge to nowhere spanning the
railroad tracks between the facility proper and a huge lot for trucks and trailers.
Our last park of yesteryear existed in several forms
out in what used to be the boondocks west of the Valley in Thousand Oaks. Originally
Goebel's Lion Farm begun in 1929, it eventually became 
known as Jungleland. Many of Hollywood's animal actors were housed
here at one time or another including Leo, the MGM lion, as well as a host of other
exotics. A lot of filming was actually done over the years at the park, and it eventually
developed it's African theme and was operating up until the mid sixties. I visited once
years ago and really don't recall much except jeep rides, some tired old chimps and an
annoying actor in a gorilla suit. The property out there is now a part of "Silicone
Alley" and is far to valuable to business and residences alike to support anything like
fun.
