Redondo Beach’s Bizarre Fun Factory

February 15, 2017, 3 Comments

UPDATE: The Redondo Beach Fun Factory closed October, 2019. Recently I found out that another SoCal institution will only be a memory, the Fun Factory at the Redondo Beach Pier, which has been an oceanside attraction since 1972. Much like Gill’s in my last post, I can claim no fond memories of birthday parties spent…

The Merry-Go-Round that Inspired Disneyland

February 2, 2015, 12 Comments

Over the weekend Patrick and I went to the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round. Now, normally I’m not one to go to a place just to ride a carousel, but the particular one has a very special meaning. Built in 1926, the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round is often described as the place where Walt Disney first thought up…

The 25 Cent Mechanical Wonders of Musée Mécanique

May 7, 2012, 4 Comments

What a trip! While I had loads of fun, I can say I am certainly glad to be home. The main reason I tagged along on Patrick’s business trip to San Francisco was to visit the various filming locations of Hitchock’s Vertigo. And honestly, I didn’t have much interest in other things. However, the lure…

Oregon’s Enchanted Forest

August 4, 2011, 1 Comment

Along side I-5 in the Salem area sits Enchanted Forest, Oregon’s only theme park. Oddly enough there were four different, unrelated “Enchanted Forests” in the United States, and sadly all have closed with the exception of Oregon’s. While unrelated, they did have similarities, mostly that they were classic fairy-tale themed. Oregon’s Enchanted Forest began in…

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Unique Amusements

Redondo Beach’s Bizarre Fun Factory

The Merry-Go-Round that Inspired Disneyland

The 25 Cent Mechanical Wonders of Musée Mécanique

Oregon’s Enchanted Forest