Story Land facts for kids
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| Location | Glen, New Hampshire, U.S. |
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| Coordinates | 44°06′58″N 71°10′58″W / 44.11611°N 71.18278°W |
| Opened | 1954 |
| Owner | Palace Entertainment (Parques Reunidos) |
| Slogan | "Where Fantasy Lives" |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 23 |
Story Land is a fun theme park located in Glen, New Hampshire. It first opened its doors in 1954. This park is specially designed for children and pre-teens, bringing classic storybook characters and tales to life!
Contents
The Story of Story Land
In the early 1950s, a couple named Bob and Ruth Morrell had a great idea. They bought many dolls from Germany that looked like characters from famous storybooks. This collection became the starting point for their new park.
The park was first called "Story Town." But after its first year, they changed the name to "Story Land." This was because another park in upstate New York already had the same name.
When Story Land opened in 1954, it had only one ride! This ride was an old fire truck called "Freddie the Fire Engine." A local artist named Arlene "Topsy" Samuelson designed the park's original buildings and attractions. By its 50th birthday, the park had grown to cover about 35 acres and offered 20 different rides.
Changes in Ownership
The Morrell family, who started Story Land, ran the park from 1954 until 2007. After Stoney Morrell, the son of the founders, passed away, the park was sold. It was bought by the Kennywood Entertainment Company.
The very next year, Kennywood was bought by a larger company called Parques Reunidos. In 2009, Story Land became part of Parques Reunidos' American group, Palace Entertainment.
Park Music and New Rides
Story Land has special music that plays in different parts of the park. Most of this music was created by a local composer, Sharyn Ekbergh, in the early 1990s. This music is unique to Story Land!
For the park's 60th anniversary, a new wooden roller coaster called Roar-o-Saurus was opened. It quickly became a favorite for many visitors.
In 2019, Story Land started a special event called "Nostalgia Night." During these nights, adults aged 21 or older could visit the park after it closed. They were encouraged to relive their childhood memories and even recreate old photos they took at the park.
Voyage to the Moon Ride
In 1981, Story Land announced an exciting new ride: a "dark ride" called "Voyage To The Moon." This ride was built inside a huge, fabric-covered dome. The dome was 50 feet tall and 124 feet wide!
The inside of the dome was painted black to make it feel like outer space. Two artists, Peter Stone and David Norton, created the story and scenes for the ride. The ride officially opened in June 1983.
Guests rode in special bullet-shaped cars. These cars slowly moved through a giant cannon and into the dark dome. Inside, they saw fantasy scenes like a candy land and a polka dot sea, filled with friendly, animated creatures. Each car had speakers that played sounds to match the scenes.
Why the Ride Changed
By the mid-1990s, the "Voyage to the Moon" ride was expensive to keep running. It also couldn't carry many people at once. So, after about 15 years, the dome was changed.
During the winter of 1998–99, the dome became "Professor Bigglestep's Loopy Lab." This is now an indoor play area with foam balls, giant vacuums, and air cannons. The black ceiling was changed to white in 2008.
You can even find videos of the old "Voyage to the Moon" ride online. One of the original bullet-shaped cars is now at a miniature golf course in nearby North Conway.
Living Shores Aquarium
The building that used to be Heritage New Hampshire (another attraction owned by the Morrell family) started to be changed in 2017. In 2018, it was announced that the building would become an indoor public aquarium.
This new aquarium, called Living Shores Aquarium, was planned to open in 2019. It operates all year round.
Rides and Attractions at Story Land
Story Land has many fun rides and attractions for all ages.
Popular Rides
- Huff Puff and Whistle Railroad: A small train that takes you around the park. It has red, green, and blue trains.
- Alice's Tea Cups: Spin around in giant teacups!
- Cinderella's Pumpkin Coach: Ride in a coach just like Cinderella's.
- Pirate ship Buccaneer: A swinging pirate ship ride.
- Antique German Carousel: A classic merry-go-round.
- Los Bravos Silver Mine Tours: Explore a pretend silver mine.
- Turtle Twirl: A spinning ride that tilts and turns.
- Bamboo Chutes: A water ride with a big splash!
- Polar Coaster: A fun roller coaster.
- Great Balloon Chase: Ride high in the sky in colorful balloons.
- Crazy Barn: A barn that spins and tumbles.
- Dr. Geysers Remarkable Raft Ride: Another exciting water adventure.
- Flying Fish: Soar through the air like a fish.
- Antique Cars: Drive your own old-fashioned car.
- Swan Boats: Pedal a swan boat on the water.
- Eggs-traordinary Farm Tractors: Drive a tractor around a farm.
- Cuckoo Clockenspiel: A giant cuckoo clock with a surprise.
- Splash Battle Pharaoh's Reign: Get ready to get wet in this water battle!
- Roar-o-Saurus: The park's exciting wooden roller coaster.
Interactive Attractions
- Grandfather Tree: An interactive playground with animated parts.
- Pirate Ship Playground: A fun play area shaped like a pirate ship.
- Horse Race Game: A game where you roll balls to make your horse race.
- Shooting Gallery: Use cameras instead of rifles to "shoot" targets.
- Dutch Milking Cow: Learn how to "milk" a cow.
- Oceans of Fun Sprayground: A water play area with sprays and fountains.
- King Neptune's Crab Crawl: A water game with crabs.
- Professor Bigglestep's Loopy Lab: An indoor play area with foam balls and air cannons.
- Dr Geyser's Mini Geysers: Small geysers that spray water.
- Little Dreamers Nursery Rhyme Play Area: A special area for younger kids.
Favorite Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales
Story Land brings many classic stories to life. You can visit:
- "Humpty Dumpty"
- "Mary Mary, Quite Contrary"
- "The Old Woman in the Shoe" (and meet the character!)
- "Goldilocks and The Three Bears" (see their house)
- "Little Red Riding Hood" (visit Grandmother's House)
- "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (see the School House)
- "Little Miss Muffet"
- "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater"
- "Cinderella" (visit her Castle and meet her!)
- "Heidi" (visit Grandfather's House and meet Heidi!)
- "Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes" (meet Mother Goose!)
Animal Friends
You can also see some real animals that are part of the stories:
- "Mary Had a Little Lamb" – lambs
- "Peter Rabbit" – rabbits
- "Three Billy Goats Gruff" – goats
- "Heidi" – goats
- "Goosey Goosey Gander" – geese
- "Chicken Little" – chickens
- "Three Little Pigs" – pigs
