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Old Posted Aug 5, 2014, 6:59 AM
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FredH FredH is offline
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Pacific Ocean Park

The L.A. Times had a nice article on Pacific Ocean Park a few days ago.
I had no idea that the park was so short lived and ended so poorly.

Pacific Ocean Park was built at the beach, on the border of Venice and Santa Monica.
As a joint venture between CBS and Santa Anita Park, it opened in the Summer of 1958
and promised great things. It was very popular, and even out drew Disneyland a few times.


httpwwwcardcowcom128084pacific-ocean-park-santa-monica-california


http://www.westland.net/venicehistor...oppier-map.htm



Check out this short video made when the park opened:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ7yugaQF-0



For the first few years, everything was going fine.


L.A. Times


L.A. Times


L.A. Times


L.A. Times


L.A. Times


LAPL


LAPL


However, by the mid-1960's, things had already started to decline. Several urban renewal projects in Santa Monica
blocked access roads to the park and attendance dropped off. Salt air and sea water made maintenance of the park expensive.

By 1967, Pacific Ocean Park closed for repairs and never reopened.


LAPL


httpswwwflickrcomphotosmanitobamuseum5661903139_zpsc0fcc041


Assets were auctioned off to pay creditors and the remains of the park sat there rotting away, until 1970 when a fire started.


L.A. Times


LAPl


LAPL


L.A. Times


L.A. Times


L.A. Times


So, Pacific Ocean Park only lasted a decade, or so, before it literally went down in flames.


If you have about 15 minutes to spare, this moody surfer/skater film gives a view of what was left by the mid 1970's.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmU1jSmJF_c



The L.A. Times article is here:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...27-column.html

Last edited by FredH; Aug 5, 2014 at 7:38 AM.
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