Beverly Park The Kiddieland That Inspired Walt Disney

Before Walt Disney built Disneyland, he frequently visited "Beverly Park" to learn the ins and outs of the amusement park industry. Located in Los Angeles, California, on the corner of Beverly Boulevard and La Cienega (where the Beverly Center now stands), Beverly Park operated from 1943-74 and during that time it was known as an iconic, kiddieland amusement park that was famous for its innovative rides, birthday parties, movie star sightings and where divorced dads brought their children on the weekends. A few yards away from Beverly Park was "Ponyland", where boys and girls were whisked around a track by their favorite pony. This book documents the history of Beverly Park, its founder, ride designer Dave Bradley and the park's connection to Walt Disney, including 175 black-and-white photographs that have never been published.