Santa's was just off highway 17 and it was sorta tuff to get off the highway onto the parking. I never stopped there, well, maybe a couple of times for a joint. 1978 was the heaviest rains in Calif history. It was amazing. There was drift wood five ft deep on the beach between the harbor and San Lorenzo River. And wood all along the boardwalk beach. The sand was at least 20ft higher than summer, at least 10ft deeper than normal winter sand depth. Lived around here 30 yrs. 1978 made a mess of Capitola too. I had lived on The Esplanade in 1976, in 1978 it was under 2ft water for 600ft past the Esplanade. So, Santa Suffered in 1978. I took a Psych class from Melanie Mayer. (minute 17:25).
My parents brought my brother and I here several times in the 60’s. I loved the Christmas tree ride, the gingerbread men but mostly, I loved the sky ride where we rode in bees. I can still smell the snow. Life was good back then. 🥰🥰🥰
RE: B. Henson comment: my father, Carl Hansen (Hocus Pocus) was the first Santa - 1957 thru 1961. Then went on to have his Children's show - the Hocus Pocus Show on KNTV - ABC for 10 years.That's his picture in the video wiith the children.
I was on hocus pocus at Santa Cruz teleprompter by Morrissey blvd across from the new alpha beta store. That was in 1974. Your father was a great man and loved by all us kids. Bless him.
Sad but I helped dismantle Santa's village in 1980 worked with an old guy named Nevada. Never will forget the memories and the sadness I felt when taking things apart. Loved it because in a family of six we couldn't afford the boardwalk.
I was so young when I went there. Maybe 4 or 5 and I think we went there twice. That would’ve been 1965 or 1966. I vaguely remember the place. I remember riding these tricycle things around a track where you had to push and pull on a handlebar. I remember stopping there with my dad and mom.
Thanks for posting this. My parents used to take us here in the late 60s, early 70s. I have very good memories of it. The thing I looked forward to the most were the gingerbread men my mom would buy us. They made em there and they were big and delicious!
We drove past that place a million times on our way to Santa Cruz, but my parents never took us there. I think it was because we went to Disneyland a few times and my parents thought we might not be happy with it. But even as an adult, I always wondered what it was like.
Very cool! I was fortunate enough to walk the grounds and I too found that stash of tickets! I also found a cement table and chairs nestled amongst the trees, several mushrooms, speakers still up in the trees AND the north pole laying in some weeds. Really do miss that beautiful little amusement park!
I went there often,what l remember is the gas station that was built in the style of Santa's village, it was a Chevron .it was so unique, and the animals in the vending machines cruel and towards the end they were in bad health, once l got held up,a big kid pulled a knife on me,my favorite ride were the self propelled carts
Was there another theme park in the area? I remember one for little kids much like Santa's Village and Frontier village. I was little so I don't remember exactly where it was. Maybe it was Santa's village but I feel like it was closer to San Jose. I remember a mechanized dragon that bobbed up and down. Was that at Santa's Village somewhere? Anyone?
In looking at the Google Earth satellite shots, it looks like they tore down the remaining structures (shown in this episode) in 2014. As of 2021, it looks like they have created spots for new houses there. I remember going there a few times as a kid. Thanks for the episode and history on Santa's Village. I think it is great that they kept the road name, so I can remember it every time I drive on highway 17!
That's why I'm here. I knew about this chain having watched Defunctland type videos on the chain and seeing the a sign on my Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk trips (I am living in Menlo Park/Atherton for the summer) and wondering if there was anything related to this kind of thing there. I searched on RCDB and found this park. Cool to see some parts of the park still exist at places like MacDorsa Park. Sad to see the physical park demolished for, what else, Ryan Homes type unaffordable housing. Also as a heads up, the Bobsled coaster from Allen Herschal still exists as of 2021, it was posted about on Historic Coaster Foundation's Facebook page. I don't know its current status though (ie if it had to become a parts donour after its werabouts were exposed).
I walked through the property and the old barn and found a huge stash of those admittance tickets. I took a handful, but wish I had taken more to share *Ü*. He didn't show the cement table and stools still sitting amongst the trees, or the speakers still hanging in the trees, or the mushrooms hidden under the weeds, and I even found the metal north pole! Still miss that place!
Years ago we happened to drive by there one day and the only thing left there at the time was the sign. The park had just been torn down. We live in AZ now so we didn't know about it. We spent some time there when I was growing up. I don't remember much about it really. I remember the North Pole. Mom also took a picture of me and my sister in a tree ornament for the Christmas card that year. I know we must have seen Santa. I also remember not caring for the ginger bread men back then. I did cry though when I saw that the park was being destroyed. Some memories lost there.
Walt Disney definitely copied Fairyland in Oakland that's not debatable. He even drew a Mickey inside the Alice in wonderland tunnel. I want to thank you so much for this video. Is it true that there was a fatal accident on one of the santa village rides? I don't know if that's a South Bay area urban legend?
When l was a kid,my next door neighbors were instrumental in design and building Fairyland,my parents as well.Walt visited Fairyland. in 1953 or 54,and built Disneyland in 1955
@@superamanda my neighbors had a cable car.that went up a steep hill from where they parked to their house ,behind their house was a scaled down wild west town with a saloon with swinging doors .Our families were best friends .My parents were also very involved in Fairyland.
Too bad only the bad thing endure while the good things always have to go away. I was at this park as a kid and I remember riding the snowman "tea cups" and just as it was stating, there was another child who started crying as he was scared and so the ride was stopped so he could get off and then it was resumed. I didn't like the roller coaster and the thing about it, was that it did about four laps. Nowadays, I would be going "more more more!". I guess the rats ate the people and maybe then the people ate the rats and then the rats ate the people... oh never mind. At least that guy didn't run into the "big rats"... the ones doing all the vandalism. Shortly after Santa's Village went bye bye, Frontier Village would soon join them in amusement park Heaven. At least both parks had some of their elements preserved such as Frontier's choo choo train living on in a shopping center's parking lot while some of the mushrooms and cabins from Santa's Village live on in a park and resort. Just like our childhoods could be "magical times" that are left behind when we "grow up" and become all about the business of living and surviving, I think our society has also "grown up from childhood" and now everything is all about making money and outdoing each other. Is it really "growing up" or growing cold? Edited to add that I do remember the little carts on the track that you turned the little wheel to make them go. I liked these. I also edited to "wonder aloud" if Santa's Village originated the "Christmas in July" phrase that some stores love to call their Summer sales! Santa's Village's Christmases in July can beat up any store's **sneering** "Christmas in July" sale.
Yes, that's the Santa's Village located in Sky Forest, in the San Bernardino Mountains. It just reopened on Dec. 2nd of this year (2016). I used to work at the Sky Forest park, so I'm excited to go back and visit soon. Lots of happy memories there! :-)
Out of all the parks in the world I miss this one most of all . Thanks for the memories
Santa's was just off highway 17 and it was sorta tuff to get off the highway onto the parking. I never stopped there, well, maybe a couple of times for a joint. 1978 was the heaviest rains in Calif history. It was amazing. There was drift wood five ft deep on the beach between the harbor and San Lorenzo River. And wood all along the boardwalk beach. The sand was at least 20ft higher than summer, at least 10ft deeper than normal winter sand depth. Lived around here 30 yrs. 1978 made a mess of Capitola too. I had lived on The Esplanade in 1976, in 1978 it was under 2ft water for 600ft past the Esplanade. So, Santa Suffered in 1978. I took a Psych class from Melanie Mayer. (minute 17:25).
nice video thank you
Thank you...
My parents brought my brother and I here several times in the 60’s. I loved the Christmas tree ride, the gingerbread men but mostly, I loved the sky ride where we rode in bees. I can still smell the snow. Life was good back then. 🥰🥰🥰
Loved Santa's Village! That and Frontier Village.
My dad and step-mother, Earl and LaVerne Rogers, were the last Santa and Mrs. Claus! Such fun!
For better storytelling, I would advise to have that cool retro commercial in the beginning.
Great documentary.
RE: B. Henson comment: my father, Carl Hansen (Hocus Pocus) was the first Santa - 1957 thru 1961. Then went on to have his Children's show - the Hocus Pocus Show on KNTV - ABC for 10 years.That's his picture in the video wiith the children.
I was on hocus pocus at Santa Cruz teleprompter by Morrissey blvd across from the new alpha beta store. That was in 1974.
Your father was a great man and loved by all us kids.
Bless him.
and now he has a Park named after him just down the road from me in Scotts Valley *Ü*
Sad but I helped dismantle Santa's village in 1980 worked with an old guy named Nevada. Never will forget the memories and the sadness I felt when taking things apart.
Loved it because in a family of six we couldn't afford the boardwalk.
Does anyone remember the frozen North Pole pole ?
I was so young when I went there. Maybe 4 or 5 and I think we went there twice. That would’ve been 1965 or 1966. I vaguely remember the place. I remember riding these tricycle things around a track where you had to push and pull on a handlebar. I remember stopping there with my dad and mom.
Thanks for posting this. My parents used to take us here in the late 60s, early 70s.
I have very good memories of it.
The thing I looked forward to the most were the gingerbread men my mom would buy us. They made em there and they were big and delicious!
Nice video! Thanks so much for sharing! :-)
We drove past that place a million times on our way to Santa Cruz, but my parents never took us there. I think it was because we went to Disneyland a few times and my parents thought we might not be happy with it. But even as an adult, I always wondered what it was like.
that dang snowball ride is the only ride that actually made me feel nauseated
Very cool! I was fortunate enough to walk the grounds and I too found that stash of tickets! I also found a cement table and chairs nestled amongst the trees, several mushrooms, speakers still up in the trees AND the north pole laying in some weeds. Really do miss that beautiful little amusement park!
I went there often,what l remember is the gas station that was built in the style of Santa's village, it was a Chevron .it was so unique, and the animals in the vending machines cruel and towards the end they were in bad health, once l got held up,a big kid pulled a knife on me,my favorite ride were the self propelled carts
All of Santa Cruz county is a magical place when you enter
Just talking about this with my dumb family! Great video and merry xmas
dumb family? lmfao
Pardon the 9 years, but why is/was your family dumb?
@@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398 cause i love them
Was there another theme park in the area? I remember one for little kids much like Santa's Village and Frontier village. I was little so I don't remember exactly where it was. Maybe it was Santa's village but I feel like it was closer to San Jose. I remember a mechanized dragon that bobbed up and down. Was that at Santa's Village somewhere? Anyone?
I was born in 1972 so we're talking 1975-80.
Pete Jeffris That was/is Happy Hollow In San Jose. Still open by the way.
Maybe you're thinking of the Lost World, with the huge Dinasoar?
Sounds like Happy Hollow in San Jose, they had a dragon as a mascot .
@@vincec727 ty!
The Merry - Go - Round is now operating at Bishop's Pumpkin Farm near Sacramento.
In looking at the Google Earth satellite shots, it looks like they tore down the remaining structures (shown in this episode) in 2014. As of 2021, it looks like they have created spots for new houses there. I remember going there a few times as a kid. Thanks for the episode and history on Santa's Village. I think it is great that they kept the road name, so I can remember it every time I drive on highway 17!
That's why I'm here. I knew about this chain having watched Defunctland type videos on the chain and seeing the a sign on my Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk trips (I am living in Menlo Park/Atherton for the summer) and wondering if there was anything related to this kind of thing there. I searched on RCDB and found this park. Cool to see some parts of the park still exist at places like MacDorsa Park. Sad to see the physical park demolished for, what else, Ryan Homes type unaffordable housing. Also as a heads up, the Bobsled coaster from Allen Herschal still exists as of 2021, it was posted about on Historic Coaster Foundation's Facebook page. I don't know its current status though (ie if it had to become a parts donour after its werabouts were exposed).
Nice Duesenberg reference!
I walked through the property and the old barn and found a huge stash of those admittance tickets. I took a handful, but wish I had taken more to share *Ü*. He didn't show the cement table and stools still sitting amongst the trees, or the speakers still hanging in the trees, or the mushrooms hidden under the weeds, and I even found the metal north pole! Still miss that place!
Years ago we happened to drive by there one day and the only thing left there at the time was the sign. The park had just been torn down. We live in AZ now so we didn't know about it. We spent some time there when I was growing up. I don't remember much about it really. I remember the North Pole. Mom also took a picture of me and my sister in a tree ornament for the Christmas card that year. I know we must have seen Santa. I also remember not caring for the ginger bread men back then. I did cry though when I saw that the park was being destroyed. Some memories lost there.
Just went yesterday to the Azoosment park
I remember going past the abandoned park many times on the way to Santa Cruz. There was hope for the park to reopen, but it never came to be.
Walt Disney definitely copied Fairyland in Oakland that's not debatable. He even drew a Mickey inside the Alice in wonderland tunnel. I want to thank you so much for this video. Is it true that there was a fatal accident on one of the santa village rides? I don't know if that's a South Bay area urban legend?
When l was a kid,my next door neighbors were instrumental in design and building Fairyland,my parents as well.Walt visited Fairyland. in 1953 or 54,and built Disneyland in 1955
Wow, someone mentioned Fairyland in Oakland...... Funny that Disney would take a page out of Oaktown USA!
@@dougtodd305 Fairyland is a landmark. It's one of the most wonderful places in California. Cool neighbors!
@@superamanda my neighbors had a cable car.that went up a steep hill from where they parked to their house ,behind their house was a scaled down wild west town with a saloon with swinging doors .Our families were best friends .My parents were also very involved in Fairyland.
i actually got to ride a llama there, still have the picture! ho ho ho peru?
Too bad only the bad thing endure while the good things always have to go away. I was at this park as a kid and I remember riding the snowman "tea cups" and just as it was stating, there was another child who started crying as he was scared and so the ride was stopped so he could get off and then it was resumed. I didn't like the roller coaster and the thing about it, was that it did about four laps. Nowadays, I would be going "more more more!".
I guess the rats ate the people and maybe then the people ate the rats and then the rats ate the people... oh never mind. At least that guy didn't run into the "big rats"... the ones doing all the vandalism.
Shortly after Santa's Village went bye bye, Frontier Village would soon join them in amusement park Heaven. At least both parks had some of their elements preserved such as Frontier's choo choo train living on in a shopping center's parking lot while some of the mushrooms and cabins from Santa's Village live on in a park and resort.
Just like our childhoods could be "magical times" that are left behind when we "grow up" and become all about the business of living and surviving, I think our society has also "grown up from childhood" and now everything is all about making money and outdoing each other. Is it really "growing up" or growing cold?
Edited to add that I do remember the little carts on the track that you turned the little wheel to make them go. I liked these.
I also edited to "wonder aloud" if Santa's Village originated the "Christmas in July" phrase that some stores love to call their Summer sales! Santa's Village's Christmases in July can beat up any store's **sneering** "Christmas in July" sale.
what happened to the train?
How were the overhead shots taken? I don't believe drones were available to the public yet.
I wonder if you all were able to have kept some of the artifacts from the ruins in the ACE archives. The videos are impressive as usual :-) .
the man who was hocus pocus the clown on kntv,karl hansen, was santa for a while at santa's village in 1965 or so.
Check out youtuber adamthewoo who found a similar Santa's Village abandoned since 1998 up in the so cal area of Skyforest. Check it out!
Yes, that's the Santa's Village located in Sky Forest, in the San Bernardino Mountains. It just reopened on Dec. 2nd of this year (2016). I used to work at the Sky Forest park, so I'm excited to go back and visit soon. Lots of happy memories there! :-)
How nice of them to take 4 riendeer from there home to put them to work in California wow isn't animal captivity amazing *said sarcastically*
The reindeer never pulled the cart they just walked in front of it. The cart had a motor in it that drove it around.
Is that a picture of your dog? Animal captivity indeed ...
@@billmoran3219 I would rather have been the dog..... Human living is a bitch.
I remember the tractors you steered and the spinning snow balls. We called them 'tea-cups'. I was so small I couldn't really drive the tractor!
Oh so I'm not the only one calling them that. Damn!
Is there a Hanukkah Village too? :)