We’ll get into the history of Storytown in another episode, but without a doubt, Storytown was a success. It was called Storytown USA, themed after Mother Goose stories, and is generally considered one of the first true theme parks in the US. In 1954, then, a year before Disneyland opened, Charles Wood invested $75,000 in five acres of land off Route 9 between Lake George and Glen Falls. The resort wasn’t fulfilling enough for the guests. He’d realized something important about his audience – they were looking for more than just summer basics like tennis and boating. After years of development with these two summer resorts, Wood saw an opportunity. Originally called Erlowest, it was a Queen Anne-style stone castle that Wood developed into Holiday House, right on Bolton Road in Lake George, now called Sun Castle. He started by purchasing property near Schroon Lake (30 minutes north of Lake George) and developed a resort there called Arrowhead Lodge. Some consider Wood the pioneer of the tourism concept in Lake George. “And I could just see nothing but opportunities.” It was a fateful trip. As he later said, “It was just so pretty,” says Charley. When he asked for directions, he was told to take Route 9 north. The rink deal fell through, but he saw an ad locally for some land about 60 miles north, up in Lake George. The story goes that Wood visited Albany, NY after seeing an ad for a skating rink for sale.
#GASLIGHT VILLAGE LAKE GEORGE FULL#
I came back full of beans and wanted to get into the amusement business.” Knott built a chapel and a volcano to entertain people while they waited for the dinner. Knott cooked chicken and made boysenberry pie. Knott had created the boysenberry, and Mrs. “I fell in love with what he had done,” says Charley. An article in Reader’s Digest led him to Southern California to see Knott’s Berry Farm. See, Charles read about the Knotts and their berry farm over in California. As he became an adult, he worked in aviation as an aircraft technician throughout World War II.Īfter the war, it was an article in Reader’s Digest, of all things, that planted the seeds for his future in the amusement industry.
He started out his investments at a young age – he bought two houses at the age of thirteen, unthinkable and impossible in today’s world a century later. Born in 1914, Charles was an entrepreneur who made his own opportunities.
Wood, dubbed by the IAAPA (the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) as the “grandfather of the American theme park”. To start today’s story, you need to know about the man behind it all: Charles R. Lake George Ride and Fun Park / Lake George Action Park.Transition from Gaslight Village to Lake George Ride and Fun Park.People Are What Make Gaslight Village Special.Preparing the Site for Gaslight Village in Lake George, NY.Pottersville and the First Gaslight Village.Let’s go back to a time of cool summer nights, brightly lit rides glowing in the twilight, music spilling out from the speakers and the shows at the Opera House. Well, here we are, all the way in episode 25, back again in upstate NY, back in Lake George, this time to talk about a shining gem of the past. You might remember my episodes on Magic Forest (still operational, with some changes) and Time Town (long gone) back in the single digit episodes of TAC. Well, it’s been some time since we were last in the Adirondacks, but we’re back. All are available in full on his YouTube page, and include a clip of Warren Boden, the Gaslight Village commercial jingle, audience “boos” from a mellerdrama, and part of the Heckler sketch. Additional audio clips are from the collection of Bob Carroll’s Gaslight Village memorabilia and are used with permission. “The Ballad of Gaslight Village and Frontier Town” by Brian Dorn, Addison Rice, and Jahnavi Newsom (aka The Love Sprockets), used with permission. Incidental music includes “Olde Timey” and “Plucky Daisy” by Kevin Macleod /.
Theme music is from “Aerobatics in Slow Motion” by TeknoAXE. Image of the Opera House is from the collection of Bob Carroll and used with permission. Podcast cover background photo is by 4045 on. This week, we’re talking about Gaslight Village, in Lake George, NY. you might think of a famous quote: “she doesn’t look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid.” In its heyday, though, the park was magical, full of life and community, and it still touches people’s hearts today. In its abandonment, the park wasn’t much to look at. I’m going to tell you the story of a legacy. This week, we return to our intermittent miniseries on the surprising hotspot of theme park activity, the Adirondacks.
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