Concord Monitor – The timeline of Story Land, “where fantasy lives”

The story of Story Land is one of vision, community caring and wonder, founded by the late Bob and Ruth Morrell and continued by their son Stoney during the years of running the 1954 Morrell Family Attractions amusement park in 2007 and now continued by its owners, Palace Entertainment. The following story is taken from the Story Lands website, with some additions.

Once upon a time, in the faraway land of Germany, Bob and Ruth Morrell were startled by a knock on their door. They weren't expecting visitors. Bob and Ruth, husband and wife from North Conway, were living in Europe at the invitation of the U.S. Army. A veteran of the famous 10th Mountain Division of ski soldiers during World War II, Bob had been recalled to serve during the Korean conflict.

When they opened the door, they were greeted by an old woman who introduced herself as Frau Edith Von Arps. She was accompanied by several little characters who needed no introduction, dolls she had made from classic children's fairy tales. She went door to door selling the dolls.

Von Arps and the Morrells became friends and the old woman sold them more than 25 dolls before returning home. She also started a suggestion, which turned into an idea, which turned into a business, which turned into a life's work and a legacy.

Her suggestion was that Bob and Ruth build a little village around her dolls. The Morrells had the idea of ​​creating a village that wasn't just about dolls, a village where storybook animals could live and storybook characters could come to life. The idea became a business when Bob and Ruth added plans for rides and playgrounds, to create a place where young families could play and have fun.

1954-63

In 1954, the Morrells purchased land in Glen, an acreage that the previous owner said would not even make for decent pasture. With local help, they constructed a handful of colorful buildings and characters and opened in late 1954, a year before the opening of Disneyland would change amusement parks forever.

As Wikipedia notes, the park opened in 1954 as Story Town. There was only one ride: an old fire truck called Freddie the Fire Engine. It was renamed Story Land after its first year because another park in upstate New York had that name.

A few good years, marked by the arrival of the Pumpkin Coach and Cinderella Castle in 1957, were followed by a few less good years, as the economy slowed across the country. The fledgling park was truly a risky business venture, and local bankers were reluctant to hold a mortgage on the Three Bears House.

But through perseverance, hard work, ingenuity and continued reinvestment in the park, Story Land has survived and thrived.

1964-80

During the 1960s and 1970s, Story Land flourished with new rides and attractions. 1966 saw the first Tree House and the Seal exhibit…but the seals only lasted until 1972. In 1967, Bob purchased an antique German carousel, the same one the children enjoy still today, as well as a fleet of whaling ships (which in 1969 became the Swan Boats). One of Story Land's most beloved rides was also purchased in 1967, the first CP Huntington train.

The 1970s were a decade of attractions, as Story Land added the chapel and a children's tour to other lands debuted with the Safari Ride, the Moroccan Bazaar, the first maze, the second generation vintage cars, the Dutch village and the Shoe Ride, Little Mexico. area, the mine, the Canadian Fun Fort (where the Cuckoo Clockenspiel is now located), Iceberg Coaster (now Polar Coaster), and the Ted E. Bear Jamboree.

1980-2000

In 1981, the Pirate Ship was the first boat attraction to take families on a fun-filled adventure through Buccaneer Bay.

Alice's Cups of Tea arrived in 1982, followed by Trip to the Moon in 1983. The latter half of the 1980s brought the Great Balloon Chase, Farm Follies Theater, Polar Coaster (which replaced the Iceberg Coaster ) and Dr. Geyser's Remarkable Raft Ride.

Once the 90s arrived, the park continued to expand. Introduced in 1993, Bamboo Falls was followed by Grandfather Tree in 1995. The late 90s continued to expand the park with the birth of Turtle Twirl and Oceans of Fun Sprayground. The 90s were capped off by the renovation of what is now known as the Loopy Lab Theater, where children and adults alike could enjoy a fun science show.

Story Land has always been and continues to be a family business, run by disciples of the Morrell family and serving young families around the world. Early on, and throughout their lives, Ruth ran the gift shop and other things while Bob ran from place to place making sure everyone was having fun.

As a child, her daughter Nancy depicted Mistress Mary in her garden. As an adult, his son Stoney carried on the family legacy until his untimely death in 2006.

Cancer hit the Morrells hard, taking Ruth, 70, for the first time in 1990; then Bob in 1998 at age 78; and Stoney when he was only 50 years old. All have left their mark in the valley.

His daughter Nancy Morrell divides her time between Jackson and Florida. Stoney's wife, Foley, and children Taber and Halie live outside the valley.

2000-now

Story Land entered the 21st century as New Hampshire's best children's amusement park and maintains that title to this day. During the 2000s, old cars were transformed into third-generation electric vehicles; the Cuckoo Clockenspiel made its debut at the top of the hill; and the beloved Whirling Whales arrived in 2002 (retired in 2016).

In 2003, the Crazy Barn was built, followed by the Eggs-Traordinary Farm Tractors to complete the barnyard-themed section of the park. A few years later, the Flying Fish opened, followed by Splash Battle in 2011. The park's latest addition was the Roar-O-Saurus in 2014, a compact wooden roller coaster with a 40-foot drop and over 12 airtimes, one child. first BIG coaster.

As the company grew over the years, something of an unforeseen development developed. Teenagers who visited us as children found their first jobs in Story Land. Many of the grandparents and parents who visit us today used to come here themselves as children. And currently, many of the people who operate the park day to day and season to season are part of that evolution.

They actually worked here when they were teenagers, and either stayed with the family to pursue careers here as adults, or came back later to be in a place where it is acceptable to whistle and smile during let them work and the children play.

Story Lands, adjacent to the 1976-founded attraction Heritage NH, a museum dedicated to New Hampshire history, closed after 30 years of operation in 2006. Stoney, who battled cancer for two years, died on the last day of his operations. In May 2007, Morrell Family Attractions sold Story Land to a Pennsylvania company, Kennywood Entertainment.

The following year, Kennywood was in turn bought by Parques Reunidos, based in Madrid.

A Spanish company that operates dozens of amusement and water parks across the United States and Europe, the global company has brought Story Land under the umbrella of the company's U.S. division, Palace Entertainment.

Today, the theme park still entertains young families and children

The amusement park, notes the theme park history on its website, has grown to include more shows, restaurants, characters, rides and play areas.

At the same time, the Story Land team made sure the park didn't outgrow the very small people and their parents that Bob and Ruth dreamed of entertaining more than half a century ago, so that they were far from home. And children have been playing Story Land happily ever since.

The story of Story Land, the park's website notes, is less about the singular history of any one family or business than the multitude of personal stories that live in the memories of thousands of families and tens of thousands of people from everywhere. .

It lives on in the hearts and minds of children who grow up hearing and reading about magical characters and places, and who discover a real world of those same characters in Glen.

In 2019, the park began hosting Nostalgia Night, an event where young people aged 21 or older can recreate childhood memories and photos in the park after hours. Nostalgia Nights are scheduled to return this summer on July 13 and 27 as well as August 10.

2024

The park celebrates its 70th anniversary on June 22 with an eight-tier birthday cake, balloons, cupcakes for the first 250 guests and more.

This summer, the Moo Lagoon sprayground and waterslides will be available. See the accompanying article for more details on this fun new attraction at Story Land that's still making memories after all these years.

For more information on all its many attractions, visit storylandnh.com or Jim Miller's book, Story Land, published in 2010 by Arcadia Publishing.