Playland Not At The Beach

[darkfairycthulu]

Located in a former grocery store space in El Cerrito, CA, this unique museum is a tribute to a familiar now-extinct landmark to anyone from the Bay Area who lived here from the fifties onward. The original Playland at The Beach was in San Francisco, and was well known for it's dark rides, carousel, and the ever-jovial, slightly freaky animatronic known as Laughing Sal.



This current museum serves as a home to some original artifacts, as well as a tribute to the spirit and kind of amusements the park offered.

First off is a small room with a historical film about the park, as well as several other clips, and a painstaking model recreation of one of the park's main amusement blocks complete with small ride interiors and guests.









From there, it's on into the sideshow room with many re-created gaff creatures and artwork to celebrate the longstanding circus and amusement park tradition of showcasing the unusual and freaky, along with human oddities.















A series of small windows and a cabinet you open offer opportunities to glimpse slightly more macabre and gruesome displays a little out of sight of the kiddies...but it is all in good fun and the tradition of these attractions.


The infamous Fiji Mermaid


The Atomic Fish


The Devil's Child


Bust of Jonathan Merrick, the Elephant Man









The sideshow area leads into a large room filled with massive, very detailed dioramas of circus life populated with tiny figures, a true work of effort and art.











Next up is the Dark Mystery section, a series of very intricate and playful horror themed window displays with some surprising full size props scattered throughout.








Guest appearance by my favorite movie monster, Creature from the Black Lagoon


















Outside the Dark Mystery area, there awaited a new sculpt of the infamous Laughing Sal...





Along with this familiar looking fellow. I couldn't place him at the time, but the style seemed familiar to the Disneyland dark rides. I later, through randomly viewing a photo, deduced this was a survivor of the Florida Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, now Winnie the Pooh, who had somehow escaped to California.



Some artifacts and a very impressive collection of photos of the Playland park, along with a familiar item...










Last up is a visit to the arcade, with black-light and 3D painted walls, along with a 3D carpet, for when the lights are turned off.













Thanks for viewing, and I hope you enjoyed this photo report...if you are in the area, this is definitely worth a visit and contains a lot more artifacts and interactive elements than I could showcase here...do check it out!

[ralfrick]

Wow, that looks like it's a lot more than I though after reading a story about it in the local paper a few weeks back. They made it sound like it was mainly the old arcade games that had ended up at the Cliff House where they had the old Camera Obscura. Did they have those machines? It was on my to do list for just those, but now I know that about all of the sideshow stuff, it's moved up a few spots. Glad you took all the pics.

I do have to wonder how much of the display is original after seeing this devil, though:




It kind of looks like a prop that one might buy at the Spirit Halloween Store. At least, that's where I got mine:



A bientot.

[darkfairycthulu]

Originally Posted by ralfrick

I do have to wonder how much of the display is original after seeing this devil, though:




It kind of looks like a prop that one might buy at the Spirit Halloween Store. At least, that's where I got mine:



A bientot.

It's definitely a Spirit prop, I've seen it in stores myself, and I recognized some of the horror props. However, all the circus models and the sideshow things are sculpted and made exclusively for the museum, as well as the models of Playland itself. They just rounded out the original stuff with some similar themed items in the dark ride and Santa's Village (not pictured) areas.

[Roo719]

Very cool trip report! Thanks for sharing. Who knew such things existed!

Peace?
Roo

[snorkeld]

Cool report thanks

[darkfairycthulu]

Originally Posted by Roo719

Very cool trip report! Thanks for sharing. Who knew such things existed!

Peace?
Roo

Indeed, it's a good place to visit...glad you enjoyed!

[JesterMn]

That looks great! I'll have to hit it next time, along with the Musee Museum!

[OldSchoolMickey]

I enjoyed both Playland and Santa's Village as a kid.

Good times!

Thanks for sharing!

[aashee]

great report. I loved it!!

[IzzyInWonderland]

Were some of those things real? Like the freakish mermaid thing?

[darkfairycthulu]

Originally Posted by aashee

great report. I loved it!!

Thanks, glad you enjoyed and had fun with it!

[darkfairycthulu]

Originally Posted by IzzyInWonderland

Were some of those things real? Like the freakish mermaid thing?

Sadly, no..I am familiar on a basic level with the company and artist who create them, they have e-bay store if I remember correctly. Basically it's outright gaffs (faked exhibits) inspired by old sideshow exhibits and the cheap fakes they'd display.

[PinBrian]

The games from the Cliff house ended up at Musee Mechanique down at Fisherman's Wharf. They also have one of the original Laughing Sals there I believe.

I have not been to Playland Not At The Beach yet, but I am hoping to get there this Dec.

Thank you for the great trip report!

[KENfromOC]

I grew up in the Bay Area in the 1960's and we went out to Playland often. I certainly remember Laughing Sal, the dark rides, and they even had a diving-bell ride that took you down in a tank of seawater. There were actually 3 areas. Two of the areas faced Ocean Beach and were split by a street (that had a street-car line running down the middle). Across from those main areas and one block in was the Kiddie Land area. Sadly, Playland became very "seedy" towards the end and not a place for families. It was torn down and became apartments and condos.

As for Musee Mechanique, well I have a family connection. My step-mother's uncle owned the place and all those wonderful contraptions inside. We use to go over there when it was at the Cliff House many times and I remember he kept other contraptions stored at his house.

I'll have to get over to that museum sometime when I'm visiting up north.
Thanks for the article!

[darkfairycthulu]

Originally Posted by PinBrian

The games from the Cliff house ended up at Musee Mechanique down at Fisherman's Wharf. They also have one of the original Laughing Sals there I believe.

I have not been to Playland Not At The Beach yet, but I am hoping to get there this Dec.

Thank you for the great trip report!

My pleasure, and I've been to the Musee Mechanique as well, it is a good place to visit, lots of fun. Both naturally are well worth the visit. Glad you enjoyed!