Pacific Ocean Park: The Rise and Fall of Los Angeles' Space Age Nautical Pleasure Pier

This lovely book far exceeded my hopes and expectations for it. POP is such a long-gone, forgotten bit of my childhood that it's hard now to believe it ever was real except when one sees it in an old TV show or movie on METV or ANNTENNAE TV (The final confrontation between Richard Kimble and the one-armed man in THE FUGATIVE took place in POP), but as a kid I loved its "Flight to Mars," its Magic Flying Carpet dark ride, it silly Tub dark ride, its great mirror maze (Immortalized in a classic TWILIGHT ZONE episode), it's wacky banana train ride, and its super rollercoaster. I have vivid memories of riding in the sky ride bubbles out over the sea with my dad and my brother. Dad, my brother and POP are all long gone now, but this book has brought it and them back.The story the book tells (Because the text is as wonderful as the hundreds of pictures) is a fascinating one of greed, stupidity, red-tape, government ineptitude, and more greed. I'd always wondered why POP only survived for 9 years while Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm go on and on, seemingly immortal. After reading this book (And I devoured every word in it), I now wonder how it stayed opened for as long as it managed. (Just reading the hilarious paragraph describing the hideous cost-saving practices in the food courts during its waning days will turn your stomache. "Don't eat the cold slaw, it was black this morning. He's colored it." Watered-down ketchum, rancid mayonaisse, the cheapest legal hot dogs fillings, an employee disciplined for throwing out pizza dough covered in mold.) The idiotic idea to fire all the designers and art directors two years after opening because it was "All designed now" was particularly hilariously stupid. It's like Walt Disney firing all his Imagineers in 1958, because, you know, Disneyland is finished now.Because when the Turf Club and CBS sold it after it became clear that it could never be profitable, the park went into the hands of non-creative businessmen, men for whom "Creativity" was turning a profit on a parcel of land three times over, and the creativity that a place like POP needs to thrive was replaced by greedy, rapacious money-men. Disaster was inevitable.The lengthy final chapter, describing the park's withering, it's ultimate failure, and the long slow rotting-in-public that it endured for years, as businessmen wrangled to try to squeeze out more profit where none was ever to be had while a veritable parade of inept government agencies for two cities (The park straddled a city border, half in Santa Monica, half in Venice), the state and the Feds made its demolition increasingly impossible, even as its rotting hulk became ever-more-dangerous, is a sobering and fascinating read.When I was young, I loved POP. Now I'm old, and I love this book.

Boy did this book bring back some wonderful memories of a family trip from southeast Colorado to Southern California and our time at POP.Let me say this, if anyone ever went to POP, you need this book. It is a joy to read and relive the wonders of a bygone day!

I became obsessed with this place when I saw it on a rerun of an episode of Get Smart (The Wax Max: episode 20 of season 3) when I was in my teens! Sometime in the 90’! By the time I discovered Pacific Ocean Park it was completely gone! Nothing left! This book tells the story from the idea of Pacific Ocean Park to The construction, to renovation, to the struggling to keep it afloat (no pun intended!) and finally to the fires, decline and ultimate demolition. Plenty of excellent photos of all the fun rides, games, “worlds” and celebrities! And sadly photos of the end as well. Seemed like such an awesome place to visit! Come to find out it’s been featured in many tv shows other than get smart. The Invaders, the man from U.N.C.L.E and the Fugitive to name a few! And of course the movie Lords of Dogtown! Highly recommended this book! I started from the beginning but found myself skipping all around checking out all the different attractions, the downfall and then coming back to the beginning! It sits on my table so pick it up and look through it often! We get to read and see all about a forgotten magical place from the ‘50s and ‘60s! Although we can forget about the seals, Dink the chimp and pink, yes, Pink elephant Popsie. I’m sure that wasn’t very magical. Other then that it definitely seemed like a pretty cool and state of the art Amusement park that we’ll never get to experience...

A good review of the development and brief life of one of LA's landmarks. Gave me a great insight into its creation and operation that I was not aware of. I worked the Skyride as a 19 year old. Did not know National General Corporation Theaters owned the ride, just that my father, who was a NGC theater manager, arranged for my friend and I to be hired for the summer vacation from college. I had previously worked at the NGC Boulevard and Stadium theaters.Being assigned to the Skyride as a ride operator was great. My first trip to the outer tower was an experience. It stood 105' above the water. I recall being very intimidated by the climb to it, and the platform from which we worked. However, once there one rapidly adapted to the height. I recall a number of us were knocked down, me included, by the ride capsules, so that we came periously close to the drop to the water. Management quickly responded by installing a horizontal 10'X10' chain link contraption, that if you fell over the edge one could grab the chain link web and keep from the long fall. Worked great. We also found that that the chain link made for a great trampoline. Kids!Also, if you walked a capsule to the edge of the platform and then let the capsule engage the moving drive cable, the capsule would swing wildly. We reserved this for capsules full of young pretty girls. Can still recall the screaming. Thankly, none of the capsules jumped the cable and went into the drink. One time a guy appeared on the platform in a bathing suit stating he bet his buddies he could dive off the platform. I told him, go for it. And, he did. Survived the dive. Acapulco divers had nothing on this nervy (nutsy) guy?Book brought back many memories.

Reall interesting book aboutPOP

Great book. . Didn't quite understand the cover as it makes it look like a children's book but it is a well researched and interesting history of the pier.

Lovely book and certainly a five star book to those more interested in the later history than the earlier, but I've given it three stars because my interest is solely in the early history, of which there's little. Had I known that I probably wouldn't have bought it, but it is a beautiful and well produced book.

What a delight it was to read this book on P.O.P. The presentation was remarkable and the content was fascinating. Others who looked at it agreed. It would have been quite an experience to actually visit a place like it. Unfortunately, only Mr. Peabody has a 'way-back' machine that could land me in such a wonderfully retro-space age place.If you enjoy looking at retro pop culture in all its forms, this is a must-have book for the collection.

It is just great book introduce lost themepark in Santa monica Cal. easy to understand but deep introduction and histrical texts (even not native english speaker just like me) and very very nice photos all around. This is a must item for themepark lovers and Cal culture fans. A+++++.