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| Go to the Neptune's Kingdom Proposal Page | Go to the Safari Proposal Page |
The following is the original proposal and concept artwork for Great Adventure which was presented to potential investors in the park. The plans were quite ambitious, and were never fully realized, though some of the earliest concepts appeared in the park in slightly different form when it finally opened in 1974. The text is verbatim from the original typewritten proposal and is worded and punctuated exactly as it was originally written.
These images are from the collection of Harry Applegate, and I thank him for sharing them with me.
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THE AREAS
V. OVER THE RAINBOW Located on two beautiful peninsulas surrounded by lakes and joined by a 200-ft. bridge in the shape of a rainbow. This beautiful, pastoral area contains: 1. Picnic grounds with picnic restaurant, barbecue pits and all facilities for outside country dining. 2. Animal touching and feeding area with more than 400 baby deer and llama plus roosters, sheep, rabbits, mice, giant tortoises, goats, cockatoos, macaws and parrots and other exotic birds. 3. Large pond holding hundreds of swans, ducks and geese. 4. Fish ponds with thousands of goldfish 5. Mouse village. 6. Farm house containing rare cattle. 7. Bat cave. 8. Snake tree with twelve 30’ pythons. 9. Old MacDonald’s baby animal farm where many of the animals born in Safari are brought until they are old enough to join the herds. Baby bears, tigers, lions, monkeys and others. 10. Small World – twice the size of a football field, this is a miniature world, with more than 200 working trains, planes and boats. Buildings are built to a scale of 1 to 25 (a 100-ft. building is 4 ft. high). The buildings are 100 great castles throughout the ages. Water and walkways wend throughout. 11. Antique Car Ride – children of all ages can drive themselves in antique cars which cannot go off the road. 12. Giant Slide – a 300-ft. long slide. 13. Carousels – four old and magnificent carousels, holding 200 people, linked together under a single, beautiful pavilion. 14. Water Carousel – a carousel in the water. 15. The Gingerbread Garden Restaurant – overlooking the Animal Touching Area, Small World, on the water’s edge, a beautiful café with food served by Hansel, Gretel and their fairy tale friends. 16. Children’s Playground and Fairground – all manner of rides and outdoor play for children twelve and under. 17. The Wabash Cannonball – a steam engine ride around Over the Rainbow and Neptune ’s Kingdom.
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Click on any thumbnail for the
full size pic Artist's rendering of Over The Rainbow (in color). The proposed area is partially occupied by the Log Flume and partially undeveloped today.  Details of the Over The Rainbow area  Notes: Small World, the Antique Car Ride, and The Gingerbread Garden all became reality when the park was built though as part of The Enchanted Forest. |
| Go to the Proposal Overview Page | Go to the Safari Proposal Page |