By Bruce Klauber
It’s not an amusement park or an amusement pier. It has no thrill rides and it’s miles from any Jersey Shore boardwalk. But the fantasyland known as Storybook Land has entertained generations of families and their children, with gentle delight, since its doors first opened in 1955.
To its everlasting credit, Storybook Land has appropriately moved along with the times. The venue has added new features, modern kiddie rides and has instituted constant upgrades, while still adhering to the original concept of a fantasyland come to life for children.
In 1954, Vineland resident and painter John Fricano paid $5,000 for 5 acres of land on the Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township. His idea was to build an amusement park for children up to age 10 to enjoy fairytale-focused attractions. Ahead of his time? You bet. Storybook Land opened three months before Disneyland.
Though John passed away in 2009, his grandson and granddaughter, John III and Jessica, have continued the legacy. In a 2015 piece written for the NJ.com website, John, who works as the operations manager, commented, “In the 1950s, the Black Horse Pike was a major route to Atlantic City before the Atlantic City Expressway was built. My grandparents wanted to create a rest stop for parents and children.”
Jessica added, “I think he figured that the fairytale theme was a good choice because they catered to small children, both boys and girls.”
On the original 5-acre site, among the “come-to-life” fairytale characters were the Three Bears, Humpty Dumpty, the Old Woman in the Shoe, Mother Goose and the Little Red Schoolhouse.
Through the years, the venue has undergone constant expansion. It’s now 20 acres. “In the amusement industry, you have to innovate,” John Fricano explained. “You have to offer something new to make people revisit your facility.”
In the 1960s, rides were added for the first time. There are now 16 rides, including Bubbles the Coaster, the J&J Railroad and the Tick-Tock Clock Drop. There’s also a water play area and Billy Goats Gruff (goats live in an elevated house). Sharing the grounds with the fairy tale characters are fallow and white-tailed deer, ducks and peacocks.
In 2014, taking a lead from the popular Diggerland theme park, Storybook Land added something called Work Zone. This is a construction-themed ride with cars shaped like bulldozers. Also added around the same time was a swing ride shaped like a tree, called Out on a Limb, which replaced the park’s long-running balloon ride.
The park has also extended its season from March to December and Storybook Land is decorated accordingly during Easter, Halloween and Christmas. Yes, Santa Claus is on the premises, as is a spectacular light display. Santa’s Workshop, Santa’s House, Santa’s Reindeer and the North Pole all add to the Christmas atmosphere.
Now almost 70 years old, Storybook Land continues to attract families from around the world. Some things are timeless.
“Fairytales and fantasy are still popular,” said John Fricano. “Look at the success of the films ‘Frozen’ and ‘Tangled.’ That’s why we’re staying with our theme. You never really outgrow it.”
Storybook Land has received rave reviews from around the world since the day it opened its doors. Here’s just a sampling:
“We visited recently and it was absolutely MAGICAL! Thank you for all your work and efforts over the years to make this such a wonderful time of the year!” – Kiersten Coppinger
“Phenomenal job once again this year as always! The lights are spectacular and Santa spoke so kindly to everyone. Thankful for you all.” – Ava D’Amato Cocchi
“We look forward to our visit with you every year. Hasn’t been a visit yet that Santa hasn’t made me teary-eyed.” – Kristen Hayes Van Dine
The most incisive and thorough review of Storybook Land was written by Lindsay Frank of the popular SeeMomsClick.com website. It read, in part:
“Storybook Land is family-friendly. This park is for kids. There are no huge roller coasters or rides geared just for adults. It’s all about the kids here! My kids are six and three years-old and they were both able to go on every ride. All of the staff at the park are so nice to the kids, helping them on and off the rides.
“The park is very clean and just fun to explore. I love it when the kids recognize a scene from their favorite storybooks! It’s a beautiful park too. Some of the landscaping and gardening is just awesome. The park is easy to navigate. It’s really easy to hit all the attractions and come back to anything you want to do more than once. It’s the perfect size for little kids. We hit every ride over the course of maybe five hours. And when you have little ones, that’s really all they can handle.”
For all those reasons and more, Storybook Land has been voted as among the top 10 best theme park holiday attractions in the country by USA Today. Even better news is that there’s still time to visit. Storybook Land is open from 4 to 8 p.m. through Dec. 30, the last day of the season. And that’s no fairy tale!
Tickets are sold online only at storybookland.com. Some dates are sold out.
Bruce Klauber is the author of four books, an award-winning music journalist, concert and record producer and publicist, producer of the Warner Brothers and Hudson Music “Jazz Legends” film series, and performs both as a drummer and vocalist.
