Frontier Village
Encyclopedia
Frontier Village was a 39 acres (157,827.5 m²) amusement park
in San Jose
, California
, that operated from 1961 to September 1980. It was located at 4885 Monterey Road and Branham Lane. The park was located on what is now Edenvale Garden Park, next to the Hayes Mansion
, and was once part of the sprawling Hayes Family Estate.
for $1.7 million. The new owners were ready to start expansion but hit a road block with the surrounding neighborhood.
When the park opened in 1961, it was surrounded by undeveloped land, but by 1973 the park was surrounded by urban sprawl. The new neighbors of Frontier Village didn't want any expansion and fought the park development plans. Lawsuits from nearby homeowners coupled with lower than expected Park revenues, skyrocketing San Jose land values, and competition from nearby Marriott's Great America
signaled the end for the little park. With the high property values, Rio Grande could make more money selling off the land to developers than it could by running the park. In 1980 the undeveloped land and Frontier Village itself was sold to a land developer, the Bren Company. They in turn held a public auction
for all rides, buildings, and lumber that made up Frontier Village. The park closed its gates for the last time on September 28, 1980.
All the buildings were removed and San Jose's Edenvale Garden Park now exists at the former location of the amusement park
. Little is recognizable from its days as an amusement park, but items such as concrete boulders from the artificial river remain half-buried.
Some signage and ride vehicles remain in the hands of private collectors while other vehicles were stored at the nearby Happy Hollow Park & Zoo
, to be later sold at auction.
A residential development just west of Edenvale Garden Park is named "Frontier Village."
Shaughnessy McGehee of Campbell, California is one of Frontier Village's biggest fans. He is in the process of creating a miniature version of the park in his own backyard. Currently he and his family open up the backyard to Halloween visitors. To date, he has built miniature versions of the Silver Dollar Saloon, General's Store, and Schoolhouse, with more to come. Some of Shaughnessy's most notable memorabilia are the Crazy Horse, three of the eight Antique Autos (with his most prized being the Yellow Maxwell), the Frontier Village lettering from the front entrance of the park, and the original Silver Dollar Saloon doors. In Shaughnessy's spare time, he spends time on "Remembering Frontier Village" and the related Gunfighter re-enactments, which were a popular park attraction.
Attractions:
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
in San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, that operated from 1961 to September 1980. It was located at 4885 Monterey Road and Branham Lane. The park was located on what is now Edenvale Garden Park, next to the Hayes Mansion
Hayes Mansion
The Hayes Mansion is a hotel resort in San Jose, California, United States. It was constructed originally as a mansion and has been referred to as one of the best examples of late 19th-century Mediterranean Revival architecture the Santa Clara Valley...
, and was once part of the sprawling Hayes Family Estate.
About the Frontier Village demise
In 1973 the part owner and co-creator of Frontier Village wanted to expand the park. Without the necessary funds to expand, he sold Frontier Village to Rio Grande IndustriesRio Grande Industries
Rio Grande Industries was the diversified parent company, headquartered in Denver, of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Formed in 1968, its non-railroad operations included construction, real estate, and energy units...
for $1.7 million. The new owners were ready to start expansion but hit a road block with the surrounding neighborhood.
When the park opened in 1961, it was surrounded by undeveloped land, but by 1973 the park was surrounded by urban sprawl. The new neighbors of Frontier Village didn't want any expansion and fought the park development plans. Lawsuits from nearby homeowners coupled with lower than expected Park revenues, skyrocketing San Jose land values, and competition from nearby Marriott's Great America
Paramount's Great America
California's Great America is an amusement park located in Santa Clara, California that is owned and operated by JMA Ventures. It is one of four major amusement parks that operate around the San Francisco Bay Area. The other three are Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, the Santa Cruz Beach...
signaled the end for the little park. With the high property values, Rio Grande could make more money selling off the land to developers than it could by running the park. In 1980 the undeveloped land and Frontier Village itself was sold to a land developer, the Bren Company. They in turn held a public auction
Public auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
for all rides, buildings, and lumber that made up Frontier Village. The park closed its gates for the last time on September 28, 1980.
All the buildings were removed and San Jose's Edenvale Garden Park now exists at the former location of the amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
. Little is recognizable from its days as an amusement park, but items such as concrete boulders from the artificial river remain half-buried.
Some signage and ride vehicles remain in the hands of private collectors while other vehicles were stored at the nearby Happy Hollow Park & Zoo
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo
-External links:...
, to be later sold at auction.
Remembering Frontier Village
Since 2001 former employees and fans have held a reunion each summer at the Edenvale Garden Park, to reminisce about the park. The picnic always falls on the last Saturday in June.A residential development just west of Edenvale Garden Park is named "Frontier Village."
Shaughnessy McGehee of Campbell, California is one of Frontier Village's biggest fans. He is in the process of creating a miniature version of the park in his own backyard. Currently he and his family open up the backyard to Halloween visitors. To date, he has built miniature versions of the Silver Dollar Saloon, General's Store, and Schoolhouse, with more to come. Some of Shaughnessy's most notable memorabilia are the Crazy Horse, three of the eight Antique Autos (with his most prized being the Yellow Maxwell), the Frontier Village lettering from the front entrance of the park, and the original Silver Dollar Saloon doors. In Shaughnessy's spare time, he spends time on "Remembering Frontier Village" and the related Gunfighter re-enactments, which were a popular park attraction.
Rides and Attractions
Rides:- Antique Autos
- Apache Whirlwind
- Burro Pack Train
- Duster-Turnpike
- Ferris Wheel
- Frontier Village Railroad - One Train is now said to be in operation at Burkes Junction Mall in Cameron Park, CA.
- Indian Jim's Canoes
- Lost Dutchman Mine Ride
- Merry-Go-Round
- Spirit of Kitty Hawk (Bisch-Rocco Flying ScootersFlying ScootersFlying Scooters, also known simply as Flyers, is an amusement ride consisting of a center post with ride vehicles suspended from arms attached to the center post....
) - Roundup
- Sidewinder
- Stampede
- Tarantula
- Old 99 Train Ride
- Stagecoach
Attractions:
- California Street (Dapper Dan's, Last Chance Casino, Shoe & Spike)
- El Sito Mysterio
- Front Street (Birthday Party Corral, Games, Hunter's Paradise Shooting Gallery, Ice Cream Gazebo, Skeeball)
- Indian Island (Archery, Fort Far West, Indian Island Stage)
- Main Street (Arcade, Cantina Murieta, Gunfights, Indian Goods, Marshal's Office, Picture Palace, Silver Dollar Saloon, Sweet Shop, Trading Post)
- Nevada Street
- Petting ZooPetting zooA petting zoo features a combination of domestic animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. In addition to independent petting zoos, also called children's farms or petting farms, many general zoos contain a petting zoo...
Island - Reserved Company Picnics
- Rainbow Falls Trout Fishing
- Sagebrush Theatre
- School House Museum
External links
- Remembering Frontier Village
- Frontier Village at Defunct Amusement Parks
- San Jose Public Library's California Room holds the archives from Frontier Village. Visit our Digital Collections website to view digitized items from the Frontier Village Collection.
- The present day Edenvale Garden Park is at coordinates 37.262055°N 121.819376°W