NEWPORT BEACH – What used to be an old boatyard was transformed 75 years ago into a small amusement park and family attraction, with a new name and a new purpose – the Balboa Fun Zone.
Families will get a chance to relive the early days of the Fun Zone on Saturday, when the park celebrates its 75th anniversary. Rides will run for what they did in the 1930s – 10-cent Ferris wheel rides, 5-cent carousel rides and 25-cent harbor cruises. Other attractions will feature lowered prices too, and the bayfront area that usually loses some of its luster after summer will be revitalized with live music, a car show and a number of nostalgic giveaways.
The area has undergone a number of transformations over the years – what used to be a sand-covered beach is now boardwalk, and in 2006 the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum bought the land the Fun Zone stands on and began phasing out some of its most well-known attractions, starting with the bumper cars and Scary Dark Ride.
The carousel must vacate its location by Sept. 30, just days after the celebration. The Nautical Museum chose not to renew the lease on the land as part of its expansion efforts.
On most summer days, it’s easy to find families that have been visiting the Fun Zone for generations. People in their 70s now bring their grandchildren and reminisce about the days their own parents and grandparents vacationed in Balboa, taking them on the merry-go-round and showing them new heights on the Ferris wheel.
See a timeline of Fun Zone history
