The Joan De Arc Crusader presents
A Tribute to a Bygone Arizona Amusement Park
Sounds On
A Tribute to a Bygone Arizona Amusement Park
Friday, March 29th, 2024

Guest Book

Please leave your memories and comments in this public guest book so we can share your thoughts with our other visitors.

If you experience a problem trying to post to the Guest Book, you may contact us with your entry.

Date: 08 Dec 2003   Time: 09:56:36
Comments: Who remembers the the Spring of '81 when Legend City reopened the river ride, but put people in self steering bumber boats. I was a ride operator on that attraction for a brief period of time, I remember always being wet, because we frequently had to jump in the water to rescue stranded boats, or get people going in the right direction. However, it was a popular attractiion for a while. I can still smell the fumes from the gas engines on those boats, feel the permanent dampness in my uniform. I was very happy when I got reassigned back the the dry confines of the Lost Dutchman Mine Ride.
D Adams ride op 1980-81
Date: 07 Dec 2003   Time: 10:26:00
Comments: At dinner last night we had been talking with friends about growing up with Wallace N Ladmo, and Legend City in the early 70's. Thinking out loud there has to be a website that has pictures of Legend City. With a quick search on Google here it is. Great job, brought back wonderful memories. Too bad the ol City is no longer here, but your work here is the next best thing. Thanks
Date: 25 Nov 2003   Time: 11:30:08
Comments: Love your site. I tell people all the time about how great LC was. Every time I drive past that SRP office.
I remember my best friend and I getting in trouble for spitting at girls while riding the scrambler. I was around 8 I think. ;-)

Thanks for the memories.
Bryce Hadley
Date: 04 Nov 2003   Time: 12:42:46
Comments: Hi Lewis,
Can't wait to see the new Crandell H P Museum's website. Always good to talk with you (Nov 4th). Thanks much for your many compliments and appreciations over the past several months, as well as patience during the heat of battle.

If you need another copy of the Dale Guild CD of pics, just let me know.

Best, Alan
Dale Guild Art Dept
Date: 03 Nov 2003   Time: 09:30:59
Comments: Wow, has this stirred memories...

Anyone ride horses at Weldon's Stables? There was another one right there but I don't remember what it was called. I think for $2.00 you could ride for an hour around the Papago Buttes. Most of the horses were refugees from a glue factory but once in a while you got a good one.

Hole In The Rock and Governor Hunt's tomb up on the hill were favorites. In fact Papago Park was one of my family's favorite birthday party spots. Grab a ramada and fire up the barbeque! Then, once in a while, it was to the zoo. Remember the Bunny Bridge entering the Petting Zoo? Hazel, Baltimore JAck and Ruby...

As I mentioned in a prior rambling, the Round Up Drive-In was a favorite spot in my teen years ('69 to '73). In fact, drive-ins were the place me and my budds would frequent all summer long. Pioneer in Mesa, Silver Dollar, Thunderbird, Big Sky, Rodeo and a few others would all experience our presence at one time or another. Didn't even think of going to an indoor movie much, drive-ins were the rage.

I know this is a Legend City site I just had to wax nostalgic. Hope that is OK :)

Having grown up in Scottsdale, graduated from Scottsdale High in 1971 and been here my entire life I have seen so much come and go.

I thank God quite often that I grew up (or at least aged, I refuse to grow up!) when I did. I think my kids live in a wonderful time now but I wouldn't trade places for anything. As this site has reminded me it was a simpler, more easy going era back then. At least so it seems to me.

Peace all!
Date: 01 Nov 2003   Time: 09:23:14
Comments: Where did the time(s)go?
I'm amazed that it seems just like yesterday,that Legend City first opened up for business...instead of being 40 years ago!
I lived just down the street(so to speak)...more like a bike ride down the canal dirt road,then we took a right past the "Hole In The Rock"...a sharp left over the stone bridge at Papago Park heading towards PHX.ZOO.
A short ride again through the desert passing cactus,and a jack rabbit...hearing the cooing of Mourning Doves.Schools out for the Summer and our favorite destination LEGEND CITY was coming into view.Cut-off jeans...surfer T-shirts...and our childhood wide-eyed excitement.There were many small surprises contained within the park,I always had a keen eye for the details(back then).That first burst through the ticket buying area,revealing the first glimpse of these fantasy acres never lost it's thrill.
I don't recall how we first heard about this kids paradise being built,...only that one day instead of our usual local desert haunts such as Botanical Gardens and Papago Park,with a once pristine desert in perfect balance...also the local Hohokam Indian sites,the mountains(and mini-caves)wildlife where a kid could see horned lizards in abundance.
It just seemed one day it was announced in the Scottsdale Progress just prior to Camelot at the White House changing the mood of America,which Legend City helped in that sad regard too.
I thank God that we lived in those times,and had Legend City included in our neighborhood playground.
It was a true garden of desert Eden Legend City ..and the memories,like what the person above this post said...are faded with those details.
By the way we (us guys) all had our magic moments of a "Sweet Loretta",and it was only meant to be for a short while....but to have it at Legend City must have been extra magical.
I can only hope and pray that those simpler days,
and the Valley 1950-70' precious memories will never completely fade away...I hope that a book will be created about the park,and even perhaps some insights about growing up with this great family amusement spot.. when there was peace,and beauty in abundance.
R.E.C. (lived and dreamed in the Supai School-68th street & Moreland area)1958-78.
Date: 31 Oct 2003   Time: 10:32:03
Comments: As with other posters, growing up in Phoenix through the 50's, 60's and 70's entailed Wallace & Ladmo, Legend City and to us in Scottsdale The Round Up Drive-In. It's hard to harken back to those days, most of them lost in time and the rest just dim snapshots faded with age.

Yet, I remember a memorable night at Legend City. It was a summer evening in 1970 or maybe 1971. I had got up the nerve to ask a young lady out for a date (after my best friend agreed to double with his girl). Our destination...Legend City! It would be great! And, it was.

That particular evening there was a power failure at the park. They didn't close the park but tried, unsuccessfully, to restore power for several hours. During that time I strolled through the park arm in arm with Loretta my date. My friend and his date went one way, we went another enjoying the moment. Finally, there would be no power restored and we would have to leave.

BUT, we got a rain check and were able to go back the following weekend. TWO dates for the price of one! WOW! The second night at Legend City was a blast and I thouroughly enjoyed myself. It would turn out to be the only dates I had with Loretta and I was so shy that I didn't even kiss her! Yep, I was a bit of a dork...oh God...I probably still am!

At any rate, Legend City was the place where I could mostly dream of going to. I was only able to go a handful of times during its existence but it was always a magical and wonderful place. Cheesy rides and junk food to the max, a child's paradise indeed!

Great website! It evoked many, many fond memories of a great childhood.

God bless!
Date: 19 Oct 2003   Time: 19:52:13
Comments: AAHH The memories!! Being born and raised in Scottsdale, I remember many days and nights spent at Legend City. I feel luck to have been a part of such a great place. I truly miss the place. Thanks for placing these great photo's on the internet for us to see.

Ed Crawford - eacrawfo@yahoo.com
Date: 15 Oct 2003   Time: 17:43:35
Comments: Thanks for the memories. I'm a Phoenix native and remember Legend City as a birthday party destination in the late 60's and early 70's. My memories of the park were both distinct and vague -- like pieces of half-forgotten dreams, clear details here and there, surrounded by fog.

The photos and explanations here are terrific. I particularly love the Wallace and Ladmo photos, and the Lost Dutchman's Mine ride section.

Thank your for all the effort and love you have poured into this site. The descriptions of the photos are both informative, and they capture the spirit of promotional materials that might have been used to describe the park in its heyday.

Thanks again for helping me recall some cool stuff from my childhood.

Joseph Formichella
Date: 15 Oct 2003   Time: 12:20:53
Comments: I am so glad you have this site. As a native boy of Phoenix born in 74 I still have vivid memories of Legend city. As a matter of fact I work on top of where it once stood for DHL Express. I was walking during lunch one day I took a path off to the southeast of the building. Low and behold I looked at all these palm trees surrounding this unusual looking pond. I started having flashbacks of Wallace and Ladmo on a stage to the south of where I was looking and then I remembered a path around the pond. It was the small pond off to the southeast of Legened City....it's still here. Thanks for the memories.
Date: 12 Oct 2003   Time: 19:00:41
Comments: i remember those days i was born in phoenix az and grew up in apache junction i was hoping that one day some one would build another you see i ended up with epilipsy back then now i'm disabled and have children of my own and they now have no where to go no wonder the children now days get into trouble if some one was to build another one it would create jobs thus keeping our children busy you can say i said it and meant it sincerily mr robert a demarest of tempe az 85281
Date: 06 Oct 2003   Time: 13:39:53
Comments: I've done several searches over the years to find anything about Legend City, to no avail. I went so many times as a youth that it became like a second home. My heart jumped when I found this site. THANK YOU! I have so many memories of this place. Had I known what it would mean to me now, I would have saved everything I ever got from there. Well maybe not the barf from my first date on the teacups, but pretty much everything else (I did get my first kiss later that evening for being such a gentleman about the whole thing). Bless you for these pictures and maps. I drive by the old site from time to time and tears come to my eyes thinking of my childhood and the times I spent there. In fact they're a little misty right now. It was truly a magical place and will always hold a special place in my heart.

John Wright, Prescott Valley, Arizona
Date: 24 Sep 2003   Time: 23:37:07
Comments: Thanks for the memories! I worked at Legend City for three summers (1973-1975). First as a Midway Sweeper, then making carmel apples in the Candy Store and my last summer as a balloon girl. Both of my brothers also worked at the park during these years. It was a GREAT job for teenagers. We had a blast :)

Bonnie (Gallagher) Gilson ---
bgilson@cox.net
Date: 23 Sep 2003   Time: 22:03:16
Comments: I was in phoenix and remembered that me and my cousins went there all the time we lived across the street and and me and my cousins were on all there bilboards when the log ride started if you have any pics of the billboards back then please forward to rstaley611@aol.com

thanks
Date: 20 Sep 2003   Time: 23:16:51
Comments: Great site! I remember it very well. I saw The Police and The Go-Go's there in 1982. Took in the concert and went right into the prak afterwards. Some friends of mine tried to sneak in after it shut down. Do you have info on the Haunted Mansion they built later in the 1970's? It was right by the Sports car ride. Keep up the good work! Charlie Zeller in Scottsdale
Date: 18 Sep 2003   Time: 11:16:24
Comments: What a great website! Thank you for preserving the memories of Legend City. I grew up in No. Cal. and had grandparents that lived in Phoenix. As a kid in the 60's and 70's I would visit them during the summer months and on occasion would go to LC. I still have a pennant from LC in a box around here somewhere. My parents even bought stock in the park. Not sure if they still have the certificate, but they might. I think I'll ask them! Now at age 43, the memories are kind of hazy but I do remember the Lost Dutchman's Mine and the Antique Car rides, the stagecoach and the train. What a great place it was. I wish it was still around so I could take my kids there and let them enjoy it as I did so many years ago. Things never seem to change for the better... Oh well, please keep this site up and running so I can at least show my kids what I did at their age. Regards and good luck! Tom Cloud
Date: 16 Sep 2003   Time: 04:06:54
Comments: Great job! Thank you for compiling all of these great historical pictures.

Your site is a perfect illustration of why the Internet is so great!
Date: 10 Sep 2003   Time: 18:26:25
Comments: What a great trip down memory lane. Legend City was a great place to be a kid during my childhood and a place of mild delinquency as an adolescent.

GREAT Cite. Thanks for the flashbacks.
Date: 09 Sep 2003   Time: 00:43:05
Comments: I grew up in Phoenix from 1969 to 1986. Moved away, but came back in 1999. Every once in a while, I would do a internet search for Legend City, but no luck. Then, today, I tried again. And here I am. It is a great site, bringing back the memories of getting up early on the weekends to get to LC, to be there when the gates opened and staying all day, till the gates closed. Having a great time running around the park with your friends and meeting new friends. And at the end of the night, make plans to get up the following weekend and do it all over again. It was a great time in my life, but a sad part, when LC fell to the way for progress. It would be great if Legend City could be like the Phoenix Bird. To Rise From The Ashes To Become One Again.
Thanks for the Memories
Ken Sept. 2003
Date: 02 Sep 2003   Time: 22:09:21
Comments: My ex brother in law sent me your site. I worked there back in 1972/73. My first job (still in high school) was walking around with a broom and pan.......The old line was....."how's business?" My answer (I hated) was "picking up".

Later I got to work directing traffic in the parking lot.. At the time I thought it was a step up. A friend of mine (elementary school) went to Brophy with Paul Shoen and was a good friend of his... That how I got the job.

I wonder what happened to the huge redwood tree out front?

Oh the stories..... I remember going on a camping trip with a couple of people, (employee's) older than I..... We went up to Crown King. The guy who drove owned and old 62 Chevy panel truck, white with chrome rims. He worked on the riverboat ride as a guide.... Then there was the gal (ASU student ) that drive that lime green VW, maybe a convertible....I had a big time crush on her but she was so much older... Ha....

There was another guy I worked with Paul Marquart...maybe the wrong spelling......

Anyway.... sorry to go off but that was a fun place.......
Date: 31 Aug 2003   Time: 22:35:50
Comments: I was trying to explain Legend City to my poor post Wallace and Ladmo kids (imagine a childhood w/o Mr. Grudgmeyer and the all Vegetable Band). Excellent website, but I would like to read more about Louis Crandall's first hand recollections. I bet he has great stories to tell. I always thought that the Legend City locomotive was bought by the Old Tucson theme park and was destroyed in the fire they had. I wish someone would raise the funds to bring the old iron horse back home to the Phoenix Area(see the Aug 14 posting). Scottsdale's McCormick Railroad Park would be a great place to keep her. I'm going to call them.
Date: 23 Aug 2003   Time: 10:08:37
Comments: Loved your site. I attended a birthday party there as a little kid back in 1973. Wish I would have gone back more often. Thanks for the memories

Dave Sayre
Date: 19 Aug 2003   Time: 23:05:54
Comments: I grew up in Phoenix and left after graduating high school. One of my fondest memories includes my brother and me sweltering in 115 degree heat at Legend City. It didn't matter that our shoes were melting on our feet - we were at Legend City! It's sad to see that it's gone. What a great time to have grown up in the Valley.

Rodney Thorin
Houston, Texas
Date: 14 Aug 2003   Time: 11:32:00
Comments: I currently am selling the 36" Gauge Crown 4-4-0 American Locomotive and coaches which ran in Legend City right up to the end. They have been in dry storage in El Paso for about 14 years now. I'm trying to find a good home for her.
Don Anderson Email: wistrains@yahoo.com
Narrow Gauge Railroad Dealership
www.wisconsinrailroading.com
Date: 11 Aug 2003   Time: 17:12:03
Comments: This is a GREAT TRIBUTE to a wonderful Park! We are close friends of the man behind this amazingly delightful park, Louis Crandall . We went to Mesa Union High School together, and he was the '48 Class Pres., with a really great artistic talent.
He now has the most extensive museum in the United States, if not the world, commemorating and duplicating the invention of the printing press. He actually has "working models" of the various presses that he demonstrates to the public. It is right downtown Provo, Utah at 275 East Center St.
[801] 377-7777 will put you in touch with Louis so that you can make an appointment for your family or a larger school group. It is well worth the time and effort to see his wonderful collection . I understand that he is now planning to enlarge his Museum, and that will allow him to include even more of his printing press collection.
Date: 05 Aug 2003   Time: 03:52:44
Comments: Just for clarification...I'll put those dates in one more time. I didn't realize everything would be bunched together like that. These are some significant L.C. dates and the day of the week they fell on. Legend City trivia, I guess:
June 29, 1963 Saturday;
December 31, 1964 Thursday;
May 1, 1965 Saturday;
April 27, 1969 Sunday;
June 30, 1973 Saturday; {Monte Mesa AZ}
8 5 2003 Tuesday 2:52 AM
Date: 05 Aug 2003   Time: 03:44:15
Comments: From Monte in Mesa....misc. info from my recent research:

1963 June 29: Legend City first opened to the public. Construction began in the fall of 1961. It closed Dec. 31, 1964. It reopened on May 1, 1965 and closed again on Dec. 5, 1965. On Sept. 21,1966. L.C. declared bankruptcy. L.C. was closed from Sep. 1966 to Apr. 1969. It opened again on Apr. 27, 1969.
A sky ride was opened in 1970. L.C. was opened for 8 months in 1969, 10 months in 1970 and 1972, and all of 1972. It was sold on Feb. 28, 1973 by Amerco to a Japanese company. It reopened on Memorial Day of 1973. It closed in 1975 and was sold in 1977 to DOT Amusement Corp. L.C. closed in the fall of 1982. In June of 1983, it was sold to S.R.P., Salt River Project (electric company).
It had 6 owners in its 16 years of operation and it existed for 23 years. It had about 5 million visitors.

1973 June 30: Legend City had its grand reopening. It was then 135 acres at 56th St. and Washington. There were about 26 rides. In 1983, L.C. was bought by SRP for $21.5 million. L.C. was soon torn down.

6 29, 1963 Saturday
12 31, 1964 Thursday
5 1, 1965 Saturday
4 27, 1969 Sunday
6 30, 1973 Saturday {Monte Mesa AZ}

8 5 2003 Tuesday
Date: 05 Aug 2003   Time: 03:26:27
Comments: Hello. My name is Monte, an AZ native in Mesa, Az. I went to Legend City many times in my grade and high school school years. I have been researching L.C. for about a year now and I thought I'd paste some info I have in these messages in case you want to add it to your site. It's accurate to the best of my knowledge. Your site is great. I first visited it early this year when all that was available was a banner saying Legend City. You've come a long way since then. I hope I can find a site half this good relating to the Round-Up Drive In in Scottsdale, Arizona (1955? to 1979). In the words of the GREAT Bob Hope...."Thanks for the memories!" I'll paste my research in the next posting. MONTE
Date: 04 Aug 2003   Time: 12:31:53
Comments: what a great site. sure brought back a lot of memories.my friends and i used to climb the fence and sneak in, then spend the whole night worrying about getting caught!sure hope the statute of limitations has runout,now that ive confessed.
Date: 29 Jul 2003   Time: 15:06:35
Comments: This was the Legend City Essay contest's
2nd place winner..submitted by:
Vandi Clark (*note-Vandi was good friends with
Vonda Kay Van Dyke growing up together in Arizona)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I remember Legend City for quite a different reason than most people. I worked there.

Yes, I went there as a teen, but my friend Patty actually sang there! That to me was so neat!

Fast forward to the summer of 1976: I apply for a job. Not as a singer, I realize that by that time my voice won't cut it, but as a mime animal. My training in theatre at the U of A puts me in good standing and I get the job! There are 4 of us: Mel & Mike, who are engaged, Shane a PE major & me. There are also 4 mime animals: Patches (the mouse), Clyde (a large green monster), Kooky Bird (a road runner) & Prickly (the talking cactus). It should have been easy, strolling around in a costume for an hour - me as Patches, Shane as Clyde, returning to home base (the Saloon's dressing room) & resting an hour while Mike & Mel made the same stroll.

It proved to be quite a challenge. How for example, do you say to a mother: "No, lady, I can't hold your baby while you take a picture. I can't feel a thing through this fur & I could easily drop your child on his head" or, "Kid, stop hitting me. You're going to beat my chest down to an AA cup!" when you're a mime??? Just try telling someone what time the next show starts when you can�t talk. One day, Shane & I did corner 2 relatively vicious little thugs (probably about 10 years old) and threaten to throw them in the lagoon with the crocodiles if we even saw them again while we were in costume!

We were supposed to wear cut-offs under our costumes, but we never did! It was too hot! We were also supposed to wear these cool suits which consisted of a bathing cap like device with 2 tubes attached to it which ran down to a vest like contraption with a pouch in the back for ice and a battery and pump in the front which provided power to circulate cool/very cold water and thus supposedly keep one cool. What management hadn�t counted on was that the whirring noise from the pump scared small children, while the ice would slosh forward and almost tip you over while you were shaking a small child�s hand if you didn�t brace yourself. They also hadn�t counted on kids kicking the toggle switch to off, cutting off your water supply or the battery going dead while you were on the other side of the park, giving you approximately 10 minutes to hot foot it back to home base before your body turned the consistency of warm beer.

We danced a lot that summer. "You are the Sunshine of My Life" still makes me giggle and smile. Sometimes, the park was so crowded, we had to have an escort, usually a security policeman to get us to our performance.

That was the case the day I saw Wallace & Ladmo at the park. It was totally crowded. The stage was set up in the desert area, near the railroad tracks. We were the "warm up act". So, we danced, and then they were late, so we danced some more. 3 of us went down that day. Mike had the best legs, so he was the bird, Mel had patches and I was a very short Clyde. Shane was our security. After our second round of dancing, they were ready to perform! Although I�d watched the same, basic routine many times between Wallace, Ladmo & Pat, I watched them with renewed interest. Here were the idols of my youth, making the whole thing fresh and new to another generation of kids! It was wonderful!

My only frustration was that I couldn�t take off my Clyde head and get a little cool or at least wipe the sweat. Our hiding space behind the platform was open to the passing of the train every 10 or 15 minutes. It would never do to have children see a headless Clyde!

Fast forward again to the spring of 1996: I�ve now spent 19 years in Dallas as a professional actress and am having lunch with a friend whose daughter thinks being an actress must be fun. I�m here to talk her out of it. It�s very hard work and the easier it looks, the harder the actor is working. After lunch, my friend Brenda suggests we check out the girl�s bathroom at Planet Hollywood, just down the block . She says that it was decorated by someone famous, but the name currently escapes me. I take one look at the black and white checked, slanting tiles (think forced perspective here), list to one side and say, "Look, Brenda, doesn�t this remind you of the Old Dutchman�s Shack?" Before Brenda can reply, I hear this high pitched, loud voice saying, "Legend City!!!! You REMEMBER Legend City???" "Yes," I quietly reply, "I used to work there. Usually I was Patches." At this point, I gave the "Patches" wave. "Oooooooo!! You really did work there!!! Can I pleeeeaaase have your autograph?" (You must picture this radiating to every stall in both restrooms!) So, I graciously gave her my autograph on a restroom paper towel. "Thanks for remembering, Patches." As we left, I remarked: "I�ve got 19 years of legitimate work in these portfolios and I�m giving an autograph for my work as a mime animal at an amusement park!" I must have done something right. Brenda�s daughter majored in hotel management.
Date: 29 Jul 2003   Time: 12:50:49
Comments: Below was the winning Legend City Essay..that was held at the Official Wallace & Ladmo Fan Club.
A wonderful true romance story at Legend City.
Rob Cook(co-founder W&L Fan Club)
..............................................

A Legend City Night to Remember
By Karen Laubinger
As soon as I walked through the main gate, I knew this was not going to be an ordinary night. There was a sense of excitement and a hint of magic in the air.
The tempting aroma of fresh popcorn along with the
sweet smell of cotton candy drifted through the hot
August breeze passed me. In the distance, I could
hear the mixed sounds of screams and laughter. This
was not my first visit to Legend City, nor was it my
last, but it was by far my most memorable.
The date was August 16, 1976. I went with my
friend, Kristine, in honor of her sixteenth birthday.
What better way for two teenagers to spend a summer
evening? After a quick discussion of our plan of
attack on the rides of the park we set off down the
main street to the horseless carriage ride. I did not know how to drive a car yet, not that it really
mattered for that particular ride, but I wanted
Kristine to drive. Kristine and I giggled as we
steered our way through the tree-lined course. As I recall, we did a lot of giggling during that night.
The sun was just about to set and the gleaming,
glittering, glowing lights of Legend City lit up the
park. Red, yellow, and orange colors abounded. I had to take a break in the ladies' room to check my face,hair and clothes. What else would a sixteen-year-old girl do after being out in public for thirty minutes?
If memory serves me correctly, I was sporting a new
hair-do: a shoulder length bob, sprayed with Aqua-Net to the hilt. I had on a pair of beige jeans and a top with a small lace color and a flower applique.
We continued down the path, checking out all the
rides. It was later in the evening that we came upon the Lost Dutchman's Mine Ride. The line was long, but we would wait. There was a cute teen-age attendant helping people into each wooden mining car ... oh, the memories.... It was finally our turn. The cute attendant helped us into the car, giving me a special smile. With a jolt, the ride started and busted through the doors. Kristine and I were doing our usual giggles with some added screams and "aaks" as the ride proceeded. The air in the tunnel was musty and it was dark, except for the occasional light from a well-placed surprise, like a spider or skeleton. We gasped and were frightened (just for fun) as we watched the bright, blinding light of the approaching
train. Just in time, the car turned down another
path, and we were safe. Clank, clank, rattle, and
clack were the sounds we heard as the car wheels
rolled along the track. To our amazement, we had some extra-added scares along the ride. The cute ride attendant had sneaked into the ride through some hidden entrance and jumped out in front of the car.
After our screams and giggles, he disappeared only to reappear to give me a little poke on the shoulder.
Now, he had our attention, and we obviously had his.
After a few more surprise visits from this flirtatious fellow along the course of the ride our car came to the end and stopped. The attendant, who was innocently standing back at his assigned position,asked us if we had a good time on the ride as he helped us out of the car. We giggled, blushed, and ran away. I was "smitten" with that attendant. Was he"smitten" with me?
Kristine and I continued on our quest to go on all the rides. We rode the Sky Ride, the Ferris wheel, the roller coaster, Rage Cage, and all of the other carnival type rides. We circled around through the Mexican Village and enjoyed the delicious aromas of Mexican Food. Whenever I went through the village, I would pretend I was actually in Mexico on vacation.
It was so alluring to me with the white stucco walls,bright, festive colors and lights.
I had to go back to the Mine Ride. With a little
nudging, Kristine and I were standing in the long line again. That cute attendant was still there. We spoke to him. He told us his name was Greg. It was our turn to get on the ride, but this time Kristine did not sit next to me in the mining car. The cute attendant, who had caught my attention, whose name was Greg, decided to take a ride. He had earned a break.
Greg sat next to me. Kristine sat behind. The ride
took on a whole new importance to me after that night.
Greg and I dated for a year.
That night is memorable to me for three reasons:going to Legend City, a celebration of my friend's birthday, and the night I met my first love. What better combination is there?
When I am alone and daydreaming, my mind settles on those wonderful, magical, daring days of Legend City.
For a moment I can smell the popcorn, taste the
cotton candy and ice cream from the ice cream parlor.
I can see the goodies and trinkets on the shelves in
the gift shops, wishing I had some money to buy
something. I see all the bright, twinkling lights
from the Ferris wheel and roller coaster. I hear the screams and laughter of happy, excited people
throughout the park. I remember Greg and the Lost
Dutchman's Mine ride.... I am so thankful that there
was "for one brief shining moment" in my childhood an amusement park known as Legend City.
Date: 23 Jul 2003   Time: 13:47:37
Comments: My sister and I are Phoenicians and grew up in the 60/70's. We LOVED Legend City! It was such a treat for us, it was like Disneyland to us! Thank you for the memories, I will pass this along to all of my friends who shared the memories. I often wish that still had Legend City, for our children.
Date: 17 Jul 2003   Time: 08:52:43
Comments: LEGEND CITY's 40th Anniversary 1963-2003
(My 2nd Introduction of Legend City II Month)
at the "Wallace & Ladmo& Valley memories Club".
*On a personal note-Thank you from the bottom of all our Valley of the Sun families hearts..
Mr.Louis Crandall and family.You made us all smile,laugh,scream,and dream about the past while believeing that perhaps we too can create something very special for our own futures.Rob Cook
..................................................
I'd like to start with the LEGEND CITY
theme song..lets get them Ghosts a rollin'!
YEEEEEE-HAaaaaaaaa!>---->
http://www.legend-city.com/Ghost_LC.wav


WELCOME back to(The Gang)at Legend City II Month!
40 years ago tomorrow the gates opened,the ticket takers were stationed,the crowd was large and enthusiastic if not somewhat bewildered.What exactly is this place,what's inside??? Up to that
date, June 29th 1963 the Valley didn't have many places to go for fun,except for seeing "the gang" somewhere hopefully near you..and the
usual Valley family entertainment.Such as picnics at Encanto& Papago Parks,or watching a movie at one of the outdoor drive-ins like the "Round-Up",and if you were lucky enough swimming in a pool followed by a barbecue. But there was nothing even remotely similar to Legend City, unless you were able to head to Anaheim,CA.
Well as everyone made there way inside the park and we first saw a fountain of dancing waters set to music ...it was like we all became "Curious Georges",sniffing at the air from these delicious
aromas...popcorn...hotdogs and others.
We were amazed by the old fashioned buildings of yesterday,...and with other intriguing sights like water in the desert,strange sounds
and other mysterious looking places!
Little by little we explored every inch of Legend City.. some rides became favorites like Cochises Stronghold, The Lost Dutchman's Mine
ride, and ok I admit it...loved the Krazy Kups! BUT the greatest attraction of all came soon after the parks opening..."THE GANG" from
our favorite kid show signed on to do several shows each weekend!!!
Now we knew where to easily find them!
Legend City gave us kids something to work for... meaning those horrible around the house chores we all hated!
We'd take our weekly allowance and save up enough, to head on back...then after we rode our favorite rides for the umpteenth time,my brother and I would hit the souvenir shops.It was a fantastic
place to create our childhood fantasies, and see the magic of Wallace & Ladmo.
The Valley as like the world has changed so much...some for the better,and others for the worst.Like for many of us,we didn't realize just how lucky we were back then to have
Wallace & Ladmo...and places like Legend City.Back in those simpler times, I guess we all thought that it would go on forever?
We've all now experienced lifes fast tracks,and the chaos etc.So why do we spend time this month,and others here at the fan club recalling past places, and faces that some no longer exsist???
Because it reminds us all of a happier time, when we were innocent(enough),and how much we miss these moments,& pleasures of life in the "Valley of the Sun".
Lets remember those Summer days with Wallace & Ladmo.. Pat McMahon and our own BeaTle Mike Condello at Legend City.Does anyone remember
the Wallace and Ladmo 10th anniversary party at the park Feb. 3rd,1964?
If anyone has old family photos,even film footage of Legend
City...especially W&L there PLEASEEeeeeee contact Jason Beaver!

From our home in south Scottsdale,which was on the other side of Papago Park...we could hear the Legend City trains whistle especially
at night, as if calling out to us kids.It was a thrill each and every time we were able to go! And as "us boys" got a little older, we
enjoyed other attractions at the park like meeting the girls at those dances..and checking out the Golden Palace Saloon girls! LOL


HAPPY 40th ANNIVERSARY LEGEND CITY...we miss ya!

*On a note about that email I sent to Steven Spielberg a year ago,about him making a new version of Legend City somewhere in
AZ.nothing yet..but ONE OF THESE DAYS, I'll flip on my old computer...check my emails and..AND.. it'll probaly be just another email from Jason asking if I've heard anything yet? ;) BUT one of
these years......! In my dreams there would be another Legend City built somewhere in Arizona..perhaps near the Superstition Mountains where many of the parks themes centered around..,
and once again there would be a state of the art Dancing Waters fountain to greet the 21st century families,only there will be a statue dedicated to the man who first dared to dream of a amusement park in the Valley of The Sun desert...it was a oasis of happiness. Thanks!
Rob Cook(aka.Desert Rat W&L Fan Club)
Date: 16 Jul 2003   Time: 09:19:32
Comments: CALLING OUT FOR "SgT.DAVE"DUPREE!
As the managements 1st buddy...I ask you,
ok I beg you to<lol>...get in touch with
Jason LegendCity@aol.com a.s.a.p!
Cochise Stronghold was my favorite ride..
lots terrifying stuff around every bend in
that long and winding great river of legends.
DEFINATELY interested in all the things uou mentioned above! Thanks Dave!!!
Rob Cook(Wallace & Ladmo Club)
Date: 16 Jul 2003   Time: 06:50:01
Comments: Hey Dave DuPree - You bet we could use it!! Contact us at LegendCity@aol.com. Thanks!-- The Mgt.
Date: 15 Jul 2003   Time: 21:54:52
Comments: I've checked every so often to see if there's anything about LC on the internet. Hoped someone would create a site like this... but never expected such a GREAT JOB!!! I can't say enough about how good this looks! I started out at LC working the Skyride island by myself in the parking lot, then (thankfully) became one of the sergeants guiding the "Ol River Scout" down the "raging and treacherous San Simon River." I have a quite a lot of LC photos and memorabilia, including an audio tape of an entire River Ride tour (with the dialogue between myself and Sgt. Mitchell, the unfortunate trooper with all the arrows), as well as a lot of other LC sounds.
Can you use any of it?
THANKS for the trip down memory lane!
Dave DuPree aka"Sgt. Dave" '72-'73 (the U-Haul years)
(Nineteen and nimble then... fifty and fat now)
Date: 10 Jul 2003   Time: 15:41:40
Comments: Legend City! My parents worked together there in early 60's and my mother took me there many many times as a kid in the 70's and early 80's to ride the rides and see the W n L show on stage. I have never won a Ladmo bag and have been in counseling sessions many times over that fact, ha ha! I did get a one time free pass to Legend City for submitting an entry into the "Name the New Rollercoaster at Legend City" contest on Wallace and Ladmo. I remember watching the winning enry "Sidewinder" kids ride it first on KPHO. And I loved the fun house back in the early '80s. As kids when we would take the LONG bus ride from school in West Phx to the Phx Zoo we would yell "Lets go to Legend City instead!" when we would pass it on our way in and out of the zoo lot. I remember riding the skyride and yelling "Sting I love YOU!" when the Police were playing at Compton Terrace and the Go-Gos were the opening act. You could sneak into the concert via holes in the fence from Legend City and as a young teen, this was awesome for memories in the making. When LC closed my fellow schoolmates and I lamented for years how there was nothing for us teenagers to do in Phx and the lame teen clubs (Tommys, Hinkles and a host of other short lived places) just didn't do it like Legend City would have for us. I mean, hey! Legend City was open after curfew and it was cheap! Thank you so much for the memories and your website. Thank you! Shawn Ziegler
Date: 09 Jul 2003   Time: 00:20:50
Comments: Living all the way down in Douglas, we only visited Legend City 3 or 4 times in it's lifetime. Ah, the memories this site brings back... I'll always be glad I got those few chances to enjoy it.

Hal
--
Hal Hostetler, CPBE -- hhh@kvoa.com
Senior Engineer/MIS -- MS MVP-DTS -- WA7BGX
http://www.kvoa.com -- "When News breaks, we fix it!"
KVOA Television, Tucson, AZ. NBC Channel 4
Got Blues? - www.badnewsbluesband.com
Date: 07 Jul 2003   Time: 07:16:02
Comments: Going to Legend city a few times a year in my youth in AZ was a big deal. So sad that its gone...
The last time I was there was in 1981 for my Middle School Graduation.
:-) ah, memories
Date: 06 Jul 2003   Time: 10:33:12
Comments: Very interesting site! New to the Valley, never had a chance to visit Legend City, hopefully one day it'll be resurrected. nick@qualityinnmesa.com
Date: 02 Jul 2003   Time: 12:20:03
Comments: I can't believe I lived here all my life and only went to Legend City twice both times in the mid 70's. I missed out on so much. Thanks for all the pictures and information about this wonderful place. Maybe some day in our life time there will be another Legend City located somewhere in Az.
Date: 13 Jun 2003   Time: 12:39:13
Comments: This has been a great trip down memory lane. I worked at Legend City from July 1970 until December of 1971. I was one of the sergeants on the Cochises Stonghold ride, and had the privilege of giving the whole "punny spiel" to Dick Van Dyke and his family. I actually did used to dive into the river as a stunt (never knew until now that it came from the Phoenix zoo), and a couple of times did a stunt fall off of the top of the waterfall. I also ran the Lost Dutchman mine, the crooked Dutchman's shack, the Sky ride, the ferris wheel, and a few other rides. During the summer, I helped repair the manikins that were in the rides. Most of the skeletons bones were made from fiberglass cast into wooden molds. I actually met my wife at Legend City. She was an employee in the stuffed animal gift shop on Main Street. Again, thanks for the memories.
Date: 12 Jun 2003   Time: 23:20:31
Comments: Wowee - that really takes me back - to the time when a little Ladmo bag could make your whole summer better! Thanks for the memories...
Date: 10 Jun 2003   Time: 17:30:36
Comments: I grew up in Phoenix in the 60's. Legend City is one of my best memories! Just goes to show - I'm not the only one who remembers it and remembers it so fondly!

Diane (Dahowski in the 60's!)
Date: 28 May 2003   Time: 18:07:59
Comments: I was born and raised in Phoenix, and I went there many times growing up. I found this site by accident, but I really enjoyed it. It brought a tear to my eyes. I even worked there for one summer, in maintenance. Wow! Thank You, Gordon. P.S. I was even on the Wallace & Ladmo Show once! I am a lucky one! Thanks Again, Gordon.
Date: 15 May 2003   Time: 09:41:46
Comments: Great job with the website. I only wish I had known about this park before it closed, but growing up with Disneyland, I had no idea it had a western-themed cousin one state over. What a shame it had to fall prey to progress.
Date: 07 May 2003   Time: 22:50:30
Comments: Great site!!!!I originally rebuilt all the rides from Pacific Ocean Park and ran the operations & maintenance of the rides after Sam schoen bought the park in 1969. We had a great time re inventing
the park and hopefully,made it even better.i was saddened by its demise.

Mark Taylor
Date: 28 Apr 2003   Time: 14:18:51
Comments: I am born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. Born in 1949 when Legend City opened I was at just the right age to "really" enjoy it. I remember our first trip there and my brother and I were so excited. The last concert I saw there was Leslie Gore. I raised 3 sons here also. The oldest was able the enjoy the park before it closed. I bought a small wooden box at a yard sale for $1. It is a trinket box in great shape from Legend City. Oh the memories. Too many to mention. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Date: 25 Apr 2003   Time: 14:21:56
Comments: As a teen Legend City was it!! Hubby and I went there, had so much fun, hard to beleive that next week is our 20th Wedding anniversary..
Darn Now I am gonna have to go looking for some info on Compton Terrace and the Wax Museum...
I want to put a link to this site on my Arizona page.
http://arizonainformation.freeservers.com
Date: 24 Apr 2003   Time: 19:26:54
Comments: We would really like to see this park rebuilt. We had some GREAT times there. We believe our kids would really enjoy a park like this back in the Phoenix AZ area. The Gallegos Family..........
Date: 22 Apr 2003   Time: 22:13:18
Comments: Thanks for the memories I had almost forgotten.Heather
Date: 22 Apr 2003   Time: 20:57:53
Comments: Legend City will always be a wonderful fond memory for me as well. I'm the third daughter of Lou Crandall and we are happy and pleased that someone has taken the time to keep this wonderful memory alive through this web site. I was young when Legend City was up and running, however, the memories are so vivid in my mind. What I remember most was back stage in the Golden Palace Saloon watching my Aunt Printy get on her ruffled slips and can can dancing skirt with her netted black nylons. Vonda Kay VanDyke with her vantriloquist dummy was there too. I watched that show over and over. I still sing the songs to my children that the Coppertones sang. Vonda Kay's song "Hello my baby, Hello my Honey" is still our favorite. Along with the Coppertones, "Bill Grogens Goat" and Good Bye My Legend City Baby". The Legend City theme Song was my favorite too...Dad's got several copies on record singles. I went there almost every day after school and I helped. Our childhood was lived out in a fantasy land and we didn't know any different.
Today my Father owns and runs a major attraction in Provo Utah. He is still doing spectacular things. If you are ever in Utah, visit his Crandall Historical Printing Museum and you will be amazed at the story he tells about the Printing of the scriptures.
Date: 22 Apr 2003   Time: 20:53:50
Comments: There are sweet memories of the Wallace & Ladmo shows at Legend City. The great times we had on the rides and the people we would meet having just as much fun. We didn't think Legend City would end; it was such an exciting destination. This was always more fun than the Arizona State Fair.
Many thanks for creating this fabulous site to keep those memories alive. Stanley Vorce
Date: 21 Apr 2003   Time: 00:02:28
Comments: Dear Developer,
I'm not sure how to thank you. You see, my brother, being two years older than I, sent me a link to your site. Memories, dear memories, made my heart smile as it did when a kid in the northwest valley ( 35th and northern, ha ,ha ) heard tale that mom and dad were taking us to legand city. I promise to send a link to all my friends from those days gone bye, as well as a hope, that someone's wisdom in our future, will have the conviction to make the same environment for our children of the valley.
Sean Johnson
Date: 20 Apr 2003   Time: 21:58:25
Comments: I just read my sister Janie's comments and finished looking at this whole website. I just sat here and cried and cried. I'm Louis Crandall's youngest daughter. I was VERY young when the park opened, but I remember going there MANY times before it closed down.
What WONDERFUL memories this whole website has. Our family thanks you very much for setting this up. My Dad has numerous amounts of original memorabilia, photos, etc., that you Legend City fans would love to see!
I remember the tilt house the most. My brother Louie and I just couldn't get enough of it. I loved the Lost Dutchman's Gold mine too, but it scared me. I also remember my Aunt Printy being a Can-Can girl. Thanks SO MUCH, Ruthie Crandall Dangerfield (Texas)
Date: 20 Apr 2003   Time: 21:25:29
Comments: We just love this site. You need to make a tribute to Valley West Mall, Gemco, and Yellowfront. Keep up the good work.

xoxo
Chuck from KRIZ
Date: 20 Apr 2003   Time: 00:23:55
Comments: I am so happy that Legend City lives on, in all our membories. I am the oldest Daughter of Louis Crandall, yes, the original man that dreamed up and built Legend City, and I remember the building of the park and the fun we use to have after it was running. Being able to go with my dad to work almost daily to watch the construction and then after it was open, going there everyday to be part of the whole experience. I remember perhaps some things that no one else remembers. I even have a great story to tell. When I was 11 years old, On the first 4th of July how we had record breaking paying guests at the park.
My Grandfather and Grandmother, Louis' parents, owned the rights to the concession stands, selling cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn and drinks. And in the middle of the day, they put $12,000 in a brown paper bag and put it under my arm and told me to walk straight to payroll with it. Knowing that no one would suspect anyone of 11 yrs old to be carrying $12,000 through all those people. I made it there without a hitch. Ohhhh, What wonderful memories I have of this park. I was so sad when my father's dreams was dashed. It is a very sad and long story of why this park did not make it.
If any of you have any other fun questions that I may add to this great web site, I would love to hear from you. I have memorabilia up the yengyang. Remember the records. There were 4 songs made special for Legend City.
You can email me at janiehjorth@yahoo.com
Thanks for this cool website.
Janie Crandall Hjorth
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:25:30
Comments: As a native born in 1960 I went to the park every year that I can remember until closing night. All I can say is "Thank You" (with a happy tear in my eye) for this website. This site, along with the W&L site and KAZ TV playing bits from the W&L show Sundays and Tuesdays brings back a lot of happy memories. Randy Schuff
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:25:09
Comments: A SouthernCalifornia native, I have always lamented the demise of our local attractions such as Marineland and Busch Gardens. I am happy to see a tribute site in the same vein as my own (http://themepark.sitesbyrob.com Keep up the good work! 27 Mar 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:24:40
Comments: Great website!! My parents took me and my older sister to Legend City back in the day. We traveled from Southeastern Ariz., a small town named Clifton, to see it. Once a year we used to trave to Phoenix during the summer to shop for our school clothes, and would always see Legend City next to the big highway. I always told myself that when I graduated from high school and got my own car I would visit Legend City again. Don't laugh but now I am 47 years old, I never went back to see Legend City again, and I thought it was still open!!! Now I'm depressed, but happy to see it on your website! Thanks for the Memories!! 23 Mar 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:24:14
Comments: I lived in Phoenix from 1961 to 1965. I remember going to Legend City. Infact, I have a picture of my sister & me somewhere at the park with cowboy hats on. I was only about 6 years old, so I don't remember a whole lot. I remember watching Wallace & Ladmo. 19 Feb 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:23:52
Comments: Thanks for making a site in memory of Legend City!! I went there many times as a child, and my mother had even bought stock in Legend City (and of course lost all she had invested.) I wish I still had her old stock certificates. I found your site because I have some Legend City keychains that I was getting ready to post on ebay. These are like large buttons that say Legend City, Arizona's Family Fun Park with a picture of the log ride and they have a little keychain attached to them. Do you know anything about them? Thanks again for the great website! Patty Lewis, Phoenix TheodoraAZ@aol.com 15 Feb 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:23:21
Comments: I lived in Phoenix only for a short time. About a year and a half in 1983 and 1984. My parents took me to Legend City the last night that it was open. I am traveling to Phoenix with my wife, and couldn't help but think about Legen City. Wondering if it was still there. Possibly reopened or relocated. Sad I can't share it with my wife, but great I found this website for the memories, and to show to others who never had the opportunity to enjoy it. Keep it alive. 13 Feb 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:22:56
Comments: Awesome site! I would like to know if anyone out there can identify with my greatest memory of the park. It wasn't really any time I was at the park per se, but the view of it from the city of Phoenix. One could see the three (I think it was three...) towers that keep the skyride suspended for miles and miles. They were a neon-green type of color, and were really beautiful. Can anyone relate to this? And better yet, does anyone have any photos of those towers aglow at night? I'd LOVE to see such a photo. Thanks, Chris 11 Feb 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:22:22
Comments: I couldn't believe that DHL Worldwide Express building is next to SRP building where the land was used to be Legend City!! I thought it was somewhere near freeway 202 and Washington St. I was wrong. I used to work there on the land of Legend City. What is a biggest shock to me!!! When I was a little kid, I remembered going there around late 60's. Curtis 05 Feb 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:21:58
Comments: In 1960 I was 8th grader at Payne Training School and tossing the Tempe Daily News after school to pick up some spending cash. The dad of my classmate Bill Kirpatrick (sp) stopped by the house one afternoon and sold yours truly 100 shares of Legend City stock. With lines like "Our research shows that more cars pass by on Van Buren and Washington than pass by Disneyland" or "You'll be thanking me for this investment in a year John." In a year it was bust and I never have bothered with the stock market again. I think I tossed my certificate out in disgust when I realized that my $100 was history. I should have kept it to sell on eBay and made something back on my hard earned investment. John P. Dixon 02 Feb 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:21:30
Comments: Thank you for this great site! 27 Jan 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:21:05
Comments: Thank you for bringing back some great memories... The newspaper articles, pictures and memorobilia are cool. I wish Legend City was still here. 21 Jan 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:20:43
Comments: Very cool website! I worked there from1980 to closing in 83 and was a patron there for years before that. I was truely sad too see it go but am sure enjoying seeing many of the photos here of the opening and early years when I was but a pup. Its a shame we dont have something as nice to replace it in this day and age. Thanks for the look back in time. Dave 16 Jan 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:20:16
Comments: I though Legend City was just a memory....until I ran across a link from a Wallace and Ladmo site...great collection of stuff! Most can't understand why SRP built on that site...that was a time in history when Phoenix used to be the place to live....good memories. G.A. Prescott 11 Jan 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:19:23
Comments: this site brings back alot of memories from my childhood.i want to thank you. i wish my children could have the same. kristen navas. 07 Jan 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:18:58
Comments: Thanks for this website! I've been looking all over the net for anything I could find about Legend City. I have some really fond memories of Legend City and my childhood in Phoenix. I remember the Lost Duchman Mine the most. There was also a ride called Turbo. I think it was built there right before the park closed. It is really sad that Legend City never really got going. It was such a fascinating park. Don't really have vivid memories of the park. But I definitly never will forget all the fun I had there as a kid. Thanks again this website is excellent. Gypsy 07 Jan 2003
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:18:08
Comments: I was just a kid when I went to legend city. I still have a cartoon photo of myself that I had drawn when I was there. I remeber a magician that hung upside down by his feet from the skyride as he got himself out of a straight jacket. Mike Thurston was his name. 21 Dec 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:17:42
Comments: It would be a dream come true if Legend City came back to Phoenix. Could it be possible to have this done??? Like I said, It would be a dream come ture.......... RRR 19 Dec 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:17:14
Comments: Excellent web site!!! Thanks for keeping the memory of Legend City alive. We really loved it. 18 Dec 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:16:45
Comments: Great site!! I grew up in Los NAgeles and used to go to Pacific Ocean Park. I thought some of the rides shown in the LC advertisments looked familar. We moved here after LC was long gone, but have heard so much about it, this site really helped me learn about the place. These posts are great too!! Thanks for a job well done Laurie Palace Mesa 04 Dec 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:16:18
Comments: Hey My brothers and I used to do karate expositions on the Wallace and Ladmo show and at Legend City. It sure is nice to know people remember the golden years and it was not just a faint memory of time gone by... JW 03 Dec 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:15:54
Comments: Great website!!! I'm a 33 year-old native and remember Legend City fondly. Legend City had so much originality and detail it's hard to believe it's gone. If Legend City was built today it would be successful. 25 Nov 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:15:27
Comments: Thanks for the memories, I left phoenix in 1983 at 18 , I visit from time to time and I never seems the same its good to know that the good ole days live on in photos :) 19 Nov 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:14:37
Comments: CONFESSIONS of A 12 YEAR OLD! (Please don't think poorly of this L.C. loving boy) (;})...........................A true west story! Not sure of the exact year...but one memorable day a friend, my brother plus myself around the mid-1960's, snuck into "Legend City" after they closed it down for the first time! I know...that was bad thing to do!..but we couldn't resist.There was a slight space to crawl under the outer metal fence surrounding the park, as we approached some of the now silent rides and the like,...we were terrified but at the same time having a blast! Armed with our old polaroid "swingers"..a not so great 60's instamatic camera, we explored like the Spanish mannequins..remember?..those Conquistadors up on the hill of the "River Boat" ride. We all tried on the spanish helmets! We made our way to the "Mine Ride" * see the up close photo we snapped of the"skeleton" in a barbers chair..as proof, in the photos(Mine Ride) here. We touched the GIGANTIC spider...wandered into the "Dutchmans Shack"..the one where it was slanted,the park was silent like a real Az.GHOST town!!!Well I'm not proud of what we did...BUT I'm sure glad we did!! We had a blast!!! IT was terrifying at times...but a terrific time for us curious lads!Rob Cook(W&L fan Club) 29 Oct 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:14:08
Comments: Our band (Bodacious) used to play at the Beer Gardens back in the 70's whenever there was a concert. Got to see the Moody Blues, Alice Cooper, Willie Nelson, etc. Once we were done playing, we had the run of the park. Excellent gig. Chuck Weeks 29 Oct 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:13:35
Comments: I liked your legend city coverage, but the site started to get a little spooky when I foud out about the sahuaro school, moon valley, and westown links. I was born into a home at 35th Avenue and Columbine in 1966, and went to the same schools and shopping centers. I now own a home on 39th Ave and Laurel lane (across from Cactus Park). While you were about10 years ahead of me, not much changed in the time between our experiences. But back in the 80's and 90's things really changed! I think you may have went to school with my siblings (geez, their were 8 of us, how could you not?) Anyway, good work and what possesed you to hold onto these things? Everyone else would've thrown them away! 14 Oct 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:12:40
Comments: Hey, "Jason!" One favorite memory of Legend City was the drive from North Phoenix down to Washington St. and all the way east almost to Tempe (!!) The anticipation was almost as exciting as the actual experience. My dad was too cheap to take us to Disneyland, so Legend City it was. I remember seeing our Miss Arizona/America there in 1964 (?), and of course Hubcap and the Wheels. My sister and I screamed all through their performance. Thanks for keeping Legend City alive for all of us boomers. 11 Oct 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:11:49
Comments: I grow up in Phx, and watched Wallace & Ladmo everyday after school. I also spent alot of time at Legend City. Thx,it was nice to be a kid again, if only for awhile..... 10 Oct 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:11:05
Comments: Awesome sight!! I almost cried when I saw that the park was replaced by the SRP complex when I finally returned to Phoenix on business in 92. This site pays a great tribute to a bygone era of Ladmo Bags, and hot summer nights at Legend City. 10 Oct 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:10:14
Comments: What a great site. I had the privilidge to work at Legend City During the summer of 1980 and part of the 81 season. What an awesome job for a kid in high school. I was in charge of the Lost Dutchman Mine. I had fun, but felt sad that the attraction was falling apart, and losing its original appeal. Even in the early eighties, the park was struggling, and I guess a refurbishment of the Lost Dutchman was not in the budget. Even though the ride was deteriorating, it was cool to walk around the old west antiques that were displayed on the ride, especially the hearse. I left the Phoenix area in 1981, and was completely shocked to see the whole park gone when I came to Phoenix on business in 1992. That's progress. Still, Legend City will always remain the best job I ever had. D. Adams 08 Oct 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:09:25
Comments: Below was my introduction to "Legend City Month"at the Wallace & Ladmo fan club,for more L.C. and vintage Valley of the Sun talk & photos...see the links here! Thanks Rob Cook(W&L club): When my family packed up the "Packard" after it was decided around 1957 in Buffalo N.Y.,...for us to head southwest seeking our fortunes,little did I realize at such a young age that we'd eventually land in a very special place and time.All that my brothers and I knew about Arizona,was what we saw on TV...from old westerns, cartoons and even the occassional Sci-Fi movie! LOL Stereo-typical images of cowboys/gunslingers,Indians on the warpath,the "OK Corral","Boot Hill",the "Lost Dutchman" & spanish gold! The Az. desert with all it's romantic scenes, tales and lores,critters like rattlesnakes the size of pythons, and possibly thoughts of GIANT tarantulas like the one in that old science fiction movie!<lol> So finally settling into our freshly built tract home in so.Scottsdale 1958, wedged between two western myths- Old town Scottsdale, and then the opening of "LEGEND CITY" which didn't exactly help much in separating fact...from fiction,but to this former Valley boy it was a dream come true on the desert. As time went on I eventually became quite an expert on the "Real West",but it was places like "LEGEND CITY" that first sparked my childhood imaginations,& passions for all things Arizona....besides L.C. was just plain good healthy fun,like a certain kid show we all love! So as we walked up and down those streets of fantasy,eating our sticky cotton candy on a hot 60's July day...dashing from ride to ride (I especially was enthralled with the "RIVER OF LEGENDS"), we'd wait for LEGEND CITY's biggest attraction of them all to begin!!!! And according to the sign outside the "Lagoon Ampitheater" we still had time for one more ride,before the show started- with WALLACE,LADMO,GERALD,HUB KAPP & THE WHEELS,AUNT MAUD and more!!! So during JULY kick back with an ice cold drink in your "Blakely cactus glasses"....and post your fondest memories of being at LEGEND CITY with "the gang"! And next time your over by 5800 E.Washington say visiting Papago Park,Phx.Zoo...or especially there seeing the "WALLACE and LADMO" exhibit at the "Az.Historical Society", glance toward the PHX. Municipal Stadium and imagine an oasis of fun filled magical rides,and good clean family entertainment...surrounded by a near pristine desert, once had crystal clear vistas of the Superstition Mountains where the Dutchman roamed. Jason..our member (jbcynic) will be the host this month,... (both of our families have accused us of riding the L.C's "KRAZY KUPS" just one too many times!<lol>). Jason has put together a very fine collection of Legend City items on his website- *see below....... And has recently added some RARE photographic treasures,(*click on "what's new") courtesy of Carol Risch, and the "Keener family".Including L.C's VERY "beginnings"circa 1958- 59,& the "Golden Palace Saloon". Stay tuned for a "LEGEND CITY" contest..or two and some interesting "pop-up" trivia & facts, with the occassional dash of fiction! We need more places again like LEGEND CITY for our families, to have alittle escape from lifes sometimes harsh realities. Also I'm still waiting on that email from "Steven Spielberg"--(;} ) about making a modern version of "L.C.2"!<lol> I've often wondered if besides W&L being a big influence on "Spielberg", perhaps so did LEGEND CITY??? I mean check out ANY "Indiana Jones" flicks...esp. Temple of Doom.Well I started with some dreams as a child about things,and that's how I'll end this .Today LEGEND CITY has actually become just that...a real legend! > Montie Montana...I mean Jason Beaver has worked very hard at preserving and documenting L.C.'s past.If anyone has any Legend City material-photos/film,relics,articles and interesting info....please contact him(HERE) at his website. I'm hopeful that someday he'll make a display, perhaps at the historical society and possibly compile a Legend City book. Thanks! Desert Rat (aka.Rob Cook) 04 Oct 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:07:43
Comments: Does anyone have any memorabilia from Legend City they would like to sell? From stock certificate to old ride parts or signs from there? Please email me deniroofweather@yahoo.com Thanks, Bryan 03 Oct 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:06:46
Comments: Ahhhhhh so fun...so happy were the Summer days of being a young person at Legend City.Wallace and Ladmo doing the TV bits live on stage,...Hub Kapp & the Wheels filling in for the Beatles void. Dragging my hand through the dark murky water,of Cochises Stronghold...bursting through that solid mountain wall straight through the waterfall,only to find a hidden cavernous passageway of blacklight imagery....then finally emerging back into the bright Arizona sunlight.Only to decide....lets ride it again!!! The sounds of Honky-tonk saloons...wandering into a singing future Miss America talking to her side-kick dummy,skipping down to the "Dutchmans Shack" standing in the slanted world of make believe....fun...happiness...joy.Thanks Jason! Rob Cook(Wallace & Ladmo fan club)21 Sept 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:05:46
Comments: My goodness... One can almost hear the throaty murmur of the assembled crowd, the distant strains of Mike Condello's band tuning up on stage. The sound of steel wheels rolling on well-worn track... I can still smell the stale popcorn smell as it wafts over the sweet fragrance of the sticky sno-cone syrup that tugs gently at the soles of my tennis shoes. The funky odors of the carnie as he checks the seat restraint. The greasy food smell of the concessions... Is this but a mere website, or a real window into the bygone days of Phoenix? A virtual time-warp, transporting us all back to a simpler time when a few bucks bought us some respite from our dreary lives, devoid of video games and cable television. Thank you Jason. For but a brief moment I was there again, waiting in line for the Lost Dutchman's, or possibly hoping for my chance at a Ladmo bag. The story of Legend City must never die, and thanks to your fine efforts the Legend will indeed continue. Whatsupchuck 20 Sep 2002
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 11:04:59
Comments: I grew up in Phoenix in the '60s and visited Legend City every summer. What a treat to relive it on the web! Great site, great memories, thanks! Bermuda Schwartz The "Weird Al" Yankovic Band (19 Sep 2002)
Date: 13 Apr 2003   Time: 10:22:30
Comments: The face of Phoenix is changing so fast these days. It is good to know there are pockets of remembrance to remind us where we have been along the way. Many thanks for the grand memories.
Date: 12 Apr 2003   Time: 00:23:27
Comments: Very nice and informative site.

It makes me sad to know that this park came and went before my time, it was fun to look at all the attraction picture tho.
Date: 11 Apr 2003   Time: 22:48:11
Comments: Terrific site, thank you for the memories!

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