Oakland's Fairyland Turns 75, But Remains Ageless
We talk about the history of Children's Fairyland and its future as the park celebrates its 75th birthday.
August 29, 2025
55 min
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2,975 of 3,393
August 29, 2025
Oakland's Fairyland Turns 75, But Remains Ageless
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Oakland's Fairyland Turns 75, But Remains Ageless
Summary
On September 1, 1950, Oakland’s Fairyland opened its gates to 15,000 visitors who paid between 9 and 14 cents to explore this storybook adventure land. The park, with its whimsical fairy tale set pieces and rides geared for young children, was a wild success inspiring copycats across the country. It even served as inspiration to Walt Disney himself. Today, Fairyland offers respite and entertainment for visitors of all ages– many of whom visited as a child and are now grandparents themselves. We’ll talk about the park’s history and its future, and we hear from you: What’s your favorite memory of Fairyland?
Guests:
Kymberly Miller, CEO, Children's Fairyland
Randal Metz, director, Storybook Puppet Theater at Children's Fairyland; author, "Creating A Fairyland"
Barbara Lee, mayor of Oakland; former U.S. representative from California's 13th district
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