Frontier Village Collection
Owning Institution: San José Public Library, California Room
About this Collection
Frontier Village was a western-themed amusement park which opened in 1961 and closed in 1980. It was located on approximately 30 acres of what had previously been part of the Hayes' estate on Monterey Highway in San Jose. After the park's closure, part of the land it occupied was eventually made into a city park called Edenvale Garden ParkFrontier Village was started by Joseph Zukin Jr., a Palo Alto entrepreneur and small businessman, after he and his family visited Disneyland in 1959. The look and design of Frontier Village is owed to Laurie (Laurence) Hollings, an experienced Hollywood set designer and amusement ride designer. The park was a "sort of tongue-in-cheek approach to the Wild West."
The Frontier Village Collection is comprised of administrative records, employee manuals, photographs, clippings, various printed matter, plans and drawings, and scrapbooks of Frontier Village amusement park. The majority of the photographic images consist of Frontier Village's costumed characters, amusement rides, staged stunt shows, mock gunfights, and promotional activities.
For more information about the scope of the physical collection, see the online Guide to the Frontier Village collection. View this collection on the contributor's website.
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