May. 13, 2008 at 5:43pm

Never Never Land Will Never be the Same

Fabled creepy spot Never Never Land in Point Defiance Park is going to get some TLC. The Old Woman in the Shoe's large boot will get fixed up while three other structures (Simple Simon's Pie House, the Gingerbread House, and the Hickory Dickory Dock clock) will get the boot. After shooting our recent film there it's no wonder these will be taken out for safety reasons (I believe Jake's foot went through the floor of the Hickory Dickory Dock house at one point) but, still, I'll miss these gems of mediocrity. Bid your fond farewells now 'cause it's coming down this Thursday. Maybe they'll be able to remove those Asarco-related warning signs too. What a downer! ;)

Pics from a Photo Gang Outing last June

Here's some background on this corner of the park itself:

Never Never Land was a private attraction owned and operated by Alfred Peterson of Victoria, B.C. from 1964 to 1985.  During its first year of operation more than 90,000 people visited the attraction, but its financial success was short lived. Falling attendance over the years, vandalism, and theft of the storybook figurines led to skyrocketing operating expenses that contributed to Peterson’s decision not to renew his lease when it expired in 1985.

In an effort to preserve attraction, Metro Parks Tacoma purchased the structures, figurines and molds and re-opened Never Never Land in the summer of 1986 as a park district facility. During that time, Metro Parks faced the same issues that had plagued Peterson’s operation.

In 2001, the District removed the fencing surrounding the property and opened the remaining storybook structures that were deemed safe and in good repair as part of a public picnic area.  The pathway figurines were placed in storage as a protection against theft and vandalism. The popular fiberglass Humpty Dumpty remained atop the entryway books until 2004 when he was removed to undergo repair.

The storybook characters and their molds will remain in storage as the District works with the public to determine future playground needs and interests for Point Defiance Park.