This vintage postcard shows what the Pixie Pantry looked like once upon a time.
And that small structure in the foreground was the Enchanted Castle, which sat in the middle of Silver Slipper Lake.
Well kids, Silver Slipper Lake still exists, but it looks pretty stagnant today! There's the Doll House again on the left. Off in the distance is the Chapel and on the right is the old Wheel Mill House.
Here's the map and an aerial photo showing us where we are in the park.
Let's take a look at the Wheel Mill House first. See that pink bridge in the vintage pic.....it's still standing! How is it that termites have not devoured something like this over the years.....not to mention the natural elements. It does snow there, after all.
This is the Doll House. Hey, how great would it be if these buildings were turned into cabins and guests were allowed to stay on the property in a former Santa's Village shop? Of course, I would rather see the entire property restored to it's former glory so I could make up for the fact that I never got to visit Santa's Village!
Here's a closer look at the Chapel building today.
And the vintage image.....
This postcard shows the Doll House in the background and another wooden bridge in the foreground. This second bridge is also still standing and is visible in the two previous panorama shots as well as the aerial view. Oh, and here we have yet another seasonal character (Mr. Pumpkin-Head Guy?) that apparently hung out at Santa's Village along with the Easter Bunny, who we saw in Part 1 of this series.
I like ending these posts with pleasant images, so here's an interior shot of the Doll House......
.....and an interior shot of the Mill Wheel Toy Shop. (The map shows it listed as the "Mill Wheel House" and shows another structure listed as "Toy Shop", but older postcards including this one call it the Mill Wheel Toy Shop.)
I want that robot!
It looks like Santa's Helpers have their hands full with reindeer, donkeys and goats all over the place.
ReplyDeleteIt's kinda amazing that the buildings look in as good a shape as they do after all these years. Them were the days when Santa built things to last.
I am still very curious about how these pictures were taken! Did the photographer sneak in on a Sunday when nobody would be around? It would be an eerie experience to explore an abandoned park like this; especially at night!
ReplyDeleteSWS, I forgot to mention that these buildings were made from the logs that were cut down to clear the space to build Santa's Village. I still wonder about the termite situation.
ReplyDeleteMajor, just say the word and I'll join you on that two hour drive up there. I'll even bring the flashlights! Come to think of it.....I have spiders in my yard that come out at night and spin huge webs....and I live in the city! Imagine what goes on up there in the woods!