Storybook Gardens

The Wisconsin Dells bills itself as the "Waterpark Capital of the World."

I believe it. It has become one giant waterpark.

The quaint little attractions have been swallowed up.

Storybook Gardens is history.

It's sad.

"Truly the Land of Allurement - the Land Where Years Don't Count. Whether you're years number two or ninety-two, you will never forget the magical charm of this place of beauty, fantasy, and peaceful charm." - From a 1960s-era postcard for Storybook Gardens

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Apparently there's no storybook ending for Storybook Gardens.

The Wisconsin Dells attraction that's featured in countless family photo albums has called it quits.

For carloads of families arriving this weekend as the summer tourist season kicks off over the Memorial Day holiday, there are still plenty of things to do in the Dells: boat rides, roller coasters, miniature golf, go-carts, water parks, bungee jumping and other thrills.

One of the original tourist attractions in the Dells, Storybook Gardens had become dated and old-fashioned - a dinosaur park in a 24/7, instant-gratification, ever-changing world that embraces speed and adventure, not a bucolic retreat with fairy tale characters.

That means no more Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Humpty Dumpty or Cinderella for tiny Dells visitors who nowadays, if truth be told, probably never heard of nursery rhymes.

Jason Field, whose grandparents opened Storybook Gardens in 1956, admits it had become passé.

"Storybook Gardens didn't keep up with the times," said Field, who manages the property and also owns Army Ducks, Wild Thing Jet Boats and Bigfoot Zipline Tours. "It had a pretty good run there. But if you don't keep reinventing yourself, you're going to fall by the wayside."

Here's more, from the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau:

Maybe Jack Be Nimble, a Baby in the Tree Top and Simple Simon could have stuck it out a few more years.

But when the Wisconsin Dells fully opens later this week for the summer season, one of the most well-known and longest-running tourist attractions in the state will be off limits.

Storybook Gardens, a staple in this community of fun since 1956, will not reopen this season. The 10-acre park, created by Melvin Flath and known for its fairy-tale scenes, ponds and the Goodship Lolli Pop, has succumbed to the wear and tear of the elements and time.

The park, located between Dells Army Ducks and Noah's Ark, served as an oasis of calm as Wisconsin Dells Parkway exploded with development over the decades. It was also void of video screens, loud music, images of Harry Potter and vampires with GQ looks.

At Storybook Gardens, it was all about bringing old school tales like the Three Bears, the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe and Sing a Song of Sixpence closer to reality.

"Storybook Gardens has run its course," said Flath's grandson, Jason Field, who manages the property. "What kids know about these characters? Jack and the Bean Stalk, maybe, or Humpty Dumpty. We're at a new generation now."

...But the memories of Storybook Gardens run deep and its closing will be a downer for some who arrive this summer only to learn Humpty Dumpty and his wall are gone and the Three Bears were sold to the highest bidder.

The Wisconsin Dells is now the chlorine capital of the world.

It smells of chlorine and sunscreen and dirty, wet towels - not exactly a magical "place of beauty, fantasy, and peaceful charm."

Innocence and imagination, fairy tales coming to life, have been replaced with waterslides and wave pools.

Childhood moves at a different pace now.

Families don't spend their vacation time together strolling through a quiet oasis of storybook scenes and nursery rhymes. That's a bygone era.

Nothing lasts.

Things change.

I have such sweet memories of Storybook Gardens.

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep,
And can't tell where to find them;
Leave them alone, And they'll come home,
Wagging their tails behind them.