Frontier Village

Frontier Village was a 39-acre (16 ha) amusement park in San Jose, California, that operated from 1961 to September 1980. It was located at 4885 Monterey Road and Branham Lane. The park was located on what is now Edenvale Garden Park, next to the Hayes Mansion, and was once part of the sprawling Hayes Family Estate. The park was built by Joseph Zukin, Jr. of Palo Alto, California, and largely designed by movie set designer Laurence Hollings.
In 1973, the part owner and co-creator of Frontier Village wanted to expand the park. Without the necessary funds to expand, he sold Frontier Village to Rio Grande Industries for US$1.7 million. The new owners were ready to start expansion but encountered objections from the surrounding residential neighborhood.
When the park opened in 1961, it was surrounded by undeveloped land, but by 1973, the park was surrounded by urban sprawl. The new neighbors of Frontier Village didn't want any expansion and fought the park development plans. Lawsuits from nearby homeowners coupled with lower-than-expected park revenues, skyrocketing San Jose land values, and competition from nearby Marriott's Great America signaled the end for the little park. With the high property values, Rio Grande could make more money selling the land to developers than it could by running the park.
In 1980, the undeveloped land and Frontier Village were sold to a land developer, the Bren Company. They, in turn, held a public auction for all rides, buildings, and lumber that made up Frontier Village. On its final days, it held a special event titled "The Last Roundup". The park closed its gates for the last time 28 September 1980.
== Hanna-Barbera Relation ==
In 1977, the main Frontier Village characters were replaced with Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo, Quick Draw McGraw, Huckleberry Hound, and Jabberjaw. They were the permanent cast members until the park's closing in 1980. Their debuts were promoted with an event swarming in the six Hanna-Barbera superstars. Other Hanna-Barbera–themed special events included:
* Fabulous Flintstones event (as homage to the Flintstones, 1977)
* The Scooby-Doo Mystery (a mystery-like celebration of Scooby-Doo, 1979)
* Quick Draw's Hoedown (used for Quick Draw McGraw's birthday, 1979)
* Huckleberry Hound's Birthday Party (to honor Huckleberry Hound's 20th birthday/anniversary, 1978)
* Yogi Bear and the Missing Picnic Basket (a mystery event centering on Yogi Bear, 1978)
* Happy Birthday, Yogi! (a birthday celebration for Yogi Bear, 1979)
* Haunted Halloween (a Halloween event, 1977)
 
Category:Attractions
Category:The Funtastic Index