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THE UNDERGROUND
WEB SITE OF P.O.P.
IMPORTANT: This is a 14 MB webpage so suggested equipment as INTEL CORE
2 DUO & HI-SPEED DSL
@ 3000-6000/512-768 Kbps is recomended.
System Upgrade Available @ 818-380-0030
PC Sales & Service, Sherman Oaks, California.
HOWEVER USING A MAC POWER BOOK G4 I WAS ABLE TO LOAD
THIS WEBPAGE IN JUST 30-35 SEC. THE SPEED ALONG WITH VIEWING THE ATTRACTIONS
THROUGH THE GLOSSY SCREEN WAS AN EXPERIENCE.
OK P.O.P. FREAKS & GEEKS
LETS HAVE SOME FUN !!!
PACIFIC OCEAN PARK "POP" 1958-1967 Santa Monica, CA.
28 ACRES OF FUN & MAGIC
ONE'S FIRST STOP ON THEIR WAY TO HEAVEN
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| (Parkinglot in Lower Right is still used today.) |
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| NEPTUNE'S COURTYARD & MUNI AUDITORIUM (Forground) |
| 2ND VIEW |
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| LOOKING WEST OUT AT POP |
WANTED
Any photos or films of these attractions;
NEPTUNE'S KINGDOM, USS NAUTILUS EXHIBIT, WESTINGHOUSE ENCHANTED FOREST
EXHIBIT,
and JACKS RESTRAUNT
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| AWAITING SHORT FILM |
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| WHICH SHALL BE SHOWN HERE |
THE BEGINING:
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| OCEAN PARK & LICK PIERS 1923 |
Pacific Ocean Park began as the Pickering/Lick Piers in 1919 to be destroyed by fire in 1924 and
rebuilt in 1926. The only structure that was not destroyed was the Ocean Park Municipal Auditorium built in 1923 which in
1958 was transformed into the USS Nautilus exhibit and
the Westinghouse Enchanted Forest.
In 1958 CBS & LA Terf Club (Santa Anita) purchased the Ocean Park Pier. After several yaers
of operatioon POP closed in 1967 due to costs of maintaining equipment along with insurance. POP sat vacant where
it was ravaged by several fires in the early 1970's and was demolished after a
major fire in 1974. It was finally demolished in early 1975.
As a small boy growing up in the Culver City/Mar Vista area of Los Angeles, California, I enjoyed
visiting POP. Having moved to the San Fernando Valley in August 1974 memories faded but I still remember going down under
water with my father in the Diving Bell along with walking under an archway near the Dome Theatre to the midway of the pier.
However most of my memories of POP were from the 1970's after the park had closed. YES! I did sneak in to look at what remained.
Also having memories of standing with my parants looking over what remained after the Aragon Ballroom
had burned. What most of my memories are is of the front
entrance and Neptune's Courtyard along with the international promenade. Family
members do have
memories of dancing at the Aragon to Welk's music.
The below link shows many views of POP that most faded memories reveal over time. Lots of hard work
went into the rest In Peace POP web site.
But Hey! the parkinglot is still there
which can handel plenty of todays vehicles such as SUV's.
After learning about what a wonderful place POP was, you will understand why they call it Pacific
Park up at the Santa Monica Pier. Hmmm?
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| OCEAN PARK PIER 1946 |
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| THE DIVINGBELLS THE ATTRACTION MY FATHER TOOK ME ON. |
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| THE FUN FOREST (Background) |
| View: WEST WALL OF BULIDING HOUSING (Neptune) |
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| THE FUN FOREST WALK THROUGH |
| View: Looking East |
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| THE FUN FOREST IN 1975 SHORTLY BEFORE IT WAS DEMOLISHED. |
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| NIGHT VIEW OF SPACE WHEEL |
AT THIS WEB SITE THERE ARE RELATED LINKS, YOU WILL SEE A SHORT FILM, AND RIDE A ROLLER
COASTER. SO CHECK IT OUT!
:)
CHECK THIS WEB SITE OUT TO SEE THE TRIBUTE TO LAST
DAYS OF POP (1975).
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| IN 1957 OCEAN PARK PIER IS TRANSFORMED INTO P.O.P. |
Such as the park's buildings an attractions, I have styled this web site in a
sea green white art modern look of the 1950s to provide the feel of the ocean it'self. You will see this style in photos
of such attractions as the Sea Tub Adventure along with Neptune's courtyard.
| View: Looking South |
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| PHOTO TAKEN IN 1964 SANTA MONICA PIER (Forground) PACIFIC OCEAN PARK (Background) |
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| THE OCEAN PARK DEVELOPEMENT PROJECT (Late 1960s) |
*****1924 FIRE*****
| 1924 FIRE DESTROYED THE OCEAN PARK PIER |
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| OCEAN PARK MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM (Bottom Left) |
| 1924 FIRE (View: Looking North) |
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| MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM & ROLLERCOASTER (At Top) |
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A friend has told of several stories that during prohibition that below the coastal
piers there were several liquor operations located in areas under the piers that kept a supply of spirits for those who
enjoyed themselves in gambling ships off
the california shore.
During prohibition Canadian liquor was smuggled into Venice by the mobster Tony Cornero.
Inmid to late 1930s those would take water-taxi from Ocean Park, Venice, and Santa Monica
piers to gambling ships such as the
SS Tango & SS Rex which were
anchored 3.1 miles of shore.
State Attorney General Earl Warren shut these coastal liquor and gambling operations
down in what became known as
The Battle For Santa Monica Bay.
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| LA MOBSTER TONY CONERO's GAMBLING SHIP SS REX (1939) |
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| TONY CONERO |
| FROM CARY GRANT MOVIE "GAMBLING SHIP" (1933) |
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| THE PALACE CASINO |
| NOT CONFIRMED |
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| SS TANGO (Cornero's other gambling ship.) |
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| RE BUILDING THE PIER 1924-25. (Muni. Aud. Foreground) |
VIEW A SHORT FILM ABOUT
(ENTER: PACIFIC OCEAN PARK)
Check out this web site from time-to-time because new photos and information
is added as it becomes available. Also any information or stories you may have, please submit them.
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| LOOKING SOUTH AT FRONT ENTRANCE |
NEW INFORMATION & PHOTOS ALWAYS WELCOME
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| NEPTUNE'S COURTYARD 1960 |
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| VIEW FROM INSIDE OF NEPTUNE'S COURTYARD 1960 |
Just as a special note: You will notice there are scenes from TV shows Twilight Zone,
Get Smart, and The Fugitive. There are images of late actors
David Janson and Don Adams who have become
part of P.O.P.'s history it is to them this
small dedication is noted.
| EVENING VIEW LOOKING NORTH |
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| NEPTUNE'S COURTYARD (Front Entrance) |
| NEPTUNE'S COURTYARD ENTRANCE |
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| AS REFERED TO BY SOME AT THE "VEGAS FRONT" |
| View: Looking South West |
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| VISITORS WALKING THROUGH NEPTUNE'S COURTYARD |
| Early to Mid 1970's |
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| (View: Looking South along the promenade.) |
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| Looking North from promenade. |
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| LOOKING SOUTH AT THE INTERNATIONAL PROMENADE. THE DOME THEATRE IS IN BACKGROUND. |
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| JACK'S CAFE ALONG BOARDWALK |
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| SMALL FOOD STANDS |
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| OCEAN PARK BOARDWALK & DOME THEATRE |
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| (No explination of what this is a photo of.) |
| THE FOX! DOME THEATRE |
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| View; INSIDE OF DOME THEATRE |
| DOME THEATRE ENTRANCE |
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| MABY 1960s-70s |
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| ROTTENBURG, GERMANY? OR OCEAN PARK, CALIFORNIA? |
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| (Looking East) PIER MIDWAY |
| FROM THE SAME SPOT AS ABOVE |
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| LOOKING WEST AT PIER MIDWAY |
| View: Looking South West along pier midway. |
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| THE JUNGLE RIDE |
| View: Looking East Pier Midway |
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| TV's "GET SMART" |
| 2ND VIEW |
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| TV's "GET SMART" |
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| LOOKING NORTH AT THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FROM NEPTUNE'S COURTYARD. |
| EVENING LIGHTS OF POP |
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| View: LOOKING NORTH AT SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS. |
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| LOOKING EAST: NOTE SANTA MONICA AIRPORT IN BACKGROUND. |
| THE CLOWN EMMITT KELLY |
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| YOUR HOST TO POP |
| THE OCEAN PARK MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM 1923. |
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| THE FRONT FACADE OF THIS BUILDING WAS TRANSFORMED INTO NEPTUNE'S COURTYARD (C-Below) |
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| WALKWAY THROUGH NEPTUNE'S COURTYARD. |
| View: Looking South |
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| NORTH WALL OF OCEAN PARK MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM |
| Rear View: OCEAN PARK MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM |
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| TV's "THE FUGITIVE" (West Wall OPM) SANTA MONICA MOUTAINS (Background) |
| SEA CIRCUS AT LEFT |
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| TV's "THE FUGITIVE" |
| COCA-COLA's NEPTUNE's KINDOM |
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| KING NEPTUNE. THIS ATTRACTION WAS SIMULAR TO THE ATLANTIS CASINO UNDER WATER EXHIBIT. |
| CONCEPT ONLY |
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| THE ENTRANCE TO THE UNDERWATER EXHIBIT OF NEPTUNE'S KINDOM |
One would enter the park through Coca-Cola's Neptune's Kingdom by first
taking an elevator to the underwater world. Water fill up through a glass pipe in the center of the elevator giving one the
illusion of being under water.
Exiting from the elevator visitors would sea the large sea tank which
had to parts giving the illusion that both sharks and other fish were swimming together.
After viewing the tank one would walk into the underwater world of King
Neptune along the bottom of the sea this was simular to the underwater room of the Small World ride at Disneyland such as
motorized sea creatures along with hanging seaweed.
Visitors would the see King Neptune upon his throne.
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| VIEW FROM NEPTUNES COURTYARD TO ENTRANCE OF WESTINGHOUSE EXHIBIT. |
| LOOKING WEST AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE |
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| WESTINGHOUSE ENCHANTED FOREST |
Built in the early 1920's the Ocean Park Municipal Auditorium became
part of P.O.P. which housed the Westinghouse Enchanted Forest & U.S.S. Nautilus exhibit featuring a 150ft model of
the atomic reactor section from the famous atomic submarine.
Westinghouse's Enchanted Forest featured a fully completed modular home
of the future along with a room full of modern day electronic appliances. The modular home was put together by
machines as part of
the exhibit.
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| LOOKIN EAST FROM WESTINGHOUSE ENCHANTED FOREST ENTRANCE. |
| DECKS & ATOMIC REACTOR WALK-THROUGH |
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| CONCEPT ONLY OF THE USS NAUTILUS EXHIBIT |
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| AWAITING PHOTO OF WESTINGHOUSE ENCHANTED FOREST EXHIBIT (MODULAR HOME OF 1958) |
| View: Looking East |
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| WEST WALL OF WESTINGHOUSE'S ENCHANTED FOREST EXHIBIT. |
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| POP'S PARKINGLOT (View Loooking South) |
As kids a friends husband stole money from his mother, went into the park with friends
even though his parants did not want him to go until they could be with them. This tells how much those loved P.O.P.
Boy did he get a spanking!
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| 2ND VIEW FROM PARKINGLOT (Entrance in Backgroun) |
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| 1925 VIEW WHEN IT WAS KNOWN AS LICK & OCEAN PARK PIERS. ARAGON BALLROOM IN BACKGROUND. |
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| LAWERENCE WELK PERFORMED AT THE ARAGON IN 1950's-60's |
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