OUR HISTORY

When the US Army sent Bob and Ruth Morrell to Germany in 1950, the North Conway, NH couple found something they hadn’t expected. Her name was Frau Von Arps and she created for them a marvelous collection of small, intricately designed dolls inspired by the children’s stories with which they grew up.

As their tour drew to a close, Frau Von Arps suggested that when the Morrells returned home, they might want to build a small village to house their prized collection. But the Morrells had a bigger idea—a vision of bringing the characters and their stories to life in a safe and natural setting where children and their imaginations could run free.
Punctuated by the kaleidoscope of flowers and emerald fields of New Hampshire’s beautiful White Mountains, Story Land was born. It was the summer of 1954 when Humpty Dumpty, the Old Woman in the Shoe, the Three Little Pigs, Peter Rabbit, and other iconic characters inhabited the site of an old saw mill. The only ride was Freddy the Fire Truck, a real fire engine that took guests on a path through the woods.

Bob and Ruth were gratified when visiting parents expressed their sincere appreciation for a clean venue in a rural setting, staffed by courteous young people, where families could create precious memories. Years later, Bob once said, "We had no competition; but nobody expected this crazy idea to survive anyway." Each year, they put all their money back into the park, adding new features and improving old ones.

As Story Land grew through the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s, the families that visited the park grew as well. Many of the parents and grandparents who visit today first came to Story Land as children themselves, and they love to share the joy of Story Land with their children and grandchildren, returning year after year to enjoy their old favorites and to see what's new.

Bob and Ruth's two children, Stoney and Nancy, had come to love and appreciate the park in which they grew up. It seemed only natural that with the passing of their parents in the 1990s, they would honor their memory and don the mantel of operations. Stoney held the reins from the mid 1980s until his own passing in 2006, when sister Nancy guided the park into a storybook marriage with the Kennywood Entertainment Company family of theme parks in 2007.

As the pace of the world becomes ever more frenetic and quality family time a scarcity, the need for imaginative and stimulating environments that renew our spirit becomes ever greater. Story Land provides a product that people take home not in their pockets but in their hearts. A day at Story Land is likely to be one of the most memorable of the 4,800 days of childhood. As Bob Morrell was fond of saying, "Just think of it!"

This year, we’re launching our 56th consecutive season, and our first under the direction of new parent company, Palace Entertainment, who recently acquired the Kennywood Entertainment Company. Palace Entertainment hosts over 14 million visitors annually at 38 locations with seven theme parks, ten waterparks and 21 family entertainment centers, and is the largest operator of waterparks and family entertainment centers in the nation. For more information, visit www.palaceentertainment.com. Palace Entertainment is part of the Parques Reunidos family of parks.