Kennywood Entertainment continues the Story Land legacy begun by the Morrell Family...The inspiration for Story Land came to Bob and Ruth Morrell of North Conway, NH, from a woman they met in Germany, while Bob was serving in the U.S. Army in the early 1950s.
Frau Von Arps had created a collection of small dolls based on characters from children's stories, and she suggested that the Morrells build a small village to house them when they returned home to the White Mountains. They took her suggestion much further, deciding instead to bring some of those characters and stories to life in a setting with green grass and flowers, where children are safe and busy at every turn.
We opened for business in 1954 with Humpty Dumpty, the Old Woman in the Shoe, the Three Little Pigs, Peter Rabbit, Heidi's Grandfather, the Red Schoolhouse, and a few other familiar characters taking the place of heavy equipment on 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 pleased when visiting parents told them how much they appreciated a clean place in a rural setting, staffed by courteous young people. Years later Bob once said, "We had no competition; but nobody expected that crazy idea to survive anyway." They put all their money back into the park each year, adding new features and improving the old ones. Everything had to be clean and orderly. They wanted parents to be able to record precious moments, and to have a place where imagination is real. They always stressed the need to listen - really listen - to what people say.
As Story Land grew through the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s, the families that visit 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, coming back every year to enjoy their old favorites and to see what's new.
Bob and Ruth's two children, Stoney and Nancy, both grew up at Story Land. Each honored the memories of their parents, who passed away in the 1990s, by continuing the traditions set down by the elder Morrells over the years. Stoney held the reins of the operation from the mid 1980s until his own passing in 2006, and his sister Nancy guided the park into a storybook marriage into the Kennywood Entertainment Company family of theme parks in 2007.
As Stoney once said, "Our role here is not to build buildings, but to paint a picture. Every view should be a great picture, and everyone in it should feel comfortable that they look good in that picture." The list of ideas to keep improving the picture for the future is as long and unique as Story Land's past. The creation of Story Land is similar to building a jigsaw puzzle, with the difference being we've never had the picture on the box to show us exactly what the finished product will look like.
In 2008 we're open for our 55th consecutive season, and our first under the direction of our new parent company, Kennywood. Kennywood is well aware of the role Story Land has played in the lives of thousands of New England families, and plans to continue the legacy created and nurtured by the Morrell family over five decades. As the pace of the world becomes faster and quality family time more scarce, the need for clean, relaxing, inspiring environments that renew our spirit becomes ever greater. We're providing 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 anybody's childhood. As Bob Morrell was fond of saying, "Just think of it!"
Thank you for making Story Land part of your family's time together. We welcome you to join us this summer, as we continue one of New England's most memorable and enjoyable family traditions.
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