Across Indiana
Holiday World
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Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana was America’s first theme park.
Did you know Indiana is home to America’s first theme park? Holiday World, then known as “Santa Claus Land,” opened in 1946...9 years before Disney! Join Across Indiana producer J. Robert Cook on his journey to the park in 1995.
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Across Indiana is a local public television program presented by WFYI
Across Indiana
Holiday World
Clip | 4m 59sVideo has Closed Captions
Did you know Indiana is home to America’s first theme park? Holiday World, then known as “Santa Claus Land,” opened in 1946...9 years before Disney! Join Across Indiana producer J. Robert Cook on his journey to the park in 1995.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(gentle music) ♪ Toyland ♪ ♪ Toyland ♪ ♪ Little girl and boy land ♪ ♪ While you dwell within it ♪ ♪ You are ever happy there ♪ - [Narrator] While the Toyland celebrated in song isn't real, a close facsimile does exist down among the hills of southern Indiana, appropriately near the town of Santa Claus.
More than three generations of Hoosiers have come here and found joy and happiness in America's first theme park, Santa Claus Land.
- When we opened in 1946, we were Santa Claus Land.
It was an idea that was created by my grandfather, Louis J. Koch, and he had planned this and planned to open the park during World War II.
And immediately after World War II, started construction and opened Santa Claus Land.
And we were, in fact, the first theme park in the country.
We preceded the Disney park by nine years.
Santa Claus Land became Holiday World in 1984, and that was the year that we added the entire Halloween section of the park, and we converted part of the existing park to the 4th of July section, and of course then we continued the Christmas section.
We still have the Freedom Train, which was the original ride that was here in 1946 when we opened.
It was called the Mother Goose Train for most of its history.
And we rebuilt that, refurbished it for this year, and it looks real sharp and it's in great shape, and it's ready to go the next 50 years.
We also have the original building, and that was built and opened in 1946.
And again, that's where some of the shops were and things.
It still houses our toy museum and our toy shop.
It's still a very different environment here at Holiday World, compared to, say, the big regional theme parks that we have in the metropolitan areas around here.
Families can feel safe and relaxed, and it's a whole different feel.
- [Narrator] Holiday World is very much a family business.
Will Koch, the grandson of Louis Koch, Santa Claus Land's founder, was once a buddy magician performing in the theater, and is now president of the company.
Even Will's mother Pat has a special connection with the park.
- My father was Jim Yellig, and if anybody has ever been to Santa Claus Land in the past, they would know that they sat on his lap and that he spoke to them and that he believed, in the person, that he was Santa Claus, and that he never once did anything to mar that image for the children, and he brought so much joy and happiness to so many people, and he truly believed that's who he was until the very end of his life.
And he did that until just a few months before his death at the age of 90.
So it was really his life and his love and his passion, and he brought so much joy to so many people.
There was a man who came back one time to tell me that he had brought some German children here, and he had them in line to talk to Santa Claus.
And as they walked up, Santa Claus greeted them in German, which Santa Claus could do.
And he was always so wonderful to listen as people were in line and hear names and pick up things like that.
And he said, "That day, you made some German children so very happy."
So that story has been related several times.
And the people who come here talk about having been here, they have pictures of themselves with Santa Claus.
They speak about the fact they wanted to bring their child back and ride the Freedom Train because they did it.
And that happens really often.
Sometimes they bring pictures back to show us, even.
It's not just a park, it's really a family tradition.
And for us, it's not just a job, it's really a life and a love for all of us.
- [Narrator] Gone today are many of the quaint rides of Santa Claus Land, replaced by larger, more sophisticated amusements.
Today there's a water park, log ride, and a world-class wooden rollercoaster that draws in families from across the Midwest.
But some things remain the same.
Santa still greets young people as he strolls the grounds, and the original figures from Mother Goose still bring smiles to all visitors.
And people still pose by the figure of Santa near the main gate.
But what also remains is the feeling that these people care about their visitors and their families and the time they'll spend here.
After all, Santa wouldn't have it any other way.
- There we go.
Come here.
- [Announcer] For more "Across Indiana" stories, go to WFYI.ORG/ACROSSINDIANA.
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