Teacup Ride

Yahoo! More pix! I am excited! :-)

YA I KNOW THERE NEW! WEEE!

I am thrilled... new pics!!!!!!!!
This picture reminds me of Alice In Wonderland!

I'm a Maryland native, and I always remember seeing signs for this place when my family was going somewhere... We never went, as it was always considered to be for very young kids. THanks for the pictures!

Motts, this is SUCH a surreal shot! awesome, awesome, awesome....

I used to go in the early 80's. I think I peed in one of the castles. lol. I remember being scared of the water ride. the water was so scary at the age of 5. I remember so much. If you need info. Julie980@aol.com.....e-mail..

The Tea Kettle is in this shot...the rusted piece that is just beyond the two Tea Cups! (it is sitting straight up and down ..the spout it face down in the ground in this shot) If you are interested in helping to save the peices, and finding out more, check out "The Enchanted Forest Preservation Society"'s site just put their name in your search window.
P.S. - The Enchanted Forest is 50 years old this August 15th, 2005, and The Clark's Elioak Farm, who is rescuing the pieces, is haveing a Celebration ...even the Governor of MD is coming!
www.clarklandfarm.com

Oh wait..The Tea Kettle IS right way up...you are seeing the back of it, where the handle is and the side of it...again, it is the taller standing piece just beyond the two Tea Cups.

"Time for a spot of tea....will you be having one lump or two?" : )

feels like im there...lost & alone.

This is really sad

wow, I remember going there once when I was a kid in the mid 80's. Very eerie seeing it as it looks today.

I LOVED the Enchanted Forest! My mom and grandmother would take my sister and I all the time as kids. I really hope it reopens. I would love to one day take my children there. Thanks for the pictures. I'm very sad that it is so run down- but amazed at the same time that the things still exist.

Mott, very cool stuff, your pics are eerie and artistic - just like ruins should be. FYI, not to nit pick but on the opening page, its inccorectly states that this park opened a few months before Disney World Florida, I think you mean Disney Land California.

Keep up the good work.

These items have been saved and are now at Clark's Elioak Farm.
Only time will tell what can be done to try to bring them back to life again...but I am thankful that they are in caring hands.

Being the artist that I am with such a vivid imagination and never having been there,I can look at this picture,knowing ahead of time where the Teacup was headed,I can imagine sitting in one of those Teacups feeling like I was actually in a real life story on my way to join in a fantastical
adventure with Alice and the gang already partying it up,with all of them expecting my arrival at any moment and ready to take it to a whole new level!

I am VERY interested in purchasing and restoring the teacups and possibly the teapot. I've searched the net over to find out more info on who I should contact to no avail. Can anyone help me in my quest? Please email me at nospam_chrome98@yahoo.com (take off the "nospam_"). Thanks VERY much.

Sorry, but they are not for sale.
They have been brought to the farm,so that they may be saved and restored. The farm is trying to get anything that came from the original Enchanted Forest to save and restore so that future generations of people can enjoy the creativity of this nursery rhyme and fairy tale park.

Any item in the EF at this time has been claimed by Clark's Elioak Farm,and are being moved by the Farm.Many of the items at the Farm such as the Teacups are being restored to their original form by not only myself but a handful of others who are experts and professionals in this particular field!

Motts, I love the Photos oh Abandoned Amusement Parks do yuo know of any more that you will be going to explore because I love them. I also like the Abandoned Schools and Hotels. I not in to the Hospitals as much.

do You* know, I'm* not in to

OMG, I LOVE ALICE IN WONDERLAND!!! litterally, im obsessed with it, im actually wearing a sweatshirt with alice on it. That is so pretty (the picture)

i'm also obsessed with alice in wonderland... obviously.. does anyone know if they restored the whole thing yet or can you go there and stuff still?

The original EF will never be opened again, that is why Kimco has given Clark's farm to take whatever is left.
As in structures. The figures to all the exibits were either sold, given, or stolen years ago.
This is property that is posted with a no trespassing sign, you do risk getting arrested if caught.
The Alice in Wonderland tunnel caved in and was destroyed when the mall strip was first built years ago.
The rumor is Jilly's restaurant is pretty much over the tunnel site.
Figures and such were removed from the EF when it closed. Figures were removed from Alice before the cave in. These EF figures have been seen in antique stores, ebay, lawn sales,etc since it closed.
Some figures have been returned and been broight to the farm, by people who obtained them for whatever reason.
The farm hopes to be able to honor these original figures and give them a new home, but this all takes time and money.
An Alice exhibit may eventually be created, but that would not be for some time to come.

that's so sad. i wish people would just leave things the way they are. who needs a strip mall.

alison wonderland, I totally understand what you mean, and believe me we aren't the only ones for feeling this way!

I am 55 and went to this park as a 12 year old with my 10 year old cousin (I think these dates are close). I was shocked when I saw it for the first time after so many years in 1997, with the sign still up and the strip mall next to it. I remember the parking lot in front of the sign being all dirt and very large. I thought of it as a place for younger children and yet still enjoyed myself. I am thankful to the owners of Clark Farm for any restoration they are able to do which will save a piece of my late childhood.

I went to EF for my 6th Birthday. back in July 1968. I remember it like it was ......well... okay not like yesterday but I do have wonderful memories. I was blindfolded as a surprise when taken there and never really past that way again because we moved from Maryland a few years later to Virginia. I happened past there one day when I was driving somewhere and saw the sign but was on duty and could not stop. Wish I had stopped. I am glad someone is restoring it. I didn't know it was closed. Which might be why when my son was six and wanted to take him there I couldn't get a number for it because it was closed in the 90's. I have 8mm movies from my birthday party at.... I can't remember where they did it but will now have to get that movie out to look.

Thank you Clark Farm. I know I will visit in the future. I want you to know that this patron appreciates your efforts.

Looking these with music by Morrissey makes them both feeling to connented together...not any sense but ..LOL

Wow...this one starts a trip down a memory lane that isn't all that happy

Another cup has just been returned to Clark's Elioak farm!
"The Hartman Family who own The Salty Dog Crab House in Dundalk, has kindly donated Little Toot, Papa Bear, the Piggy from the top of the Brick House, the Teddy Bear Turnpike sign & a Red Tea Cup to Clark's Elioak Farm."
It will take time for repairs and repainting them, but because people are donating to the farm their enchanted treasures, that they aquired over the years, a little bit more of the original EF will now be at the farm for some of us to remember when and for some to see for the very first time! : )

beauiful, just beautiful

Oh man, I used to hate this ride! I used to get so dizzy. If I remember correctly, these were painted pink (I could be wrong...haven't been to E.F. since 1986, right before it closed!). My favorite ride here was the boat ride, and the Snow White boat ride. You'd go into a tunnel on a log boat and see the dwarves working in their mine. It was really cool when you're 5 years old! I'd go on it 2 or 3 times in a row and once before we left the park. I hope they restore it eventually, I'd love to go back.

Hi Sara B.
Unfortunatley there are not any plans of ever reopening the original Enchanted Forest. That is why they are relocating anything that is salvageable and bringing it to a petting farm near by, so they can be enjoyed again. These cups were from the teacup ride that brought you underground into Alice in Wonderland's tunnel.
I don't think the cups turned though, unless that changed after 1967, and they were also all painted different colors. A tea kettle pulled the cups along on a track.
These two cups, along with another one that has been recently donated to the farm, are being fixed so people can sit in them for photo ops.
In the EF there was a Snow White cottage which you entered. A figure of Snow White stood near a fireplace and behind her were the 7 dwarves beds. Some were bunk beds. A figure of Sleepy was still in his bed snoring.
Snow White, the bunk beds, and Sleepy are now at the farm, after someone located where they were.
In the cottage there was an entrance that led you down into the dwarves mine. No boat ride though, you walked down into it.
There were figures of the remaining dwarves and the gems they mined were lit up on the walls near them.
The only boat rides that the EF had that I know of was the Little Toot ride , ( Little Toot was also just donated to the farm recently along with the teacup and some other items), that rode around the lake near the mountain.
The other boat ride was the Ali Baba boat ride.
I think the little boats you got in looked like treasure chests.
The Ali Baba ride and Alice in Wonderland's tunnel were destroyed when they put the mall strip and Jilly's restaurant up. : (

Fantastic photo!!!!! Carsonia Park, where I used to live. closed and now the whole area are houses; except for the original lake. Dreamland Park also closed in the late 60's and a murder happened there in 1969. Went there in the early 90's and took alot of photos and so glad I did because today hardly anything is standing anymore. At least, from what I understand, they're trying to do something about this place to save the rides or whatever. That's good news. Keep up the good work, Motts. If anyone wants to find out anything more about Dreamland Park, there's a web site called: darkinthepark.com. There's also other areas listed on there, too.

Thanks Ladyhawke! I must be getting confused with another park then. I know we used to go to Bethany Beach each summer when I was really little, so I'm probably getting those rides confused with these. I must be getting the Dwarves' Mine ride confused with the Ali Baba boat ride then! I do remember that mine. Didn't they sing too? And wasn't there some sort of carriage ride as well...or is my memory playing tricks on me?

Hi Sara B. : )
Motts is kind enough to have two links about the EF at the beginning of his Enchanted Forest gallery.
I was one of those EFPS members that had really wanted to see it reopen on its original historic soil, but that was not meant to be.
So, whatever remaining structures are left, have either already been relocated over to Clark's Elioak Farm, or will be when or if money allows. People are even giving the farm EF figures that they had obtained over the years, so that they can be enjoyed by everyone.
Unfortunately, Willie the Whale fell all apart while moving him, his frame remains and the farm does plan on recreating him.
Click on this link and then click on EF Attraction Museum. It gives details and pictures of all the EF rides and structures.
Sara, you can see some of the scenes to Ali Baba on this site, along with Cinderella's castle and the white mice that pulled Cinderella's pumpkin coach.
http://www.websitesame.../Nostalgia/index.htm
A d.v.d at the farm shows Snow White and the 7 dwarves and it does have music playing in the background.

This newer site has an AMAZING gallery of pictures of the original Enchanted Forest when it was open. Some pictures are very old.
There are even quite a few of the scenes inside the Alice in Wonderland Tunnel, which was destroyed when the 2nd owners built the mall.
If you ever went to the EF be ready for a flood of memories to come while looking at these.
There are also very old newspaper articles on here.
http://www.ellicottcit...he_enchanted_forest/
Once again, a very big thank you to Motts for taking such beautiful pictures of this Enchanted Forest.
Hopefully, it may even encourage people to return to the farm more original EF figures that they have had in private collections, or at least give pictures of them so that they can be recreated over time.
Old photographs are playing a HUGE role in repainting and/or recreating alot of these EF treasures!

i can just imagine a little Lolita girl sitting in one of those cups!! In case no one knows what lolita is its a japanese thing

Actually a Lolita is a kind of slang term for a young, nubile girl taken from the book by Nabokov, about a pedophile who lusts after a young girl.

Thank you, Van Gogo~
You and I have the same understanding for that name, and I personally, couldn't for the life of me, understand why someone would want to put that kind of image into such a wonderful nursery rhyme and fairytale theme park that was created specifically for children and all kids at heart. : )

UPDATE~These two tea cups have been restored. The other that had been donated from a private collection has just been repaired. There are now 3 of the original teacups from the Alice in Wonderland ride from the Enchanted Forest at Clark's Farm.
Painted Red, yellow, and blue, they can be seen at different locations there. They may be used to sit in and are great for photos!

Cup of Tea any one?

Thanks for the memories. I grew up in south Baltimore. We were poor, but could at least afford the 50 cent admission and gas to "The Enchanted Forest." At 47 I'm getting my boyfriend to bring me to Clarks farm asap. PS Little Toot and the Tea Cup Ride were my favorites. Thanks again.

Donna~ I know what you mean!
The Enchanted Forest, when it was opened, was the first and for some the ONLY thing they'd ever get to see that was like Disneyland.
Hope you get the farm and see it soon!

If you have memories of this place, it is hard for alot of people to see the EF favorites displayed in ways that are new to us, and now, in a totally different location.
But, it is wonderful to see them again, then to see it's love for creativity all decay behind a locked gate.
A BIG thank you to Kimco, for allowing these treasures to be removed off their property. Being the third owners, they weren't the ones who brought the EF to this fate.
They've given permission to the farm to allow things to be removed, at the farm's expense.
So now a new storyteller, has picked up and re-opened a wonderful old book that many thought had been closed forever, locked up, put away, never to be seen or heard from again.
That book has been dusted off, opened again, and now new chapters are being told.
This is the kind of thing that jump starts a child's imagination, and makes them want to learn how to read or read even more. It did that for me, in 1967.
It also inspires those who see it.
To maybe try drawing, painting, make up stories of their very own, or try using a camera to show others how they view the world through their eyes.
It's not just for kids to enjoy, many adults enjoyed the Enchanted Forest's creativity too!
This new scenery, and it's original figures and houses may look alittle different from the classic book of stories told from the original Enchanted Forest, but these are stories and rhymes that should have never ended.
These are stories and rhymes that were and ARE meant to live on, and now they do, at Clark's Farm. : )

Anyone interested in The Enchanted Forest...
There is going to be a spot done on Maryland Public Television, (MPT), on their show, "Art Works This Week". It will air, this Wed., Sept. 20th, 2006, @ 7:30pm.
It is a short segment about The E. F. and the pieces that have been moved over to Clark's Elioak Farm and restored.

The Tea Cups and Tea Pot (seen in the distance) have now been totally restored and are now at their new home at Clark's Elioak Farm.

Another good website: www.amusementparksnostalgia.com. Shows lots of pictures of abandoned parks with coasters and everything just sitting there rusting or rotting away. Just don't understand that.

it's good to know that they're restoring the stuff from this place. if only other relics from other places could have had the same fate...

Hi J.R. It's happened because people cared and got involved in saving what remained.
I believe that Kimco, who is the 3rd owner of this property now, had pretty much bought it for the mall strip and other stores that developed over the years after it was sold the first time.
They weren't into amusement parks. (I'm sure especially one that had been uncared for for years.)
And I give Kimco ALOT of credit to letting what remains be saved.
They didn't have to.
They could have just let it rot, since it wasn't anything that they were ever going to use.
But, they understood there was emotional and historic attachment to it, and gave Clark's Elioak Farm permission to take what they could at the farm's cost.
Had they not allowed THAT to happen, nothing from this creative children's nursery rhyme and fairytale park would have ever been saved. : )

that is true...

but anyway, where is this Clark's Elioak Farm? does it have the teacups and other things they preserved from here on public display? (sorry if I broke the rules there, I don't know if that farm is private or whatever ><)

Hi J.R.
The original Enchanted Forest has been closed for quite a few years now.
Over the last two years, relocation efforts have gone on to try to save the remaining structures.
These two teacups and the kettle have been saved. Teacups restored AND someone who had another teacup that they obtained some time ago, gave that and other fairytale figures that they had to Clark's Elioak Farm.
Just google the name of this farm and you should find it easy! : )
This is the place where ANYTHING that can be saved and relocated are being placed so that future generations can see what was so enchanting about this forest...once upon a time.
This farm is only about 4 miles from the original Enchanted Forest.
Check out the link for directions and times open.
it is a seasonal place and closes before winter hits!

OMG when I came across this link I could not believe it, how sad is this! this park was a big part of my childhood we went there alot during the summers off as kids for picnics and birthdays to see these pictures is so sad that a place like this is just forgotten about, its a shame it cant be restored in the place its at I sent this site to all of my sisters I am sitting here looking at a picture of My mom and I sitting in that blue whales mouth near the lake god you talk about bringing back Memories

Thanks so much to Ladyhawke for keeping up with this thread! If anybody is interested in a discussion board about the Enchanted Forest, you can find one here:
http://www.enchantedforestmd.org/

The B&Ws through the fog really give a sense of what has become of the original park. It breaks my heart to know I can't take my own children there. We would go at least once a year. Enchanted Forest was the most amazing, magical place for us. I loved the Ali Baba ride, Sleeping Beauty's castle, the Alice in Wonderland ride/attraction, the safari ride...I loved everything about the place!

I'm so glad to see the farm is restoring everything it can, but I still wish I could take my own kids.

Is it possible for anyone to walk around the old place, or is that a problem? We have family in Northern Virginia, and I think a day trip to the farm is reasonable, but I was wondering if we could see the old park as well.

Thank you so much for the beautiful, eerie pictures that remind me of another time in my life. I am sharing this link!

Hi Jenn,
It's ok to look through the fence, but Mott's is right, it is illegal to enter the property - and no one wants to ruin it for Clark's Farm. - They are still working on saving what ever they can.
you can vivit the site that Motts posted here too - it has lots of current info. ( thanks Motts!)

The farm always has an E. F. celebration twice each year. One in the Spring, and one in August, near the actual anniversary/Birthday date of the original E. F.'s opening day. This year it's on August 11-12, 2007. They are encouraging folks to bring their old pics from visiting at The E. F. - Once Upon A Time.
Hope you can make it to the celebration!

OMG that's freaky weird. :/ I've never been there but I am interested in stuff like that. I've seen a run -down school. I have no idea why it is closed. The swings and stuff are rusty and falling apart. It's sad.

This photo looks like something out of a Stephen King novel. Creepy!

Thanks for the pics - pity about the downfall of this place. I remember it as the only theme park my family could afford when I was eight. I didn't even get to WDW until I was almost 30, and I still have fond memories of looking through the "tree" at Alice hanging in mid-fall... and I couldn't wait to get into a teacup and ride into the tunnel so I could look up and see Alice above me. Makes me think that's where my interest in caving began... Thanks!

MAN I SURE WOULD LOVE TO PLAY PAINTBALL THERE. THIS IS PEEERRRFFFFEEEEECCCCCTTTTTTT........

DOES THIS PKLACE STILL STAND ? I AM FROM BALTO. AND WOULD LOVE TO VISIT.PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

there is an abandoned amusement park in fitchburg Mass. Its called Whalom Park.The fate of it is still in the air .check it out.http://www.whalompark.com/

That's insane! Love it.

im 52 my parents took me there the swiging bridge scareded me the worst if i remember the bridge was right after the tee pot ride mom still has pictures thanks for the memorys TG

I wanna ride!

i live about 10 minutes from the enchanted forest, i have a bunch of pictures of myself as a child taken there. motts - have you ever visited "hell house", the "heart-break bridge" or the old girls school also in ellicott city? if not i have a ton of pictures of both if you're interested.

Wtf sados

I always found it ironic that Alice in Wonderland was used so much for children. Especially seeing how Lewis Carroll was rumored to have had a "strange" relationship with the young girl he wrote the story for as well as other children. The story and it's author definitely has a darker side.

such a fantastic shot, i know you said the fog made things difficult but i think it added alot to this shot.
im from maryland, so i've heard alot about this place from many different people. really wish it was still open, i would have loved to visit it. would've loved to document the ruins too, but i've heard it isn't worth the trip anymore.

just came across your site yesterday, and im pretty much in love. thats all.

Theres something so enchanting about this...

I am on this site looking at your photos almost every night - your work is outstanding :)

i have some photos here if anyones interested

I've been doing a ton of research, just to see what its like. Thanks for taking pictures now, so we can all see what it was like!

Sadly, I never got to go.

This reminds me of the Mad Tea Party ride that is currently operating at Disneyland CA.

I looked at this gallery a LOOONG time ago, and then forgot about it. I recently moved very close to The Enchanted Forest --- I walk by it a few times a week --- and have always wondered what it would be like to go down there. There's really nothing physically stopping me --- nor others --- from entering; just two chain-link fences that could easily be jumped. However, now I won't get arrested for illegal trespassing.

Of all the abandoned structures I have seen over the years, in real life or in photos, seeing an abandoned amusment park truly breaks my heart.

I rode a teacup ride at Six Flags Great Adventure on Wednesday. It was a baby ride and it was the EXACT same ride that was at the Disney Parks. I didn't want to ride it but my parents made me ride with my sister. THAT messed me up BIG time. You know what else also messed me up? I had to ride a baby airplane too!!!!

Does anyone remember Fantasyland in Gettysburg? I LOVED that place too, but there isn't to much on the web about i that park. Donna.

The only Fantasyland I know of is at the Disney parks, DonnaT.

It's really sad but places like this probably don't even exist anymore, especially with all these modern expensive parks.

I recall going to this park in the late 50's/early 60's. The one part I recall the most was Jonah's whale. The whale was "beached" at the lake and you step into it's mouth.

A lot of these thing's have been saved and restored to their former glory. clarks eliok farm's is the new site for enchanted forrest. I take my little one's every fall. But we stop by to look at this old location. I went there as a child and it was great. glad to see someone care enough to say the majority of what was left.

I went there when I was little. It's definitely nostalgic, sad and a bit creepy seeing these photos. You do great work!