Fairytale Town, William Land Park, Sacramento

Farmer Brown's Barn

Today I participated in a re-enactment of the first suffrage march that took place in California. The march took place in downtown Oakland at Lakeside Park. The first suffrage march in California occurred on August 23, 1908. That parade of over 300 women re-energized the suffrage movement which led to the successful passage of the suffrage referendum in 1911. Today’s event was organized by the League of Women Voters. Oakland’s female Mayor, Jean Quan was joined by our female member of the US House of Representatives, Barbara Lee and three of Oakland’s female members of the City Council to welcome marchers and to lend their voices to the celebration.

The Three Little Pigs House

This civic event reminded me that it was another women’s organization – the Junior League that led the effort to plan and build the Fairytale Town theme park in William Land Park in Sacramento. Fairytale town like Oakland’s Fairyland and Roeding Park’s Storyland, is a special place for young children. Each of these fanciful places uses fairy tales as the models for child scaled sets. These themed play places are part of a post-World War II park movement. At Land Park the Junior League initiated plans for Fairytale Town in 1956. They hired Kenneth C. Rickey and Fred E. Brooks to design the sets.


3 fat pigs are part of the set


The original exhibits included the Three Little Pigs, Mary Had a Little Lamb, King Arthur’s Castle, Cinderella’s Carriage, Farmer Brown’s Barn and others. Fairytale Town opened in 1959. Other exhibits continued to be added. Today Fairytale town is well maintained and continues to be a beloved, special place for Sacramento’s children and others who visit.



Cinderell'as pumpkin is a very popular exhibit



Little Engine That Could



Mr. McGregor's Garden



Peter Rabbit



The Tortoise and where's the hare?