Bernie's Restaurant in Buena Park, CA

An Anonymous OCThen reader recalls eating at Bernie's Restaurant in Buena Park from the 1950s all the way until it closed up at its final location in La Habra...

How about Bernie's Restaurant on Beach Blvd. in Buena Park? 

In the mid 1950's when I attended Lindbergh Elementary School (at Stanton and 4th Street) we would, at lunch time, ride our bikes down 4th Street to Bernie's for lunch. Have a hamburger and a coke. Throughout the years, Bernie's was always there for breakfast and lunch. At one time it was even open for dinner.

In the 1970's I recall that Cliff would have a great New Year's Eve Party in the restaurant. At one of those parties Cliff went up to Mike Clewley and said, "I want no trouble here tonight, Mike, OK."

I often ate breakfast on Staurdays with my dad. As the years went by, we often ate breakfast on Sat. or Sun. I recall one man who would always wear a top hat and sat at the counter.

Connie and/or Paula would often work there too. These are Cliff and Jean's daughters. Calvin is Cliff and Jean's son and later on he ran the place. Kimmie even worked at Bernie's, Kimmie is the owner of the chain of Kimmie's Coffee Shops (restaurants) (in Fullerton, Orange, Brea, Placentia and also Reno, NV). The decor in Kimmie's Coffee Shops reflects that of Bernie's country style. It was Cliff's mother Bernie who originally started the restaurant. Artie worked there (Arthur Lucas) who was a Buena park resident. Pete, another Buena Park resident, also worked there.

Throughout the years Bernie's was always a place to go. But, alas, with the closure of some closeby businesses and certain demographic changes, the number of customers dwindled. Bernie's in Buena Park was eventually closed after being there for well over 50 plus years. Calvin moved the business to Harbor Blvd. in La Habra, but after a short while even that Bernie's was closed.

There is a short article about Bernie's Restaurant (the final location in La Habra) here:
http://thenewdiner.blogspot.com/2005/09/bernies.html

There is also an detailed article about Kimmie (mentioned) above, which mentions Bernie's here:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/vinson-287421-kimmie-heart.html

OC Weekly published a brief review back in 2001, found here:
http://www.ocweekly.com/2001-09-27/features/buena-park/

Anyone with memories, information, or photos to share about Bernie's, post a comment below or contact me.

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Buena Park Home Town Days

An anonymous OCThen reader submits memories of Buena Park's Home Town Days, the predecessor of Silverado Days...

Prior to Buena Park's Silverado Days there used to be a celebration called "Home Town Days". This was typically held around May of each year.

My memories are from the late 40's to the early 50's. A parade was held and it went down Grand Ave. (Now Beach Blvd.) Local merchants and businesses would have entries in the parade.

The theme was cowboy and western and nearly everyone would dress up like cowboys and cowgirls.

They had a requirement that all men in town were required to have a beard of at least 1/4-inch long growth. If the men were caught in town without such a beard they would be arrested by the Home Town Days Sheriff or deputies and be put into a makeshift jail/cage until their trial came up. They held a kangaroo court. I can't recall exactly what it took to get out of jail but I remember the judge and the trials.

I think the celebration lasted for a few days.

Home Town Days stopped being celebrated in the mid 1950's.

It was in 1957 that the name Home Town Days was dropped in favor of Silverado Days, to coincide with the city's plans to adopt a western-style theme in downtown.

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Monkey Island of Buena Park

OCThen reader by the handle of "VAS Buena Park CA" asks if anyone remembers or has information about Monkey Island in Buena Park...

Monkey Island:

I have lived in Buena Park all of my life. Back in the 1950's when I was a kid we used to visit a place called Monkey Island. It was actually in La Habra on the corner of Imperial Highway and Idaho Street (the northeast corner). See map of location at http://wikimapia.org/#lat=33.9178116&lon=-117.9590034&z=17&l=0&m=b

At this location there was a man made lake with a small island in the middle. On this island there were several monkeys. They had exercise bars to play on, swings and maybe even a tree. I think that they even had a patio cover shed which allowed them to get out of the sun and rain.

My mom would drive us up there and just park the car. We would sit, have lunch and enjoy watching the monkeys playing.

Several of my old friends who still live in O.C. do recall going to this place as children.

Does anyone else remember this place? Does anyone have any photos of Monkey Island?

I don't recall a monkey island in Buena Park, namely because I spent most of my time in Santa Ana and El Toro, and because I wasn't around in the 1950s. But I did find a mention of a "monkey zoo" near Raymond Ave in Buena Park, published on an earlier memory here on OCThen...

I remember the monkey zoo off of Raymond too.

http://www.octhen.com/2007/12/placentia-ca-in-1970s.htm

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Chicken Delight of Buena Park

John Burton asks if anyone remembers the Chicken Delight restaurant in Buena Park...

Does anyone remember The Chicken Delight on the corner of LaPalma and Knott in B.P.

Actually, another OCThen reader, "Amber" recalled the same restaurant in a memory I posted last April entitled, "Memories of Anaheim in the 1960s"...

I remember "..don't cook tonight, call Chicken Delight.. we deliver.."

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When Tumbleweeds Drew City Boundaries

Anonymous talks about her memories of growing up in Orange County from the late 1960s to the late 1970s, and lists out a laundry list of items she recalls...

Hi, I've grown up in OC all my life. From the late 60's on...

I remember up until the late 70's you could drive down Beach Blvd. and head north and see where each town began and ended. There would be a few small buildings, then tumbleweeds, then more buildings, then tumbleweeds, and so on...

as a little girl, I had seen the "caller" the old man who would jump in the street and yell at you to go to the Pottery Shack in Laguna Beach (jumped out right in heavy traffic too); Farrell's and A&W on Beach Blvd.(with real glass frosty mugs, tray hung from your window as you ate in the car; Back Alley Pizza at Magnolia and Adams-the inside was all mirrored with a road and real curbs on the floor, great pizza; Japanese Village and Deer Farm in Buena Park; Movieland Wax Museum; The alligator farm; the old drive-in movies on Beach Blvd and on Brookhurst sts; when you could go to the beach and park across pch on the sand,there was nothing there just a street light to cross the street; Lion Country Safari (now wild rivers)Naugles in HB became Arby's on Brookhurst, when they started building "restaurant row" of fast foods there.

You used to see horses being ridden up and down Magnolia in HB (and the tumbleweeds)until the OC bus system went in... Leonards dept store; Toy City; Kmart across the street-when you enter the store, there was a greeter, and a counter where they sold sub sandwiches, butter toffee peanuts, etc. and a cafe at the back of the store where you could have taquitos, burgers etc. and get a dessert ice cream in a plastic football helmet-my brother collected a lot of those... Farrell's pig's trough-my brother got the ribbon...

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La Palma Jr. High School

An anonymous OCThen reader remembers attending La Palma Jr High School in Buena Park and being among the last students there...

I attended the last class, clearly remembering the first day 7th grade and the last day before the start of summer and not realizing that the school would not be opened for 9th grade (everyone was shipped off to different schools).

He's posted some recent photos of La Palma Jr High School, albeit more of an abandoned building now...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/half-dollar_punch/

If you attended La Palma Jr High School, post a comment and share your memories...

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Movieworld - Cars of the Stars

Movieworld - Cars of the Stars was a museum in Buena Park that showcased custom cars and hot rods painted up by famous artists like Von Dutch and others. It doesn't exist anymore.

OCThen reader Sean writes asking if anyone had more information about it, and offers up some of his memories...

I was looking for some info on Movieworld - Cars of the Stars in Buena Park on your site, but noticed it was not on the list of Attractions. I went there when it first opened and all of the exhibits (movie props and celebrity/movie cars) were just laid out on the floor in a large warehouse in rows. It was not the fanciest why to display them (it looked like a flea market), but it was still really cool, especially if you were a movie buff.

I remember hand painted signs describing some of the props and what movie they came from.

Years later, I went again and it had been transformed more into a museum with false walls which led visitors on a specific path (like Movieland Wax Museum), more dramatic lighting, and a snack bar in the middle of the museum. I also remember TV commercials which featured Billy Barty promoting the museum and sliding down a tube slide which was also in the middle snack bar area.

I have not seen much about this museum on the Internet although it seemed to be a decent attraction in Buena Park at the time. Is there any other information on it and what happened to the collection? I think I saw some of the cars at the Peterson Museum in L.A. but the movie props were the most interesting part of it for me and I often wonder what happened to them. Some of them included movie miniatures like ships, trains, and submarines. The most memorable prop was the miniature of King Kong shackled on display (near the end of the 1933 movie) which Willis O'Brien used in the stop motion animation.

When the Von Dutch clothing and hats were popular a few years ago, I did see something mentioned in an article about Von Dutch living in the parking lot of this museum in a bus. Other than that, I have not seen or heard anything else and I am wondering if anyone else has any memory about this place.

Keep up the great work. I just found your site and have a lot of exploring to do still on it!

Cheers,
Sean

P.s. I wonder if you remember the religious wax museum that was connected to Movieland Wax Museum too? It had a replica of Michelango's Statue of David in front of the entrance.

Click on "Post a Comment" and let us know if know you anything.

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Crescent Junior High School - Buena Park

An anonymous OCThen reader asks about what happened to Crescent Junior High School in Buena Park...

Does anyone remember Crescent Jr. High and where did it go?? I went there in 62-63, then to Kennedy High class of 66. I have lived in Michigan and Northern California and now in the foothills of the Sierras above Fresno..but each time I go into BP..I am always at a loss as to where that funky styled jr. high went.

I did a quick Google search and came up empty. If you know something about it, or attended the school, post a comment here.

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Buena Park Bigfoot - Brea Creek

Does anyone remember the "Bigfoot" of Brea Creek, in Buena Park?

Well, an anonymous OCThen reader does. This person submitted the following memory to us (he was also the same guy that sent us the Wham-O Superball story), describing a tall hairy beast spotted in a drainage channel in Buena Park...

Wow I wish I had found this site earlier.. I hope I get to find out more about the Superballs..

In the meanwhile another funny thing I remember was the Buena Park "bigfoot". It had to be very early 80s because I was attending Beatty Elementary School. Down at the northern-most end of Western, there's a drainage channel that used to run parrallel to the back of McComber Jr High. People claimed to have seen a "bigfoot" there. There was even a story in the Register, and a composite drawing of "it".

It turned out to be a very tall and hairy homless guy.. It was even on TV and I remember my friend got to wave at the camera.... Weird stuff.

I remember that kind of thing.. I could go on and on, Buena Park was still just a small place, there were lots of apartments, but not like now.. A lot of the houses are gone. Things like The Buttery or the Farmhouse resturaunts are now car lots, there's no more chickens running around Grand Avenue any more either..

I did some Googling on the Buena Park Bigfoot, and found a brief mention in the September 20, 2001 edition of OC Weekly...

IN SEARCH OF . . . BUENA PARK

Brea Creek. Site of Orange County's only reported Bigfoot (yes, that Bigfoot) sighting. In 1982, residents on nearby Franklin Street reported a smelly, hulking figure prowling around the drainage channel. Police took plaster casts of immense footprints and determined that the culprit was just a particularly large and unkempt transient. At least, that's what they want you to believe. Brea Creek underpass at Franklin and Beach.

I also found the following mention on page 90 of a book entitled, "Mothman and Other Curious Encounters" by Loren Coleman, published by Cosimo, Inc. in 2002...

In recent years, sightings of the strange three-toed Bigfoot have been reported from surrounding areas of southern California, notably the smelly eight-footer seen emerging from a drainage ditch in Buena Park, in May 1982.

Hmmm, so let's see, an eight-foot tall, hairy, human-like creature living in a drainage channel in Buena Park. I guess that explains how Knott's Berry Farm came up with the name "Bigfoot Rapids".

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When Land was Really Cheap

There was an anonymous comment posted on our Knott's Berry Farm article today, about how land was so cheap, it was being given away...

There is a story in my family, that a Great Uncle, Homer Clemons, owned an orange grove in the area. He got the land when it was so cheap, they gave you an acre if you subscribed to the local farm newspaper for a year. Two years subscription got you two acres. The story goes that he left his land to two brothers, who sold it to a man named Knotts. I don't have any proof of this story, but he and wife Belle are on the 1920 & 1930 census. Both are buried at Fairhaven Memorial Park.

I'm not sure how a newspaper would buy up land, just to give it away, or maybe perhaps they were giving away land they didn't need anymore. But imagine owning a couple acres of land in the middle of Buena Park right now?

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Dreger Clock of Knott's Berry Farm

Glenn Frank submitted the follwing article to us about his efforts to restore the Dreger Clock at Knott's Berry Farm...

You may remember it as "that big clock with all the dials at Knott's Berry Farm". But I remember it as my great-grandfather's legacy.

The "Dreger Clock" was built by my great-grandfather Andrew Dreger Sr., an early pioneer of the Long Beach, Buena Park and Anaheim area. He was a watchmaker in his later years and built this amazing clock for the enjoyment of his community.

After His death the clock made its way to Knott's Berry Farm where it was enjoyed by thousands of visitors to Buena Park for over 50 years. But in the past year, you may not have noticed that it was missing from its home in front of the ticket booths. It fell into disrepair and was removed, hidden from the public in a warehouse.

The Buena Park Historical Society wants to return it to the public view. We want to put it back in front of the eyes of the community! The clock has been purchased and awaits restoration cleaning and a new home.

My dream is to see the clock restored, running and being enjoyed by visitors to the county along Beach Blvd in the city's historical park, across from the Buena Park City Hall.

But, we need the community's help to bring this symbol of Buena Park and Orange County back so the public can once again enjoy it. I hope you enjoy learning about the clock at our project website and consider donating toward its restoration costs.

Site: http://www.dregerclock.org

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Enchanted Village

Enchanted Village was a theme park located in Buena Park, built on the former site of Japanese Village and Deer Park.

I don't have much information about Enchanted Village, when it exactly started, and when it closed. It all ran in the early 1980's. It had a "tiki" theme to it, and offered only a couple of rides. Our family never went there.

One of its claims to fame was that it was the home of Oliver, a normal, healthy chimpanzee that walked only on its two feet, as opposed to alternating back and forth with its fists. Oliver also had a face that looked like a cross between a human being and chimpanzee.

Chase Maxwell, who previously submitted the brochure of Arnold's Farmhouse to us, submits some scanned copies of Enchanted Village paraphernalia. Thanks Chase!

Click on each image below to see the full sized images.









Do you have any memories of visiting Enchanted Village? Maybe you used to work there? Please share with us what you know; click on "Post a Comment" below.

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Arnold's Farm House

One of the famous landmarks in Orange County was Arnold's Farm House, a buffet-style restaurant in Buena Park, on the corner of Stanton and Manchester, just a block from Knott's Berry Farm.

I was started in 1956, supposedly from an old farm house that had been standing there since the early 1900's. It was a landmark because of the huge neon windmill drawing in families tired from a day at Knott's.

The family that owned Arnold's Farm House, also owned The Buttery, another restaurant on the other side of Stanton, but a traditional, up-scale place.

The restaurant finally gave way to the wrecking ball in 1988, and is now the home to a car dealership.

A guy named Chase Maxwell has an brochure from Arnold's Farm House dated 1981. He scanned it and send it in to us.

Click on the images below to see the full size...





Thanks Chase for these images!

Do you remember anything about Arnold's Farm House? Care to share some memories? Click on "Post a comment" below, and share it with us.

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Photos of Japanese Village and Deer Park

Yesterday, Justin Allen, a visitor to this website, sent us several photos of Japanese Village and Deer Park taken in April of 1970. We've published them below.

These photos are actually from 35mm slides he purchased from a man in Arkansas. This man used to work as a police officer in California during the 1960's.

Justin was able to hold the slides up to a light and take a digital image of each one, and sent them here for everyone to enjoy.

Thanks Justin!



















































Read more about people's memories of Japanese Village and Deer Park.

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Movieland Wax Museum Closing Down

I received a note from David Valdez, a reader of ours, saying that Movieland Wax Museum is closing down and moving to San Francisco.

They are going to auction off their wax figures on March 11, 2006, on location. The museum opened in 1962 and was founded by Allen Parkinson and later sold to Six Flags.

I remember going there with my dad in 1978. I don't remember too much about it. Maybe Knott's can buy some of the wax figures and create a small wax museum in their Roaring Twenties area?

They're auctioning off everything...

• wax figures of celebrities


• all props and sets


• chandeliers


• fine art


• marble carved actual replicas of Michaelangelo's "The David" and "The Pieta"


• celebrity photos


• furniture


• display cases

You can buy their complete Star Trek set!

Got any memories of Movieland Wax Museum? Post a comment!

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Alligator Farm in Buena Park

Did you know there was once an alligator farm in Buena Park?

It was adjacent to Knott's Berry Farm on La Palma Ave. The Radisson Suites Hotel now sits on the old spot. I always wanted to go there, but my folks would never take me there.

We collected a few alligator farm memories from folks during the old days of OCThen, and posted them below...

By: Chrissey, 20 Aug 2002

The alligator farm was fun, but they scared me. The alligators were very quiet and had a harness on him and people would sit on the alligator and have their pic taken. Both the Alligator Farm and Knotts seemed so far away from L.A.

By: Pat Swift, 9 Aug 2002

I remember taking my son's there (Alligator Farm). We were amazed at how a snake felt. We were always interested in the alligators but watching how fast a cobra or rattlesnake could strike was the main attraction for us.

By: Ross, 13 June 2002

Being there when I was about 6 or 7. I am now 48, I have had a facination with alligators and crocodiles all my life. I currently live in Boise, Idaho and have 2 pet american alligators (Forest and Bubba). I remember my mom taking me and my brother there it had to be like 1960 or 1961, they had baby gators for sale in the gift shop, and of course I wanted one, but didn't get one. But, I was trying to figure out where a Southern California kid would develop and interest like this. I was talking to my dad and he said he remember the Los Angelos Alligator farm in Lincoln Heights LA, well I did some research and sure enough it started there in like 1905, and then moved to Buena Park, where it was until about 1986. Anyway, I wish I could have gone there as an adult before it closed. Little trivia, they moved all the gators and crocs by private Boeing 707 to an estate in Florida owned by the inventor of Naultilus workout equipment!

By: John Nemeth, 15 Jan 2002

What a great place if you were a herpatologist. They had almost every species of crocodile, many rare species that are seldom seen. The place was always deserted, not well known as a popular tourist attraction. They did snake shows with cobras.

By: Mark Wallace, 31 Dec. 2001

Remember the Alligator Farm across the street from Knott's? This was such a great creepy place that had been there forever. Full of giant alligators, croc's and tortoises, snakes and lizards. I still have dreams about this place eventhough it was torn down years ago.

Do you have any memories of the Alligator Farm? Post a comment below, and share it with us!

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Japanese Village and Deer Park

In the late 1960's, a place called "Japanese Gardens and Deer Park" opened up in Buena Park. I don't recall the exact location of where it was, but I want to say it was located along Beach Blvd, perhaps near La Palma, in the vicinity of Movieland Wax Museum.

I remember going there sometime around 1971 or 72, with my mom and dad. We actually lived in San Diego then. I don't recall what the place looked like. I was just only 5 or 6 years old, and too bored with the place.

Justin Allen, a visitor to this website, sent us several photos, check them out.

Below are some e-mails we received by us some years ago during the old days of OCThen.com:

By: Cheryl Worth, 16 Aug 2002

I remember when my parents took us to the Japanese Deer Park (in the late 60's, early 70's) and my sister Lori and I each got to pick out a Japanese Umbrella that was made out of beautiful paper along with a flute-type musical instrument made out of some type of bamboo or wood. We had a wonderful time feeding the deer and always wondered what happend to the park, since we never visited it as I got older and moved out of state. I had wanted to take my son there to visit on our summer vacation this year, and that's how I found this web site looking for information on it because I wasn't sure where it had been located.

By: Annette Cano, 3 Aug 2002

My memories as a little girl it was a yearly event to go to Japanese village. It was so beautiful all the bonzi trees and the little bridges and the animals and the shows. I wish that this village still existed because of its innocents, beauty, and realizm.

By: Anonymous, 2 Aug 2002

The fuji folk character brings back memories of the park. I remember that the fuji folk costume got a wee bit dirty after awhile. I am not sure if the costume was washable or not. I do remember feeling sympathy for the person who had to put it on during the summer because it got very very hot inside. I don't remember his name(brown belt) but usually the person working the character also was in the samarai & karate show. I believe they trained under sensei demura in santa ana. the park was a fun place to work & one was able to meet people.

By: Bob Hilts, 25 July 2002


Both Japanese Village "JV" and Movieland Wax Museum were founded by Allen Parkinson and subsequently both sold to Six Flags, Inc. in the early 1970s. JV was closed exclusively due to falling attendance and resulting revenue declines during the 3 year period that Six Flags was actively trying to promote this unique Southern California attraction. D. Canchola, as part of this list, indicated that "there hasn't been another amusement park since that can compare to Japanese Village" and that is certainly true. Japanese Village was beautifully landscaped in a traditional Japanese method with serene music, cultural artifacts, grommet type Japanese food and a myriad of animal shows including: lions, tigers, dolphins, deer, macaws and bears not only on a swing but bears that played basketball and could out shoot/muscle Shaquille O'Neal at any inside position. I worked in the "JV" accounting/finance department and was there during operations, closure and the through final days! . During these last few days I was interviewed by a UCLA grad student doing her Ph.D. work on USA amusement parks and the importance of their viability being directly associated and tied to the overall cultural of the area in which they are located. OK... but I do miss the "Fuji Folk".

By: Tamara, 5 July 2002

I carried a pearl that I got from the oyster diver with me for 30 years and just three years ago had it made into a necklace. I lost it last year in my back garden and was totally distraught about it - but, hey, the memory of the place is still there. I remeber that the deers decided that my leather fringed vest and my mum's fringed suede bag were a delicacy and we were absolutely swarmed by manic fringe mad dear - they really went wild, as though they'd never been fed. It makes me laugh just thinking about it. None of my friends remeber this place, nor does my sister - I started to think perhaps it didn't either. Funny how you happen upon others who have memories of obscure places.

By: Linda R. Johnen, 29 Apr 2002

I was in my late teens when going there with my family. I thought it was one of the nicest attractions in Orange County. I always admired the Japanese culture; I always thought it was so beautiful. So when I visited there several times I just enjoyed the atmosphere of quietness, charm, and beauty of that the park had to offer. It was a sad day for me to see it close down. I felt that this was the closest I could see Japan in my own backyard!

By: T. Jennings, 1 Apr 2002


I remember the Japanese Deer Park as a fun place to visit. They had Japanese Pearl divers, diving for cultured pearls, which you could buy on the premises. I also recal an avery in the shape of a gazebo where you could feed the white doves that flew to you for food, as they would just eat right out of your hand. The deers in the park were sweet as they gracefully walked around. I was very disappointed to see it close, but if my memory serves me well, as soon as it closed, they erected another adventure park called "Enchanted Village" which also didn't last long. I remember seeing a giraffe there and also recal seeing a wildlife shows with tigers. They also had Hawaiian or Polynesian type dancers and a western musical show as well.

After the Japanese Deer Park closed or perhaps it was next door to it, I recal another theme park called "Enchanted Village" which also didn't last long. I remember seeing a giraffe there and also seeing wildlife shows with tigers. They also had Hawaiian or Polynesian type dancers and a western musical show.

By: D.Canchola, 7 Feb 2002

There hasn't been another amusement park since that can compare to Japanese Village. It seemed like back then that Knott's Berry would have bought out the the struggling Japanese Village Park and kept it operating and restructured it's finances since at the time Knott's sure wasn't hurting for business. But they just let Japanese Village sink and the only people interested in buying it were developers who just wanted to turn it into an Industrial and Business park. I'll always miss Japanese Village there will never be another park like it to replace it.

By: Bruce Tovar, 30 Jan 2002

I worked there in the early 1970's doing karate/samurai demo's. It was great fun! The reason it closed was purely financial. I remember being sent out in a gi (karate uniform) with "Fuji Folk" for promotions at malls and schools. Most of the deer were destroyed but not because of illness. It was do to lack of placement options. What a great place it was!

By: Mark Wallace, 31 Dec.2001

I remember the deer park well! It was my fist exposure to foreign culture and was like traveling to a different world. Walter T. Foster art book publishers was near there also. I now live in Ventura and can't believe what's become of OC! It's really a mess.

By: Bob Miller, 27 Dec 2001

For some reason the Japanese Village just popped into my mind recently. I remember it as a very peaceful and clean place, so quiet and subdued compared to the flashy, noisy world we live in now. I would love to see some pictures of the place. It seems so very distant now, almost as though it was never really there.

By: David Vallandigham, 25 Nov 2001

My wife mentioned Feeding the deer by hand at Shasta Dam near Redding. That made me recall my grandmother taking me to Japenese Deer Park and how much I enjoyed feeding the deer around 1965. The Japanese lanterns hanging in the air were beautiful. Knowing my wife and I enjoyed the beauty of the animals at opposite ends of California was a nice thought to share with her - Dixie.

By: David Canchola, 31 Oct 2001

I remember where Japanese Village and deer park was it was on Knott Ave Adjacent to the I-5 Freeway near the Nabisco warehouse in Buena Park I really Miss Japanese Village and deer Park it was an Unique Place I heard the reason they Closed was because they were losing money and not making it. I also miss Marineland of the Pacific they also Closed their doors too.

By: fuji folk, 29 July 2001

Japanese Village and Deer Park was located on Knott Ave in Buena Park Calif. The reason why it closed because the park was losing money. Not because of the deer becoming sick. It could not compete against Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, and Magic Mountain.

By: Daniel S. Garcia, 16 Jun 2001

As a child my father took us to this park, we recently put our 8mm film to tape, and had some scenes from the park, I remember feeding the deers, and getting the feed from the dispensers, and the Koi ponds. What I don't remember is where the location of the park was, and why it was closed. We had such a good time there that summer, if any one remembers where the park was and why it closed please drop me a line, thank for letting me share my memories

If you have any memories of Japanese Gardens and Deer Park, please share them us on this page, by clicking on "Post a Comment" below.

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Japanese Village and Deer Park

Japanese Village and Deer Park was a beautiful Japanese garden located in Buena Park, where you could spend a relaxing moment admiring the gardens, watching the deer, or taking in a show. It's long since gone.

Here are some articles we've published about Japanese Village and Deer Park.

• Photos of Japanese Village and Deer Park - (May 28, 2006) - Several photos taken in April 1970



• Japanese Village and Deer Park - (March 27, 2005) - Read everyone's memories of visiting this park

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