Legend City

Legend City was Arizona’s answer to Disneyland, a western version of Disneyland if you like. It was open from 1963 to 1983 and located near the Phoenix and Tempe border. Now in that same spot stands SRP’s headquarters (SRP is the Salt River Project, one of the Utility companies in AZ). They spent millions of dollars on the place but it apparently didn’t work out in the end. Was the place to small (58 acres) or did no one want to go to a theme park in the Arizona summer heat (110 degrees)?

I was less than 10 years old and don’t remember much of it. My main memory is of bumper cars. I recently found the Legend City website with all kinds of photos and it brings the memories back. The Lost Dutchman mine and the Legend City Rail Road all come to mind now.

Wallace & Ladmo performed at Legend City. A icon for kids growing up in the valley during their 36 year run, making them the longest running daily show in history. They aired on Channel 5, the first TV station in Phoenix. I watched them every morning before going to school and saw every singe Tom & Jerry cartoon they ran. Ladmo (Ladimir Kwiatkowski) died in 1995 thus ending the show. I might have even been on that show once, but can’t recall.

There’s been rumors for a long time that another theme park was going to open near Phoenix but nothing built yet.