AutoWorld

Well here's the brochure for the infamous Six Flags AutoWorld in Flint, MI. It's a little controversial, and was featured in documentaries made by a well-known portly provocateur (you're smart, I'm sure you know who I'm talking about).

There's been a lot of speculation on AutoWorld's failure. I think the basic reason it failed was because it was simply a bad idea. The automobile theme was too limiting to support an elaborate indoor "family entertainment center." Even in Michigan, where major car companies are headquartered, and tens of thousands of people make their living from the auto industry there weren't enough people interested in visiting AutoWorld to support the place.


Oh look the brochure folds out into a "fun map" to help you plan your visit...


It's funny how the back of the AutoWorld brochure urges to "Plan your visit soon!" Yeah, you better have since it lasted less than 2 years.

It's time to say goodbye to AutoWorld!

Mystery Fun House

Here's a 1990's brochure for Mystery Fun House in Orlando, FL. It was the attraction notable for a large fiberglass wizard on the front of the building. Mystery Fun House operated from 1976 through 2001, and was located virtually across the street from the Universal Orlando Resort.

It's interesting to note, that in a little over a month, Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando will be the home to a certain very popular boy wizard. So now that wizard who use to hang out at Mystery Fun House can... Umm... Yeah, I got nothing. I thought I was going somewhere with this setup, but I got nothing. Please enjoy the rest of this brochure for this defunct attraction.

I just finished a box of Handi-Wrap from 1974!

I usually don't talk about my personal life on this blog, but I just finished a box of Handi-Wrap from 1974.

In the picture above if you look closely at the small print on the lower left you can see I'm not kidding - "1974 The Dow Chemical Company Indianapolis Indiana."

How this box come into my possession is not remarkable, but it was given to me un-opened about seven years ago. I didn't realize it was that old until after I opened it and found that it had lost all its power to cling.

Anyways it looks like Handi-Wrap is no longer manufactured, and even if it was I doubt many boxes from 1974 are still around. So as a public service, I present a historical artifact for the enrichment of peoples of the Internet. Maybe someone studying package design from the 1970's, or a art director from That 70's Show (yeah, I know it's been canceled, but let's just go with it for now) who has to dress a grocery store set will find this post useful.

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And just for good measure here's a Handi-Wrap commercial...

So what the heck happened to the Boatyard Shopping Village?

Back in 1983 I was on a family vacation in Florida, and my parents were visiting some friends who lived in Clearwater, FL. One sunny afternoon our Clearwater friends took us to the Boatyard Shopping Village. Here's a postcard I just found while looking through some old junk.

Click to enlarge, or don't

Look, here's another Boatyard Shopping Village postcard I found online.



The Boatyard Shopping Village was a full of specialty shops and a few restaurants themed to look like an old timey fishing village. It sorta reminded me of Sweethaven from that live action Popeye movie. Well that is a less detailed Sweethaven, and one made out of rusting sheet metal.

Hey those Popeye sets are still standing! Imagine that!



Anywho, here's the back of the post card where you can read the official description for the Boatyard Shopping Village.



So now here's the mystery - what the heck happened to the Boatyard Shopping Village? As you can see from the Google satellite image below, it appears that all traces of the Boatyard Shopping Village have been thoroughly removed.


View Larger Map

Also except for the postcards I've found, I can't find any other evidence that this place ever existed. I thought the place was reasonably cool when I visited as a kid. Didn't anyone else? I thought for sure I'd find someone reminiscing about the Boatyard Shopping Village on some obscure message board.

This place is more mysterious than Brigadoon.

UPDATE:  Be sure to read the comments if you'd like more info on what happened to the Boatyard Shopping Village.  A big thank you to all the people who have left great comments so far!

Prehistoric Forest

Since my last post was super boring I thought my next post should be extra exciting, and what's more exciting than dinosaurs.

This is a low budget brochure for Prehistoric Forest in Irish Hills, Michigan, and Prehistoric Forest was a dinosaur attraction filled with low budget fiberglass dinos.


Although it must be said that these were well done low budget fiberglass dinos, and at least when I visited everything was well maintained and freshly painted. Besides the dinos, there were other odd things to see at Prehistoric Forest like that "burning spring" thing pictured on the upper right above. I can remember asking my father how fire could be bubbling out of the water like that. Yeah kids can be so naive, but then again I was 23 when I asked this. Thank you folks, I'll be here all week!



Since the pictures in this brochure were all B&W I wanted to include some color photos my father took when this attraction was in its prime. Unfortunately I could only find one (I'll update this post if any other pix turn up).


This is the "Neanderthal Man" and if you noticed he looks like he had a makeover compared to the brochure picture.

You should have guessed by my use of past tense that Prehistoric Forest in Irish Hills is now defunct. According to a report online it closed in 1999. Thanks to YouTuber mortuarygirl1 you can see how Prehistoric Forest looked in 2009.


UPDATE: There's a few more color Prehistoric Forest photos right here...

Personal Money Management 1962

Hey it's tax time, and no better time than now to learn a little "personal money management." Well actually you're not going to learn anything from this post, and you're not going to be very entertained either to be honest.

Personal Money Management is a 58 page booklet that was printed by The American Bankers Association in 1962. The booklet is pretty dry, but there are a few illustrations that are "quasi-interesting."



I guess this last one is the "funniest" illustration in the booklet. I wasn't alive in 1962 so what do I know, but that cash register looks comically over-sized to me.

Coral Castle and Wongo

Here's a 1980's brochure for that mysterious monument called the Coral Castle...



Did you happen to notice that little box on the front of the brochure?

I don't know why they didn't list the classic fifties motion picture The Wild Women of Wongo (1958) also since the Coral Castle was featured prominently in the film. Surely "Wongo" would be a bigger draw than You Asked For It. Check out this super sexy clip...



After you've seen a small glimpse of the wonders of Wongo, you are now powerless to resist watching the whole damn movie which I have thoughtfully embedded below...