Author’s Note: Unfortunately all of the remains of Fairyland Forest are now gone as is most of the amusement park itself. The whale, windmill, and former store have all been torn down.
There is something about storybook parks that has always fascinated me. Maybe it has something to do with Storyland in Schellsburg being my first love along the Lincoln Highway, or maybe because they have all but disappeared. Regardless, when I found out about Conneaut Lake Park’s Fairyland Forest I was intrigued.
I saw some old pictures of nursery rhyme-type characters in the gift shop but I wasn’t sure what they were from or where they were located. We had seen remains of what seemed like an old attraction back in the woods but I weren’t sure if that had something to do with it. Then while having dinner at the Hotel Conneaut I saw some old pennants from the park on the wall and there was one for the Fairyland Forest.
Conneaut Lake Park’s Fairyland Forest
Fairyland Forest was actually located across the street from the main entrance of Conneaut Lake Park on the ground which is now Camperland. It was opened in the 1960s as a walk-through attraction featuring storybook houses and figures as well as animal attractions and a petting zoo.
In fact, these sort of storybook parks were very popular all across the country in those days. In fact, there were two additional ones located here in Western Pennsylvania.
The 1980s weren’t good to many of the story lands with the majority closing their gates for good. The exception to this is Storybook Forest at Idlewild Park which is still operating today.
By 1985, Fairyland Forest was falling into disrepair and the decision was made to close the attraction. Many of the fiberglass figures and buildings were auctioned, sold, or destroyed. The area was pretty much entirely cleared in order to make way for Camperland, Conneaut’s campground.
In doing “research” over our dinner I discovered that despite closing 33 years ago, some revenants of Fairyland Forest survived. This meant I HAD to check it out. We all hopped in the car and headed across the street.
The Remains of Fairyland Forest
The two most obvious buildings that once were part of Fairyland Forest are a Bavarian-style cottage and what appears to have once been a windmill. The cottage once served as Fairyland Forest’s gift shop and the windmill was the ticket booth. Now, both serve as part of the camp store.
I knew there was one more piece hiding in the campground. We slowly drove around the grounds until there it was.
Tucked into a swampy pond was the fiberglass figure of a whale’s head and right behind it, sticking out of the water, was the tail — although the tail is in pretty rough shape these days. Now painted black and white, the whale was originally blue and was part of a Jonah and the Whale display. You could look down the whale’s mouth and see Jonah in its belly.
While the area that you used to be able to look into to see Jonah is now boarded up and covered with a bench I can’t help by wonder if Jonah is still in there and what he originally looked like!
It’s finding the revenants of these things that once were that are so fascinating to me. While I wish more remained of Fairyland Forest, just finding what I did was exciting. What is even better is that Conneaut Lake Park itself has a ton of amusement park treasures and last-of-its-kind rides that are an amusement park lovers dream!
Plus, if you want to see ruins of the former Storyland fairytale park check out this blog post about Storyland in Schellsburg.
If you want to check out a fairytale park that is still in operation and is currently part of the oldest operating amusement park in the world, check out this blog post about Storybook Forest located at Idlewild Park in Ligonier.
Be sure to check out more amusement park history
Fairy land forest is something that should be brought back. Don’t ask me how or who would do it, but it should be brought back.
It would be great. It is something from the past, but it can still work in today. the whale should also be cleaned up in the meantime.
There is also still a bathroom from the Storybook Forest days, and a building that I’m guessing was a snack bar. It has a couple washing machines for clothes, and a couple tables. They are in poor shape-
Went to Fairyland Forest when I wa 5 years old. I really miss it. Wish it was still there so my grandkids could enjoy it. Hope they fix up the whale being it’s original.
I came across a vintage video of coneaut fairyland.
Places like this built exclusively for children are no longer available. I loved Fairyland Forest. My parents took my sister and I every summer, and we really enjoyed it. It’s a shame that there aren’t more places like this for kids. Kids loved it because they knew it was a place designed just for them.
My Grandparents Bernie and Jane Hohl managed Fairy Land Forest from the time it opened until the time it closed. I spent most of time there helping my grandparents. Weather I worked in the gift shop as a helper with my grandmother. Or helping my grandfather feed and care for the animals. It was a large part of my childhood. Many great memories for my family. I have 1 piece of the rose garden in my possession, it is the sign that greeted you as you came into the garden gate. I was able to take my first son to the park the year it closed. He was only 10 months old, has no memory , however we have some great phots to remind us of the time he spent there. I love to hear the stories others have to tell about the time they visited Fairy Land Forest.
Wendi-
Do you recall when a bear escaped at Fairyland Forest? Was your grandfather, or anyone else, injured? Was this incident reported in local newspapers? I seem to recall that it occurred in the middle of the 1970s, but I’ve found no references to it.
There used to be some kind of similar Fairyland on Conneaut Lake Rd across from Hank’s. Years ago you could see pieces of remains from 322. Do you have any info on that one?
I was looking for information on that park today, but it seems to have vanished. I remember seeing it from the Hank’s parking lot as a kid. The front looked like a big castle, I think. I never saw that it looked as if it was open. The name of the park was above the main entrance but I can’t recall what it was.
My family lived in Meadville from 1963,until 1968. I was born in 1960, and have memories of Fairyland Forest, and Conneaut Lake, and the causeway, where you could purchase loaves of bread to feed to the fish (And the seagulls that would land on the fishes backs to eat the bread) I remember Ali Baba’s Cave, the Whale, the Bavarian Cottage, and the Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe! I have a vague memory of a witch? Am I misremembering? I have told my wife and sons about Fairyland Forest, and Conneaut Lake, but as they never visited, it means little to them. However, when I was a child, it was magical!
We went there just a few times, when I was very young, and all I really remember wsa the woman in the pumpkin shell. And the old woman who lived in a shoe with her children.
It was a sweet park, I always wished we went there more often.
born in 65 ,Franklin pa, I kind of remembering bears pulling ropes with tin cans attatched and crackers in the cans of the sort LOL feeding the bears
I am so super happy to have found this article. I grew up going to Fairyland Forest as well as Conneaut Park across the road. Such wonderful memories of simpler, happy times. This was our family’s staple for little vacations. Would love to be on some type of list to hear more.
i stayed at “camperland ” when i was a kid, and if i remember there was a treehouse with a slide?? not sure if that was part of the forest or not but it was in very bad shape at the time. And yes there was also some sort of park out across from hanks.. My mother told me stories about it
My grandfather was the zookeeper from the day it opened to the day it closed and My grandmother was the gift shop manager. I lived down the street so I spent nearly all summer until I was in my teens at the park and helping out around Fairyland. Thanks for the article brings back great memories.