Fantasy Forest
and Forest Zoo

Forest Zoo was later named Forest Park. For the same reason we refer to it as Forest Zoo.

She had such a wonderful time playing among the storybook characters and the buildings. There was a 'crooked house', and a little jailhouse, a 'little red schoolhouse', 'old Mother Hubbard's cupboard' and of course the 'little old woman who lived in a shoe' among others.

The "little old woman" would sit in a rocking chair outside her "shoe house" and hand out crackers to the children.

As the years went by, memories of this 'faraway land' drifted away, until they were lost in her childhood.

Planning our trip brought back the memories Sharon had of that storybookland in central Pa., but she couldn't recall where it was located or even the name. Was it still in existence? If not, were there were any remnants of it? These were questions we tried to answer. All she could recall was a faint memory of something about a "forest".

We tried all of our sources for some information on the 'unknown' park, but we could come up with nothing. Nobody had ever heard of it.

We finally started our vacation with no hope of locating this elusive storybookland.

Forest Park Sign

Castle-like Entrance

On the fourth day of our trip, we were to visit Lakemont Park in Altoona. While traveling down some back roads, we were slowing to make a turn towards Altoona, when we spotted an overgrown sign announcing Forest Park.

I quickly pulled into the abandoned parking lot and we looked at each other in amazement. Could this be the place of Sharon's childhood?

On one side of the street was the ruins of the Forest Park, a petting zoo. Across the street was the 'castle'-like entrance to a 'storybookland'.

This was it! We had accidently stumbled upon the elusive storybookland.

We explored the ruins of the zoo, then ran across the street to explore the ruins of the 'castle'.

My mom used to take my brother and I to Forest Park all the time!

It used to be called Forest Zoo and Storybook Forest (the castle part). My mom used to take us to the zoo first, and I remember the monkeys in the cages that you could roll food down to, via a white drainpipe. They had an elephant you could ride, and a petting zoo with deer, goats, sheep, etc.

Across the way to Storybook Forest. My favorite part of the park! They had the old lady in a shoe who would pass out cookies or crackers to the kids. Right down the trail there was the "Old MacDonald's Farm", complete with fenced in chickens. I think I remember the chickens the most, because they'd steal my brother's cookie EVERY YEAR. Hilarious!!! I remember lots of little outbuildings that were essentially little examples of childhood stories.

From what I remember, Storybook Forest closed first. Then the zoo changed it's name to Forest Park.

I just received this update about Fantasy Forest and Zoo -

" I have an update on the place. Recently I have learned that someone has actually purchased the property that was Fantasy Forest. They were able to save the actual building which was the castle but where unable to save the towers.

I made a visit to the place and got to talk to the new owner. He told us that he is going to save most if not all the little buildings on the property and he is unsure of what his plans are for it.

He is now using it to hold a flea market on the weekends.

Forest Zoo is still owned by the original owner and posted with no trespassing signs. "

- Christine

Forest Zoo	Forest Zoo Entrance	Petting Zoo

Snack Bar	Zoo Buildings	Zoo Buildings

Zoo Buildings

Castle Entrance	Castle Entrance	Castle Entrance
A Storybook House	Mrs. Hubbard's Cupboard ?	Dog House (?)
Shoe House (showing its age)	The Little Old Woman's Shoe House	Shoe House

Abandoned Swings	Crooked House	Restrooms (?)