If you live in Hudson, it’s difficult to not have a soft spot about preserving old houses in their historical context.
What if the houses are only five feet tall?
If you’re looking for a fun day-trip, drive about an hour and a half to Lake George to see the tiny mid-century houses of the Mother Goose Land nursery rhyme village, Storytown, USA, now within Six Flags, Great Escape. In 1954, with $75,000 and a dream, Charles Wood built a storyland village and amusement park for kids, complete with a castle, swan boat rides, a Ghost Town and a jungle tour. Today, there are roller coasters, and a water park among the mini nursery rhyme buildings.
I don’t even know what nursery rhyme this is from.
New folks in Hudson may not venture north of Chatham, with the possible exceptions of the Apple Store or Trader Joe’s in Albany. New York State is big. Get in the car and keep on driving!
Six Flags, Great Escape is a fabulous not-very-crowded amusement park. The cost is about $35/person admission and parking. Season passes are $75 and less. A season pass gives you free parking and 15% off food/drinks. (The season pass will ALSO give you admission to Six Flags New England in Agawam, MA and La Ronde in Montreal.) If you go mid-week, there are very few lines. The non-weekend hours are 11am-6pm.
This is not Disneyworld – you don’t have to get there a half-hour early for rope-drop and run across the park to your favorite ride. The rides have been there…for a while….there’s no rush. We have never waited more than 15-20 minutes in a line, mid-week.
The sky tram ride pictured beyond the Old Shoe House moves so slow, the people walking under you walk faster. It’s the Adirondacks, so you are sometimes in the shade of giant fir trees – it’s a pine-scented amusement park!
People who grew up in and around Columbia County, know about Storytown – and the Catskill Game Farm, Frontiertown, and places like Howes Caverns. We are lucky that Storytown is still around.
If you are a Succession fan, this is where they shot episodes in the Brightstar Adventure Park.
Storytown Village houses may delight little ones and housing preservationists. For the thrill-seekers (if mid-century tiny house preservation is not thrill-seeking enough for you), there are roller coasters and a waterpark with slides to keep little ones, tweens and teens entertained. There’s also enough kiddie rides for those under the “you-must-be-this-tall” threshold.
Oh, and there’s a bar for adults. Within the mist of the water park, you can drink a beer, hard seltzer, or a frozen pina colada with a splash of rum. Sit by the water park and keep an eye out on the kiddos. This is the perfect place to visit if the weather hits over 90 degrees.
Alice came to a fork in the road.
Alice in Wonderland
“Which road do I take?” she asked.
“Where do you want to go?” responded the Cheshire Cat.
“I don’t know” Alice answered. Said the Cat, “Then, it doesn’t matter.”
I want to live in Storytown. Can I please move into the Pumpkin House….
I remember going there as a child in the early 70’s. It was so magical then. It would be nice to see them preserved a little better, amazing nostalgia.