“Here is the Jacksonville Zoo as it looked in the 50’s. It had a small dock and a little train and a few other rides (it also had some animals).” LS
The river approach to the Jacksonville Zoo with the old concession stands, gift shops and pony rides under the tent to the left. When I enlarged the image I could see the old Seaboard zoo train under the station roof with signage advertising the ‘One Mile Zoo Trip’. During this era there was a road through the zoo grounds that you could drive on and park near the attractions.
Tags: dock, historic photography, Jacksonville Zoo, train, vintage photograph, zoo, Zoo Train
The Zoo director lived around the corner from us in the 50’s &60’s. I can’t remember his name. He was a bachelor with several girlfriends over the years. He always drove a nice car. He added on and extensively remodeled what was originally a simple ± 1,100 sq. ft. cement block house. He also had a pool. I think he stayed in that house after he retired. It was the nicest house in the neighborhood.
Did that train, or one of its replacements, wound up at the McDonalds on Dunn Ave? When it was built, that McDonalds had a train theme which included a large model train set up inside and a train that reminded me of the zoo train out in front.
I belonged to the Jacksonville Outboard Club and we had our meeting out there in the 50s.
The train at Mc D’s was made at the same time but was not the one at the Zoo. I use to drive the train at the zoo in the late 70’s early 80’s. I use to know the man who bought the train in front of McD’s. He worked on weekends at the zoo. He loved trains. He told me all about how CSX made those trains for the zoo. They now have two I believe.