Marco Polo Park

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Marco Polo Park

by Mike Miller
(Mount Dora, Florida)

Shortly before Walt Disney World opened in October 1971, I began to notice construction of a new theme park on the west side of I-95 north of Ormond and Daytona. It was Marco Polo Park, and I believe it opened a few months before Disney.

The developers of this park were probably counting on snaring some of the visitors traveling down I-95 on their way to Walt Disney World.

All parks were themed in those days, and this park's theme was based on Marco Polo's legendary travels through Europe and the Far East many hundreds of years ago.

I took my kids there and it was a lot of fun. The park had rides, movies, music, puppet shows and a lot of other attractions. A little steam train ran around the perimeter of the park.

Marco Polo Park pioneered what Disney would do years later with Epcot. The park had various "worlds": Turkey, India, China, Japan and Venice. Ethnic food was served in a couple of restaurants.

The first phase was opened in early 1971. The Japanese gardens had several sampans made of teak that carried visitors along an artificial waterway and under ornate oriental themed bridges.

The park cost only about $2 or $3 for adult admission, something less for the kids.

Alas, most of the tourists the developers hoped to snare on their way to Walt Disney World drove right on by and didn't spend their bucks at Marco Polo.

Marco Polo Park closed in 1975 after a couple of bad fires did a lot of damage. It opened again later that year, but under the name "Passport To Fun". That didn't work either, and the attraction closed for the last time in 1976.

These days you can't see a trace of it from I-95. There is a residential community on the property now.

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Marco Polo Park

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May 09, 2012

Thanks For Reminding Us About Marco Polo Park
by: Mike Miller

Jackie:

Thanks for telling us about your experiences working at MPP. It was a nice little place; I agree with you, wish it had been able to compete with the Mouse because it was a lot of fun.

May 09, 2012

Worked there
by: Jackie Rainey

When I returned from my freshman year College in the summer of 1971, I needed a job..A good friend of mine had visited MPP and knew some people there so we got a job. I took tourists on the flat bottom boats aka sampans through the park and our claim to fame was that I had to actually steer the boats as they did not run on tracks or rails under the water like they did at Disney World. A couple of the rocks on the bank of the "rivier" have paint marks on them from my boat..Oops. We just referred to it as Jackie's Landing. We also would ride the turban ride in another part of the park. This was a gravity centrifugal force ride and the operators would bring it up to touch the feet of the guests and then after giving them a false sense of being safe and the ride coming to a stop, he would drop the floor again!! We had a great time doing all kinds of tricks in this ride! it was a nice little family park, but alas could not compete with the House the Mouse built.

Mar 29, 2012

I loved going there
by: Anonymous

I remember going there as a child and I LOVED it, but what I really remember are the Japanese gardens and the water. It was fantastic and really glad I am able to find info on it and see pics. Thanks!!

Jan 19, 2012

memory lane
by: Anonymous

I rememeber going to MPP as a little girl, and still have the park map as well. The log flume was so scary at the time, and the swings seemed so high up. I can't pass the exit without thinking of it. I am always amazed that there was a park there, and now now trace of it at all. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Dec 07, 2011

Thanks For The Memories
by: Mike Miller

Maria: thanks for sharing your memories of Marco Polo Park. As the years go by, fewer and fewer of us remember those old places. I'm always sorry when one of them doesn't make it.

Dec 05, 2011

Thanks for the article!!!
by: Maria

I remember going there many times in 1971 (when I was 4-5 years old) and just finished looking at some of the old pictures I have of this place from when my parents took me there. I always loved it!

Jan 01, 2011

Marco Polo Park
by: Greg May

Loved your article, Mike, on Marco Polo Park! Although I never visited it when it was open, I remember seeing it from I-95 on our way to Marineland. This is another "Lost Florida Attraction" like Six Gun Territory. Before Disney came to Orlando, the nation's most popular theme parks were the Six Flags chain. Marco Polo Park was the closest thing to having Six Flags in Florida.

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Marco Polo Park

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Marco Polo Park