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Brochure
circa 1980s Dan Donahue |
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Orlando-Circus
World
AKA Southwest or Barnum City |
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43824 U.S. 27 @ I-4 |
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Also
known as Baseball City, Orlando-South, and Davenport this
complex opened in 1972. It was designed to capture some of
the many tourists attracted to the region after the opening
of Walt Disney World. Additionally it was located across from
the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus World
attraction. The themed attraction featured a circus performance
as well as a "participation" circus where visitors
could learn to perform circus acts. There was also a midway
that included elephant and roller coaster rides.
Above
& left: Note that the Mansards of both the Lobby
and Restaurant faced I-4 so that motorists were able to catch
a good view of the gleaming Orange Roofs.
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Advertisement
ca. 1970s: John Brett Glowacki |
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Photos
1977: Bob Venditti |
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Circus
World morphed into the short lived Boardwalk and Baseball attraction,
but by the early 1990s it was closed and abandoned. Eventually
evidence of Circus World and Boardwalk and Baseball was erased
from the roadscape, and what had been a mecca of hospitality establishments
built at Orlando/Disney's western gateway experienced profound
change.
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Photo
April 2003: Kummerlowe Archive |
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The
Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge lost its lease on life in 1995 and
was eventually converted into a disguised Holiday Inn Express.
However like other roadside businesses sited at the U.S. 27 and
I-4 interchange, it was victim to yet another conversion. By 2005
it had lost its Holiday Inn banner in favor of Choice Hotel's
Quality Inn badge. |
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Photo
2007: Larry Passaro |
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Photo ca. 2006:
Bob Venditti |
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trademarks, etc. that are depicted remain the property of their
respective owners. Please contact this site's owner
prior to reproducing any part of it. Works from contributors (includes
photographs, ephemera, etc.) must not be reproduced without their
explicit consent. |
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