Marceline, Missouri ... Walt Disney's Boyhood Home by Kevin Burk


Howdy, Mouseketeers! Welcome to part three of our trip through Walt Disney's boyhood hometown, Marceline, Missouri. So far we have spent time inside the Walt Disney and Santa Fe railroad museum, and have wandered the outskirts of Marceline, but now it's time to head downtown. The East side of Main Street U.S.A. Among its many charming aspects, Marceline also has the honor of officially being dubbed "The Home Away From Disneyland Home" to Main Street U.S.A. Technically, the street is actually named Kansas Avenue, but to all involved, it's best known as Main Street, which you will see on most businesses. I'm walking right down the middle of Main Street, U.S.A. ... There are a lot of stories and speculation about Main Street Marceline - was it indeed the model for Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A.? That's the story, at least, but is it true? Well, that's hard to say. When Walt Disney and Herb Ryman sat down in September 1953 and came up with the sketch of what would eventually be Disneyland's version of the small town Main Street, I'm certain that a certain part of Uncle Walt's vision came from remembering this street as a child, but it's not the only street similar to this in the Midwest. You'll find a lot of small towns in the Midwest with Main Streets that look similar to this, and many more that remarkably do look like Disneyland's version. Disneyland's Main Street Whether or not Marceline was the only model for what would eventually become Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A. is unknown. But what is known is the charm that Marceline has on this main thoroughfare, which lends itself nicely to its Anaheim cousin. As it is common in most small towns, Main Street is the central hub of activity in the community, serving as a focal point for the local residents as well as a central gathering place for festivals and special events. It's the kind of place where you will still see people walking from business to business, stopping in just to say hello. Or you may see the men sitting around in the coffee shop early in the morning discussing their crops, or a women's card club stopping in for lunch in the afternoon. And don't be too surprised if you happen to spot a tractor heading down the middle of the street; something you're unlikely to see in Times Square. One of the highlights that you'll find on Main Street Marceline is the Uptown Theater, where Walt Disney held the world premiere of The Great Locomotive Chase back in 1956. Disney also held the world premiere here for its straight-to-video release of The Spirit of Mickey in 1998. The Uptown Theater - a true American classic. The Uptown is a small theater, but it is also free of the slick promotional feeling you'll find at most 30-screen megaplexes around the country. Ticket prices were only $4 during my visit, and I highly doubt that they run 30 minutes of TV commercials before their features. I'm telling you, that Mouse gets around! The one thing that did surprise me though was the film that was playing - instead of showing a Disney film such as Finding Nemo, the starring attraction was Bruce Almighty. (Although in many small town theaters, it is common to show a film for one week only, so it's possible that Nemo had already been there and gone by the time of my visit.) As you can see, the Disney legacy lives on in many of the businesses you'll find on Main Street. Not all of the shops cater to the Disney enthusiast tourist, but many do have special artwork on the walls or Disney-related merchandise for sale. Antiques are worth twice as much when they're sprinkled with pixie dust! And sometimes, as in the case of "Mike E. Mouse," who adorned the outside wall of a closed bank building, it's not always in a completely serious frame of mind. Could he be Mickey's cousin ... the one they don't talk about? In a lot of small Midwestern towns, you'll often find one shop that caters to two or more completely different types of businesses. For example, the small town I used to live in had a combination video rental / tanning / balloon bouquet store. So it was no surprise (for me, at least) to see that the Maytag appliance dealership also has ... a soda fountain? "Hey kid, you're getting Cookies 'n Cream on the Radar Range!" Yes, sure enough. In Marceline, you can order a banana split and a pick up a new dishwasher all at the same time. Since Marceline was born out of the needs of the railroads, at the northern end of Main Street you'll find Ripley Park. Ripley Park, as my Disney trivia fanatic friends will gladly tell you, is named after E. P. Ripley, the first president of the Santa Fe Railroad. If the name E.P. Ripley seems familiar to you, be sure to check out the names of the trains at Disneyland the next time you're in the Magic Kingdom. All aboard! It was here in Ripley Park that I felt the closest connection to classic Disney animation, brought on mainly by the gazebo in the center of the park. If you've ever seen the 1935 Mickey Mouse / Donald Duck cartoon "The Band Concert" (and shame on you if you haven't ...), you'll recognize the scene. I could almost see Mickey and the gang playing the William Tell Overture here. "Turkey in the Straw," anyone? Also in the park you'll find an engine, coal car and caboose from the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad. The trains make a lasting and fitting tribute to a man who loved to ride the rails, and to the town that inspired his lifelong devotion to the railroad. So the trip down Main Street U.S.A. was both educational and fun. True, there weren't any parades going by, and I didn't get to meet a single 5-foot-tall mouse, but it was still enough of what I expected Walt's hometown to be like to make my day. If you ever find yourself in the area, be sure to stop and walk Main Street for yourself. The people are friendly, the shops are inviting and you never know when you'll have a magical moment. Okay - we're approaching the end of our journey, but before we leave Marceline, we'll make one more stop ... at the Dreaming Tree. See you real soon!
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Howdy, Mouseketeers!

Welcome to part three of our trip through Walt Disney's boyhood hometown, Marceline, Missouri. So far we have spent time inside the Walt Disney and Santa Fe railroad museum, and have wandered the outskirts of Marceline, but now it's time to head downtown.

The East side of Main Street U.S.A.

Among its many charming aspects, Marceline also has the honor of officially being dubbed "The Home Away From Disneyland Home" to Main Street U.S.A. Technically, the street is actually named Kansas Avenue, but to all involved, it's best known as Main Street, which you will see on most businesses.

I'm walking right down the middle of Main Street, U.S.A. ...

There are a lot of stories and speculation about Main Street Marceline - was it indeed the model for Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A.? That's the story, at least, but is it true? Well, that's hard to say.

When Walt Disney and Herb Ryman sat down in September 1953 and came up with the sketch of what would eventually be Disneyland's version of the small town Main Street, I'm certain that a certain part of Uncle Walt's vision came from remembering this street as a child, but it's not the only street similar to this in the Midwest. You'll find a lot of small towns in the Midwest with Main Streets that look similar to this, and many more that remarkably do look like Disneyland's version.

Disneyland's Main Street

Whether or not Marceline was the only model for what would eventually become Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A. is unknown. But what is known is the charm that Marceline has on this main thoroughfare, which lends itself nicely to its Anaheim cousin.

As it is common in most small towns, Main Street is the central hub of activity in the community, serving as a focal point for the local residents as well as a central gathering place for festivals and special events. It's the kind of place where you will still see people walking from business to business, stopping in just to say hello. Or you may see the men sitting around in the coffee shop early in the morning discussing their crops, or a women's card club stopping in for lunch in the afternoon. And don't be too surprised if you happen to spot a tractor heading down the middle of the street; something you're unlikely to see in Times Square.

One of the highlights that you'll find on Main Street Marceline is the Uptown Theater, where Walt Disney held the world premiere of The Great Locomotive Chase back in 1956. Disney also held the world premiere here for its straight-to-video release of The Spirit of Mickey in 1998.

The Uptown Theater - a true American classic.

The Uptown is a small theater, but it is also free of the slick promotional feeling you'll find at most 30-screen megaplexes around the country. Ticket prices were only $4 during my visit, and I highly doubt that they run 30 minutes of TV commercials before their features.

I'm telling you, that Mouse gets around!

The one thing that did surprise me though was the film that was playing - instead of showing a Disney film such as Finding Nemo, the starring attraction was Bruce Almighty. (Although in many small town theaters, it is common to show a film for one week only, so it's possible that Nemo had already been there and gone by the time of my visit.)

As you can see, the Disney legacy lives on in many of the businesses you'll find on Main Street. Not all of the shops cater to the Disney enthusiast tourist, but many do have special artwork on the walls or Disney-related merchandise for sale.

Antiques are worth twice as much when they're sprinkled with pixie dust!

And sometimes, as in the case of "Mike E. Mouse," who adorned the outside wall of a closed bank building, it's not always in a completely serious frame of mind.

Could he be Mickey's cousin ... the one they don't talk about?

In a lot of small Midwestern towns, you'll often find one shop that caters to two or more completely different types of businesses. For example, the small town I used to live in had a combination video rental / tanning / balloon bouquet store. So it was no surprise (for me, at least) to see that the Maytag appliance dealership also has ... a soda fountain?

"Hey kid, you're getting Cookies 'n Cream on the Radar Range!"

Yes, sure enough. In Marceline, you can order a banana split and a pick up a new dishwasher all at the same time.

Since Marceline was born out of the needs of the railroads, at the northern end of Main Street you'll find Ripley Park. Ripley Park, as my Disney trivia fanatic friends will gladly tell you, is named after E. P. Ripley, the first president of the Santa Fe Railroad. If the name E.P. Ripley seems familiar to you, be sure to check out the names of the trains at Disneyland the next time you're in the Magic Kingdom.

All aboard!

It was here in Ripley Park that I felt the closest connection to classic Disney animation, brought on mainly by the gazebo in the center of the park. If you've ever seen the 1935 Mickey Mouse / Donald Duck cartoon "The Band Concert" (and shame on you if you haven't ...), you'll recognize the scene. I could almost see Mickey and the gang playing the William Tell Overture here.

"Turkey in the Straw," anyone?

Also in the park you'll find an engine, coal car and caboose from the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad. The trains make a lasting and fitting tribute to a man who loved to ride the rails, and to the town that inspired his lifelong devotion to the railroad.

So the trip down Main Street U.S.A. was both educational and fun. True, there weren't any parades going by, and I didn't get to meet a single 5-foot-tall mouse, but it was still enough of what I expected Walt's hometown to be like to make my day. If you ever find yourself in the area, be sure to stop and walk Main Street for yourself. The people are friendly, the shops are inviting and you never know when you'll have a magical moment.

Okay - we're approaching the end of our journey, but before we leave Marceline, we'll make one more stop ... at the Dreaming Tree.

See you real soon!

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