It's that time again - time to resume our photo tour of Walt Disney World. Today's tour finds us in the Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square. An area similar to this was designed as an expansion for Disneyland, but it never was built. But when the Magic Kingdom opened, some of those original plans finally saw the light of day.

The older, booklet-type guide maps would always include Frontierland and Liberty Square on the same page, as if to say that Liberty Square wasn't really a full "land" on its own. But it is home to two popular attractions, the Haunted Mansion and the Hall of Presidents. And it provides several good picture opportunities.

Perhaps the reason the two lands were grouped together is because of how they flow into each other so smoothly. In the Frontierland photo tour, I mentioned how Liberty Square and Frontierland together represent the western expansion of the United States. That transition begins at the eastern end of Liberty Square, which architecturally represents the buildings from the time of the founding of the nation; this area includes the Columbia Harbor House, the Hall of Presidents, and the Liberty Tree Tavern. From there, you proceed a little farther west and find the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon, which represents the saloons found around St. Louis, the "Gateway to the West", when the nation was just beginning to expand. Over the years, I've seen the Diamond Horseshoe and the Tricornered Hat Shoppe next to it listed in both Frontierland and Liberty Square, but my own opinion is that they were originally intended to be part of Liberty Square

So now, on to the pictures!

What better way to start our tour of Liberty Square than with a place you can get a bite to eat. The Columbia Harbor House, a counter service restaurant, has several selections of seafood and chicken. I always enjoy their clam chowder in a bread bowl. The decor of the seating areas is centered around a nautical theme, as one might find at a port city in colonial times.

This picture shows another view of the Columbia Harbor House. Just to the left of center in this picture is the entrance to Fantasyland. The Hall of Presidents is off to the right, and the Haunted Mansion is farther to the left.

The Liberty Belle riverboat leaves from Liberty Square Landing for a trip on the Rivers of America around Tom Sawyer Island. Guests can enjoy a relaxing cruise while taking in the sights along the riverbanks.

Another shot of the Liberty Belle at the landing. The Liberty Belle was originally named the Richard F. Irvine, after the head of the design team for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I'm not sure exactly why the name of the riverboat was changed in the late 1990's. At first, the Magic Kingdom had another riverboat, the Admiral Joe Fowler, named after one of the main figures in the construction of both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The Richard F. Irvine was added in 1973, so that for a time, the Magic Kingdom actually had two riverboats, until the Admiral Joe Fowler was retired in 1980. After the Liberty Square riverboat was renamed the Liberty Belle, two of the ferry boats between the Magic Kingdom and the Transportation and Ticket Center were renamed in honor of Fowler and Irvine.

This picture shows Liberty Square Landing as seen from in front of the Hall of Presidents. The cupola even has a sailing ship weather vane. For a time a few years ago, the Magic Kingdom offered "Character Cruises" on the Liberty Belle, featuring several characters on the boat during its cruise.

Continued

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