Adventure City
A compact family amusement park in Stanton, California, near Anaheim.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Adventure City is a small family-oriented amusement park located in Stanton, California, on the boundary of the cities of Stanton and Anaheim. Although the park promotes its location as Anaheim for visitor recognition, the physical park site is in Stanton, while its parking area and principal entrance extend into Anaheim. Covering just over two acres, it is among California’s smallest theme parks and is positioned as a more affordable, child-friendly alternative to the larger destination amusement parks in the Greater Los Angeles area. The park opened in 1994 as an expansion of Hobby City, a nearby six-acre attraction complex containing novelty shops and museums. Its development reportedly cost $4 million. Rather than competing through scale, Adventure City was designed around a concentrated collection of rides and activities suitable for families with younger children. Its opening attractions included a vintage carousel dating from 1946 and Hobby City’s miniature railroad, an attraction that had first opened in 1938 and was incorporated into the new amusement park after operating independently for decades. Adventure City’s attraction portfolio combines traditional amusement-park equipment with compact, family-focused experiences. Its rides have included spinning attractions such as Balloon Race and Barnstormer Planes, the Drop Zone tower, the Freeway Coaster, the children’s Crank ’n’ Roll train ride, Crazy Bus, Giggle Wheel, Rescue Ride, the Adventure City Express Train, and the Rewind Racers family shuttle coaster. Additional features include live entertainment at Stage 39, a petting farm, an arcade, Mount Adventurous climbing facilities, and a play area themed around Thomas and Friends. This mix supports short visits, repeat local attendance, and family outings rather than the extensive resort experience associated with larger parks. The park expanded its ride offering incrementally. In 1999 it acquired and refurbished a classic Wild Mouse-style roller coaster from an amusement company in Brisbane, Australia. Named Tree Top Racers, the ride required the park to extend westward into a former parking area. It closed permanently in 2012. Drop Zone opened in 2005, becoming the second major new ride added after the park’s original opening. In 2015, Adventure City introduced Rewind Racers on the former Tree Top Racers site. Built by German manufacturer Gerstlauer, the family shuttle coaster was described as the first of its type in North America and represented the park’s largest single investment at that time, at a reported cost of $2 million. Adventure City has also participated in entertainment and family programming beyond its rides. In 1998, it was featured in Big Smile Entertainment’s musical adventure film The Happy Crowd at Adventure City. The park has maintained a sponsorship relationship with The Coca-Cola Company, identified in reference material as its only major sponsor. Reported annual attendance has generally ranged between approximately 200,000 and 400,000 visitors, although no current attendance figure is established here. The brand’s identity is therefore built around accessibility, compact scale, nostalgic attractions, and family entertainment. Its continued differentiation comes from offering a manageable park environment with rides for children and parents, historic features such as the miniature train and carousel, and selected higher-profile attractions such as Rewind Racers. Ownership, current corporate structure, executive leadership, and detailed financial performance are not established in the available material.
History
Adventure City developed from Hobby City, a six-acre collection of novelty shops and museums in the Stanton–Anaheim area of Southern California. Hobby City had already established an attraction base before Adventure City opened: its miniature railway began operating in 1938, and the site also possessed a historic 1946 carousel. In 1994, the operators expanded the concept into a dedicated amusement park. The new park reportedly cost $4 million to develop and was intended to offer families with children a lower-cost and less imposing alternative to the major theme parks in Greater Los Angeles. The resulting park occupied slightly more than two acres, making it unusually compact for a California amusement destination. Its small footprint shaped the brand’s operating model and identity. Adventure City could assemble a range of rides, children’s activities, and entertainment in a setting that was easier for families to navigate than a large resort park. The original attraction mix included the inherited miniature railway and vintage carousel, along with children’s rides and a theater featuring puppets and live performers. Adventure City added its first major post-opening coaster project in 1999. The park purchased and refurbished a classic Wild Mouse-style roller coaster from an amusement company in Brisbane, Australia. The attraction was named Tree Top Racers, and its installation required expansion westward into an adjacent former parking area. The coaster complemented the park’s collection of classic and family-oriented rides while giving the relatively small venue a distinctive headline attraction. Tree Top Racers was ultimately retired in 2012. In 2005, the park introduced Drop Zone, a drop-tower ride and its second new attraction since opening. The ride broadened the park’s offering beyond low-intensity children’s attractions while remaining within its compact operating format. Three years later, Adventure City received additional public exposure when it was featured in Big Smile Entertainment’s musical adventure film The Happy Crowd at Adventure City. Following the closure of Tree Top Racers, the park redeveloped the former coaster site for a more substantial investment. In 2015, coinciding with the park’s twentieth anniversary period, Adventure City opened Rewind Racers, a family shuttle coaster manufactured by German company Gerstlauer. The ride was presented as the first of its kind in North America and became the largest single investment in the park’s history at the time. Its forward-and-reverse operating concept provided a distinctive experience while preserving the family emphasis of the park. The broader attraction lineup has included the Freeway Coaster, Balloon Race, Barnstormer Planes, Crank ’n’ Roll, Crazy Bus, Giggle Wheel, Rescue Ride, and the Adventure City Express Train. Non-ride facilities have included Stage 39 for live shows and dance parties, a petting farm, an arcade, Mount Adventurous, and a Thomas and Friends play area. The former Children’s Theater, which began with the park’s 1994 opening, was closed in 2018 and replaced by Stage 39. Adventure City is located physically in Stanton, although its marketing emphasizes Anaheim and its parking and main entrance are in Anaheim. The park has been associated with Coca-Cola as its only major sponsor in the available reference material. Reported attendance has averaged between roughly 200,000 and 400,000 visitors annually, but no current attendance or financial figures are confirmed here. Information about ownership, corporate organization, executives, and present-day operating details remains unavailable in the supplied sources.
- 2018
Children’s Theater is replaced by Stage 39
[1]The former Children’s Theater closes and the Stage 39 performance area takes its place.
- 2015
Rewind Racers opens
[1]Gerstlauer’s Rewind Racers family shuttle coaster opens on the former Tree Top Racers site.
- 2012
Tree Top Racers closes
[1]The park permanently retires Tree Top Racers.
- 2005
Drop Zone opens
[1]Adventure City adds Drop Zone, a drop-tower attraction.
- 1999
Tree Top Racers opens
[1]A refurbished 1950s-era Wild Mouse-style coaster acquired from Australia opens under the Tree Top Racers name.
- 1994
Adventure City opens
[1]The family amusement park opens as a $4 million expansion of Hobby City in the Stanton–Anaheim area.
- 1946
Historic carousel enters the attraction collection
[1]A vintage carousel dating from 1946 is later included among Adventure City’s opening-day attractions.
- 1938
Hobby City miniature railway opens
[1]The miniature railway that would later become part of Adventure City begins operating at the Hobby City attraction complex.
Products and positioning
An affordable, compact family amusement park emphasizing children’s rides, nostalgic attractions, and accessible entertainment in the Greater Los Angeles area.
Family roller coaster · 2015
Rewind Racers
Rewind Racers is a family shuttle coaster that opened in 2015 on the former site of Tree Top Racers. Manufactured by German ride builder Gerstlauer, it incorporates forward-and-reverse travel into a compact ride layout. The attraction was presented as the first of its type in North America and represented Adventure City’s largest single investment at the time of opening.
Miniature railway · 1938
Adventure City Express Train
The Adventure City Express Train is a ridable miniature railway using a 14-inch gauge track. The attraction originated at Hobby City in 1938 and was incorporated into Adventure City when the amusement park opened in 1994. It provides a low-intensity experience suited to young children and reflects the park’s connection with the earlier Hobby City attraction complex.
Family roller coaster
Freeway Coaster
Freeway Coaster is identified as Adventure City’s first roller coaster. Its original design was built around a large pepper tree that stood on the site before the park was developed. The attraction forms part of the park’s compact collection of family-scale rides.
Carousel · 1946
Vintage Carousel
Adventure City’s carousel is a vintage ride dating from 1946 and featuring 20 horse figures. It was included among the park’s opening attractions and contributes a traditional, nostalgic element to the family-oriented ride lineup.
Drop tower · 2005
Drop Zone
Drop Zone is a drop-tower attraction that opened in 2005. It expanded Adventure City’s ride range beyond carousels, small spinning rides, and children’s attractions while remaining compatible with the park’s limited footprint.
Wild Mouse roller coaster · 1999
Tree Top Racers
Tree Top Racers was a classic 1950s-era Wild Mouse-style roller coaster purchased and refurbished by Adventure City after being acquired from an amusement company in Brisbane, Australia. It opened in 1999, prompted a westward park expansion, and closed permanently in 2012.
Live entertainment venue · 2018
Stage 39
Stage 39 is an on-site performance area used for live shows and dance parties. It replaced Adventure City’s former Children’s Theater after that venue closed in 2018, preserving a dedicated entertainment component within the park.
Family entertainment
Children’s attractions and activity areas
Adventure City’s non-coaster offering includes a petting farm, arcade, Mount Adventurous children’s climbing tower, and a Thomas and Friends play area with toys and train sets. These activities reinforce the park’s focus on families with younger children and provide alternatives to mechanical rides.
Brand decisions
2015
Invest in Rewind RacersProduct launchBackground
After Tree Top Racers closed, the park needed a replacement attraction for the former coaster site and sought a ride capable of attracting families without abandoning its compact format.
Action taken
Adventure City opened Rewind Racers, a Gerstlauer-built family shuttle coaster, on the former Tree Top Racers site.
Aftermath
The attraction was described as the first of its kind in North America and became the largest single investment in the park’s history at the time.
Reported project investment. $2 million (2015)
1999
Add Tree Top RacersProduct launchBackground
Adventure City sought to add a distinctive roller-coaster attraction while retaining its collection of classic family rides.
Action taken
The park purchased and refurbished a 1950s-era Wild Mouse-style coaster from Brisbane, Australia, and expanded into a former parking area for its installation.
Aftermath
Tree Top Racers became a headline attraction until its permanent closure in 2012.
1994
Launch a compact, affordable family amusement parkStrategyBackground
The operators expanded Hobby City into a dedicated amusement park aimed at families with children and positioned it as a more affordable alternative to larger Greater Los Angeles amusement parks.
Action taken
Adventure City opened on a compact site with a concentrated mix of children’s rides, historic attractions, and entertainment facilities.
Aftermath
The park established a small-scale family amusement model centered on accessibility, repeat local visits, and manageable visitor circulation.
Recent events
- 2015
Rewind Racers opens as Adventure City’s largest investment[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Adventure City opened Rewind Racers, a Gerstlauer-built family shuttle coaster on the former Tree Top Racers site. It was described as the first attraction of its type in North America and the park’s largest single investment at the time.
- 2012
Tree Top Racers closes permanently[1]
Other
The vintage Tree Top Racers roller coaster was permanently closed after operating at the park for more than a decade.
- 2005
Drop Zone opens[1]
Product launch
Adventure City opened Drop Zone, a drop-tower attraction located near Tree Top Racers.
- 1999
Tree Top Racers opens after refurbishment[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The park introduced Tree Top Racers, a refurbished 1950s-era Wild Mouse-style coaster acquired from Australia, and expanded into a former parking area.
- 1998
Adventure City featured in The Happy Crowd at Adventure City[1]
Other
The park was featured in Big Smile Entertainment’s musical adventure film The Happy Crowd at Adventure City.
- 1994
Adventure City opens as an expansion of Hobby City[1]
Other
Adventure City opened in Stanton, California, as a family-oriented expansion of the nearby Hobby City attraction complex.
Sources2 sources
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