Best non-theme park themed environments

[Disneyhead'71]

In Summit County in Colorado there are 2 ski towns 10 miles apart with completely different vibes. Breckenridge is an 1860s gold mining base camp with tons of gentrified old west flair. Stop in an old western saloon and get a cold brew iced coffee or microbrew IPA.

Just up the road is Keystone Village. It is a ski resort village that was built in the 1990s and was purposely built as a themed village with a curious mashup theme. They tried to split the difference between log mountain lodge theme and Colorado gold mining town theme. This is what they came up with.

 

[ryguy]

Old Town St. Augustine is kinda neat.

 

[_caleb]

Old Town St. Augustine is kinda neat.

YES! We started our last couple Disney trips with a day in St. Augustine! We love the history and the Castillo de San Marcos.

Also, you can get a Dole whip at the ice cream shop.

 

[RandySavage]

It's telling that we mix actual historic places/buildings in with themed places in this discussion.

When Architecture (capital A) was still an Artform, and buildings, villages, towns & cities were built according to principles & techniques (and with materials) that had developed & accumulated for millennia - always building on what had come before - virtually the entire world could be considered "themed/Disney-like" by definitions used here. It's why well-preserved historic places (and theme parks) are tourist destinations.

Post-World Wars, the Old World Order lay in physical and psychological ruin. Modernidm had taken full hold as a rejection of the past. Population, mass-production via machine, pre-fabrication, synthetic materials, automobile, etc., etc., exploded. And all this combined to fundamentally and massively change the way we build (and, more importantly, the ways schools taught how to build). Principles & foundations of former Architecture (which combined Artist with Engineer) were cast aside for a new utilitarian practice, call it "building." And buildings built since, for the most part haven't adhered to the long-established ways, resulting in mass discord/uglification/dehumanization of the places in which most of humanity live, work, travel, play, pray, etc.. The appeal of theme parks was they gave people a reminder of that former "Architecture of Reassurance", as Hench called it. Well-preserved historic places never lost it.

 

[MinnieM123]

@_caleb , just wanted to mention how enjoyable this thread is. It's like a fun little travelogue, inviting us to see all kinds of various places, both large and small.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Not exactly what the OP is asking, but one time I took the family on a giant road trip that included "Hotels That Inspired Disney Hotels". We lived in Denver at the time so we drove to Yellowstone and stayed at Old Faithful Inn (Wilderness Lodge)

We drove from there to Yosemite and stayed at The Ahwahnee (The Grand Californian)

then we drove to Disneyland and stayed at The Disneyland Hotel (we had stayed at the Grand Californian earlier that year). From there we went down to San Diego and stayed at The Hotel Del Coronado (Grand Floridian).

We hit the Grand Canyon and Arches National Parks on the way back to Denver.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I second some of the NYC and National park locals.
Other areas I love.
Longwood Gardens out side of Philly, especially at Christmas time.

A Longwood Christmas

Revel in hundreds of thousands of lights, how-did-they-do-that displays, and spectacular beauty at every turn.

longwoodgardens.org

Key West and the entire drive leading to it.

Borrego Springs, CA, and the surrounding area

Borrego Springs, Ca Ricardo Breceda's 130 full-sized metal art sculptures

The sculptures at Galleta Meadows are the perfect blend of superb craftsmanship and a picture-perfect placement in the open desert landscape surrounded by California's largest state park.

www.desertusa.com

Acadia Maine

And Sedona, AZ

 

[_caleb]

Not exactly what the OP is asking, but one time I took the family on a giant road trip that included "Hotels That Inspired Disney Hotels". We lived in Denver at the time so we drove to Yellowstone and stayed at Old Faithful Inn (Wilderness Lodge)

We drove from there to Yosemite and stayed at The Ahwahnee (The Grand Californian)

then we drove to Disneyland and stayed at The Disneyland Hotel (we had stayed at the Grand Californian earlier that year). From there we went down to San Diego and stayed at The Hotel Del Coronado (Grand Floridian).

We hit the Grand Canyon and Arches National Parks on the way back to Denver.

I love that you did this with your family! I find lots of people don’t realize that so much about Disney parks and films is inspired by real places (real places that actually had some of the same “magic” to them long before Walt ever dreamed of the Land).

Looking at the photo of the Old Faithful Inn, I’m reminded of another place I‘ve visited that had a similar (though more quaint feel to it: Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood in Oregon):


SOURCE: https://www.pdxmonthly.com/travel-and-outdoors/2017/11/timberline-s-apres-ski-dining-options-ranked

 

[_caleb]

It's telling that we mix actual historic places/buildings in with themed places in this discussion.

When Architecture (capital A) was still an Artform, and buildings, villages, towns & cities were built according to principles & techniques (and with materials) that had developed & accumulated for millennia - always building on what had come before - virtually the entire world could be considered "themed/Disney-like" by definitions used here. It's why well-preserved historic places (and theme parks) are tourist destinations.

Post-World Wars, the Old World Order lay in physical and psychological ruin. Modernidm had taken full hold as a rejection of the past. Population, mass-production via machine, pre-fabrication, synthetic materials, automobile, etc., etc., exploded. And all this combined to fundamentally and massively change the way we build (and, more importantly, the ways schools taught how to build). Principles & foundations of former Architecture (which combined Artist with Engineer) were cast aside for a new utilitarian practice, call it "building." And buildings built since, for the most part haven't adhered to the long-established ways, resulting in mass discord/uglification/dehumanization of the places in which most of humanity live, work, travel, play, pray, etc.. The appeal of theme parks was they gave people a reminder of that former "Architecture of Reassurance", as Hench called it. Well-preserved historic places never lost it.

It’s so funny you mention this. As I was considering a few more examples to post, I noticed that some of the places on my list were really old places that retained their charm, and newer, themed places (usually built to seem as though they have history).

That made me think about the idea of “authenticity” and how it applies to places that really immerse and transport a person. I’m not sure an old place preserved for the sake of tourism is any more “authentic” than a newer place built with a theme, but something about those well-preserved historic places somehow connects me to the stories of the artisans who built them.

“Dehumanization” in modern building is exactly the right term. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

It’s so funny you mention this. As I was considering a few more examples to post, I noticed that some of the places on my list were really old places that retained their charm, and newer, themed places (usually built to seem as though they have history).

That made me think about the idea of “authenticity” and how it applies to places that really immerse and transport a person. I’m not sure an old place preserved for the sake of tourism is any more “authentic” than a newer place built with a theme, but something about those well-preserved historic places somehow connects me to the stories of the artisans who built them.

“Dehumanization” in modern building is exactly the right term. Thanks for sharing that.

Modern building is made with utilitarian uses in mind. How easy to clean, how cheap to build, how fast to build. Think of a modern opera house or music venue vs the old ones with detailed chandeliers and paintings on the ceilings.

 

[Sans Souci]

I second some of the NYC and National park locals.
Other areas I love.
Longwood Gardens out side of Philly, especially at Christmas time.

A Longwood Christmas

Revel in hundreds of thousands of lights, how-did-they-do-that displays, and spectacular beauty at every turn.

longwoodgardens.org

Key West and the entire drive leading to it.

Borrego Springs, CA, and the surrounding area

Borrego Springs, Ca Ricardo Breceda's 130 full-sized metal art sculptures

The sculptures at Galleta Meadows are the perfect blend of superb craftsmanship and a picture-perfect placement in the open desert landscape surrounded by California's largest state park.

www.desertusa.com

Acadia Maine

And Sedona, AZ

I love Longwood Gardens. My husband and I have memberships there. I bought them in November and was looking forward to seeing everything bloom in the Spring. Alas...

At least I got to go at Christmas time.

I have some photos of previous visits.


Sedona is gorgeous, kind of woo, but fantastic if you love outdoor pursuits.

 

[Lilofan]

One area that is very unique is the RV section of the Fort Wilderness campgrounds. Every year many guests deck out their RVs with Christmas lights in December and January. It's a sight to behold. Even if one is not a guest at FW, one can eat dinner at the resort and can drive around the RV area with their personal vehicle to enjoy the free lights spectacular.

 

[RandySavage]

We like patterns that we know,

Not only the historic precedent of styles, but I would argue there is a biological connection to traditional/pre Modern building practices that doesn't exist much afterwards. For example, newer buildings that are all precise, computer-measured angles and artificial materials have no connection to our natural selves, whereas curved domes and ornamental statuary (a lost practice) combined Life with mathematical geometry to bring in a biological element we could connect with. Additionally, natural building materials weather and were assembled slightly imperfectly (a technique a good theme park designer should know about) - which connect back to our Natural Order. Proportion of architectural elements was established over centuries often reflected natural proportions (e.g., The Golden Ratio).

And that Turn of the Century period (1880s-1930s) was when humanity reached its apex in the building arts (most of the things listed in this thread are of that era). It was the Era of Everyday Beauty & Grandeur. Where today's equivalents are blah, then, in more condensed places of habitation, buildings now considered mundane were consistently works of Art (Architecture is supposed to be the Art of building). A few examples among countless millions:
- an Urban Hotel, example then, example now:


- a Warehouse


- a Power Station


- City apartments

 

[_caleb]

Not only the historic precedent of styles, but I would argue there is a biological connection to traditional/pre Modern building practices that doesn't exist much afterwards. For example, newer buildings that are all precise, computer-measured angles and artificial materials have no connection to our natural selves, whereas curved domes and ornamental statuary (a lost practice) combined Life with mathematical geometry to bring in a biological element we could connect with. Additionally, natural building materials weather and were assembled slightly imperfectly (a technique a good theme park designer should know about) - which connect back to our Natural Order. Proportion of architectural elements was established over centuries often reflected natural proportions (e.g., The Golden Ratio).

And that Turn of the Century period (1880s-1930s) was when humanity reached its apex in the building arts (most of the things listed in this thread are of that era). It was the Era of Everyday Beauty & Grandeur. Where today's equivalents are blah, then, in more condensed places of habitation, buildings now considered mundane were consistently works of Art (Architecture is supposed to be the Art of building). A few examples among countless millions:
- an Urban Hotel, example then, example now:
View attachment 466530

- a Warehouse
View attachment 466531

- a Power Station
View attachment 466532

- City apartments
View attachment 466533

Excellent. This helps explain why the hottest new urban housing options in cities are converted old factories and warehouses! Thanks for sharing.

 

[_caleb]

Anyone who has ever visited Solvang in California probably recognizes the “somewhat authentic, but laid on thick for the tourists” vibe common to many of the Disneyesque sites mentioned in this thread.


SOURCE: https://theculturetrip.com/north-am...-brief-history-of-solvang-socals-danish-town/

Solvang, a quaint little Danish town built near Santa Barbara, was originally built by Danish immigrants in 1910 in the traditional style, with windmills, half-timber houses, and statues of Hans Christian Andersen and The Little Mermaid (replicas of the famous originals in Copenhagen). The line between authentic and artificial is blurred here, as it was built to be an approximation of home by Danish immigrants.


SOURCE: https://theculturetrip.com/north-am...-brief-history-of-solvang-socals-danish-town/

I have fond memories of visiting Solvang as a child- I remember how “foreign” the food seemed and how the music seemed so joyful. For me, the “Disney” feel came more from the “bubble” created by the themed environment where everyone and everything seemed to be part of the show.


SOURCE: https://californiathroughmylens.com/solvang-attractions-food

I’m starting to notice that all of the places that I think have a Disney feel also have really fun food...