Children’s Fairyland is an amalgamation of fantasyland and the inner workings of a toddler's imaginative brain. 

My adult friend begged me to visit this special place because she had heard so many positive things about it. As their website states, it is “a magical fantasy world where young children can create, imagine, play and learn.”

Before Disneyland, in 1948, Oakland businessman Arthur Navlet had an idea. He took his proposal for a storybook theme park, featuring fairy-tale sets, farm animals and live entertainment, and with the support of Oakland’s parks superintendent, the city of Oakland raised the money needed to build one of the first amusement parks for young children.

There are tons of storybook sets to explore, characters wandering around, story times, whimsical rides, animals, gardens and more. Visit Mr. McGregor's Garden and search for monarch butterflies or say hello to the animals including mini horses, goats, donkeys, ducks, baby doll sheep, guinea pigs, and Puff, the magic bearded dragon. The Magic Keys unlock the talking storybook boxes and are available for $3 at the gift shop. Some of the rides include a carousel, mini ferris wheel, and a kid sized train.

There is a cafe which has the usual hot dogs, cotton candy and snacks, but feel free to pack your own lunch. Kids of all ages will enjoy Fairyland, but it is definitely geared to those under 8. Also note that in order to enter Fairyland, adults must be accompanied by children.

There are also always a ton of events Check out their updated list of events here.