HISTORY
 

 

Birth of "Venice of America" (1890-1906)

In the 1890’s, one man’s dream of a renaissance resort and amusement park transformed a deteriorating marshland west of Los Angeles, California, into the "Coney Island of the Pacific". Despite disbelief and opposition, the dreams of Abbot Kinney materialized in grand style.

  • 1891 - Kinney and Ryan purchase land and sell lots at Ocean Park.
  • 1905 - Kinney constructs Venice of America, canals and piers.
  • 1911 - Fraser builds "Million Dollar" amusement pier in Ocean Park.
  • 1920 - Abbot Kinney dies; Abbot Kinney amusement pier burns.
  • 1924 - Ocean Park pier complex burns.
  • 1925 - Los Angeles annexes Venice.
  • 1930 - Oil discovered in Venice.
  • 1946 - Venice amusement Pier closed.
  • 1958 - Pacific Ocean Park opens after old Ocean Park remodled.
  • 1964 - Los Angeles tears down 550 buildings in historic Venice.
  • 1967 - Pacific Ocean Park goes bankrupt.
  • 1977 - Venice regains popularity as "Roller Skating Capital of the World."

Visit this link for more information: http://www.westland.net/venice/history.htm