GARDEN GROVE : City Doubles Fee for Atlantis Play Center

Hard economic times have come to Atlantis Play Center, a nautically designed park for children that takes its name from the legendary island of Atlantis.

Earlier this week, a financially strapped City Council raised the price of admission to $1, up from 50 cents, effective Aug. 17. The ticket price had not been raised since 1977.

The increase came over the protests of Councilman Robert F. Dinsen, who said that the play center offers “nice, clean enjoyment whether people are poor or wealthy” and that he does not want to see it become a profit-making venture.

But Councilman Mark Leyes supported the $1-a-head fee, which he said does not “come close to recovering full city costs” to operate the park and wage an aggressive campaign to attract revenue-producing group activities to Atlantis.

“The alternative might be to close these kinds of parks if we don’t recover more costs,” he said.

Officials said the new fee will bring in a little more than $35,000 to the city’s depleted treasury. But maintenance and operating costs at Atlantis are expected to reach $118,000.

On a busy summer day, the park reportedly attracts as many as 700 youngsters, mostly between the ages of 4 and 12. It boasts a sea-dragon slide, an octopus teeter-totter, a grotto, Viking ships, and whale, sea horse and porpoise figures.

It also offers $38 catered birthday parties at which cake and ice cream are served by clowns.

Officials said admission fees are necessary because of high maintenance costs and the need to have staff members on duty for extended periods.

When Atlantis opened 30 years ago as a part of Garden Grove Park, along Westminster Avenue between Brookhurst and Magnolia streets, it received nationwide acclaim because of its novelty, said Cal Rietzel, manager of the Community Services Department. City work crews manufactured and installed the unique equipment and attractions.

The play center does not allow adults unless they are accompanied by children. When the play center opened in 1962, everyone over 2 years of age was charged an admission fee of 10 cents.