Once Upon a Dream

Story Land’s orange and blue crooked house in New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Valley has been a second home to Stoney Morrell as long as he can remember.

Until age 18, Morrell spent nearly every day here, growing up around his parents’ fairy tale. “Cinderella was my friend, as was Heidi’s grandfather, and Mother Goose. I lived in a world based on stories read to me,” says Morrell, now 48.

Morrell’s parents, Bob and Ruth, were childhood sweethearts. After marriage, Bob, a World War II veteran, was recalled to Germany during the Korean crisis. There they met Frau Edith Von Arps, a Nuremberg doll maker, whose creations were based on classic fairy tales. The Morrells struck up a friendship and ended up buying 25 dolls.

Returning home to Conway, N.H. (pop. 8,604), the Morrells pondered the idea of creating a village to house those storybook dolls. They envisioned a “wonderful family experience” with the dolls in a small-scale, child-friendly setting. Although the White Mountains had long attracted tourists, a children’s park was a novel idea in 1954—a year before Disneyland opened.

The only affordable land—acreage too poor for pasture—was in the nearby village of Glen (pop. 635). With help from neighbors and lots of hard work, the couple began building Story Land.

The first year, guests found mostly wooded landscape and gravel paths, dotted with a few colorful buildings. Daughter Nancy dressed up as Mistress Mary in her garden. A spider descended from a tree to visit Little Miss Muffet, Jack and Jill went up the hill, and a giant shoe overflowed with kids. It was a family operation with Ruth in charge of the gift shop, Bob assuring everyone had a good time, and grandparents pitching in where needed. It was a far cry from Story Land’s current 350 summer employees.

Sometimes, after viewing Peter Rabbit’s or Goosey Gander’s house from the road, people would stop, wanting to buy the “fancy dog houses.” It never got Bob down. His response was that there was no competition for his business because nobody expected the crazy idea to survive. To make ends meet, he worked at a local ski shop during the winter.

Year by year, the Morrells never strayed from their dream. In the early ’60s, when banks hesitated to give loans to the unproven seasonal business, Bob helped form the White Mountain Bank in North Conway. Its doors opened wide for local small business owners with well-run, seasonal operations, the backbone of today’s Mount Washington Valley economy. And, like Jack’s beanstalk, Story Land grew. And Stoney Morrell, born shortly after Story Land was founded, grew along with it.

However, he never expected to take over Story Land’s management. After college, he dreamed of a cowboy life and headed to Wyoming to work on a ranch.

“This was the life, I thought, as I baled hay and counted heads of beef. But I began to miss the excitement in Glen. It took a while for me to smarten up,” Morrell says. Eventually he returned and worked alongside his dad, who passed away in 1998.

Today, Stoney runs the 40-acre Story Land with the same philosophy as his parents, making it a place where everyone has a chance to be a kid again. He does that by keeping it simple. The 100-year-old carousel has changed little. Cinderella’s pumpkin coach drives to her castle on the hill, the same path for 50 years. Storybook characters still come to life and give hugs. Rides includes Dr. Geyser’s Remarkable Raft Ride and Eggs-traordinary Farm Tractors, but they don’t make kids scream. For that matter, nothing is meant to be scary. Story Land, open Memorial Day to Columbus Day, remains as always—a non-intimidating experience for the very youngest. “We’re a little bit of a dinosaur in this business,” Morrell admits.

Still, he loves showing up for work every day. For Morrell, Story Land is a place where he’s gained more than a livelihood. Its product, he says, “is what people take home in their hearts, not in their pockets.”

Which is just what his dad always said.

For more information on Story Land, call (603) 383-4186 or log on to www.storylandnh.com.

Cynthia Elyce Rubin is a freelance writer in New York City.

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