Boca Raton Historic Photographs: AFRICA-USA theme park

This month’s Historic photograph, comes from AFRICA U.S.A., BOCA RATON ‘s BEST KEPT SECRET!!!!!

Another photo contributed by Phyllis with Machakas.

This is a Whopper of a secret!!!  In doing research for this blog post, I came across AFRICA-USA.COM,  a website about America’s First Cageless African Wildlife Animal Themed Park.  I had no idea this place had existed HERE IN DOWNTOWN BOCA RATON! and predated LION COUNTRY SAFARI!!!! And when I mean here I mean HERE where my building is situated, below is an aerial photograph.  It was even on the cover of  LIFE MAGAZINE!!! Sadly it no longer exists, but it is celebrated in this website, you must visit AFRICA-USA.COM.

This rare aerial photo of Africa U.S.A. was taken in 1956.

“This web site is a history and virtual tour of Africa U.S.A., an African wildlife tourist attraction that was open from 1953 until 1961. The park was located in Boca Raton, Florida on 300 acres of land near U.S.1.”

HERE is a Video from YouTube of the park in its Heyday courtesy Africa-usa.com “Film from 1956, taken by GeorgeHill.”

And here is one of the most striking photographs of all, an advertising to the park on U.S.1 (Federal Highway)

from the 1950′s  (CORRECTION: As Mrs. Pederson states, The camel Photograph Below IS in Boca Raton, but it’s from  the 1920′s and NOT about AFRICA-USA, But for a Shriner’s Convention and to draw interest in Boca Raton at the time.

THANK YOU! Mrs. Pederson )

LOOK FOR ANOTHER WHOPPER OF A SECRET NEXT MONTH,  THINK   “ANCIENT BOCA RATON” LOL!!!!