導讀AtriptoCaliforniacanbechockfulloftouristdelights,rangingfromtheridesatDisneyLa....

A trip to California can be chock full of tourist delights, ranging from the rides at DisneyLand to the natural beauty of desert oases. But back in the day, it was a peculiar type of farm life that enticed tourists to visit. Based in Buena Vista, the original Alligator Farm was one of the biggest attractions for those looking for something wilder than Mickey Mouse.

Founded in 1906 by a man named Alligator Joe, the facility remained a popular destination throughout the 1950s.

Joseph ‘Alligator Joe’ Campbell started in the reptile business back in Hot Springs, AR, before relocating to southern California.

去美國的加州旅游，可能會是充滿了各種樂趣，特別是迪斯尼樂園還有沿途的沙漠綠洲自然風光。但很久以前，這里使用特殊的方式，來吸引游客參觀。總部設在布埃納文圖拉的鱷魚弄錯，是比米老鼠還要打的景點。

成立于1906年的一個叫鱷魚的農場，在整個20世紀50年代都是最熱門旅游目的地。

The Lincoln Heights area was a popular place for LA residents to visit as a mini-getaway.

是一個受洛杉磯市民歡迎的小型的度假場所。

The gators were sorted by size, some only a few inches and others at up to thirteen feet.

短吻鱷是按大小排序，有的只有幾英寸，有的多達13寸。

In 1911, Alligator Joe sold his share to partner Francis Earnest, who began importing other reptiles.

1911年，喬鱷魚賣掉了他的股份，開始引入爬行類動物。

Earnest brought in iguanas from South America and 2-foot-long chuckwalla lizards.

帶來了自南美的蜥蜴鬣蜥。

In fact, their biggest attraction was Billy the alligator, supposedly the oldest in captivity. The docile old gator even allowed children to ride him.

事實上，最讓游客瘋狂的是"比利"鱷魚，據飼養員介紹：老鱷魚甚至讓孩子騎。

Ages of gators at the farm reportedly ranged from newborn to elderly gators.

在農場的鱷魚的年齡介于出生到死亡。

The facility supplied Hollywood with several of their reptiles over the years, here shown in DisneysThe Happiest Millionaire.

該設施的鱷魚也提供給好萊塢的百萬富翁。

After Earnests passing in 1946, his son took over and eventually moved the farm to Buena Park, renaming it California Alligator Farm.

在1946年，他的兒子接手農場，將其改名加利福尼亞州鱷魚農場。

The two-acre site was right next door to Knotts Berry Farm and also featured snakes and lizards.

隔壁的兩英畝土地，還養了蛇和蜥蜴。

It was even popular with celebrities and welcomed visits from Albert Einstein, Lucille Ball, Michael Landen, Anthony Perkins, and more.

愛因斯坦，露西爾·鮑爾，邁克爾·蘭登，安東尼·珀金斯等名人也來這里參觀。

But it wasnt just fun and fame: the facility was also the first to breed many varieties of reptiles, such as Mugger crocodiles, Cuban crocodiles, and Ceylonese pythons. It was also the first to breed Nile crocodiles in the western hemisphere.

這里不僅僅只是好玩和有名！該設施還首次培育出很多品種的爬行動物，如古巴鱷魚和蟒蛇錫蘭。這也是第一個繁殖在西半球的尼羅河鱷魚。

In its heyday, the farm would see as many as 130,000 tourists throughout the year. The attraction began losing popularity in the 1950s, and by the 1980s, their numbers were less than 50,000 visitors per year. They closed the gates for good in 1984, and the reptile residents were moved to a private preserve in Florida.

在其鼎盛時期，這個農場全年有多達13萬游客。但是從20世紀50年代逐步失去的人氣，上世紀80年代，他們的人數每年不超過50,000名參觀者。最終，關閉于1984年。這些爬行動被轉移到一個佛羅里達州的一個私人住所。

The building sat empty since, with barely any remnants of its former glory. However, many still remember the fun they could find on the unusual farm.

該建筑空置以來，隨著昔日的輝煌幾乎沒有任何東西。然而，許多人仍然記得他們不尋常的樂趣。

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