Orange County, CA circa 1979. My friend Christina’s dad took us to what we would come to call “The Bubble Park” - a spot with no slides or swings, or monkey bars, or any typical playground equipment, for that matter. The focal point of entertainment was a giant, clear, multi-storied plastic sculpture comprised of geodesic “bubbles” kids could climb through and up and on. It was absolutely incredible. Christina’s dad took us out a lot. Our trips usually involved a stop at Miller’s Outpost or The Little Folk’s Shop to peruse some kiddie pairs of Jordache, a small cup of Heidi’s Frogen Yozurt [not a typo], and begging to be taken to The Bubble Park. I was around five at the time and moved away the following year. For my ENTIRE LIFE I’d been asking people and googling my heart out trying to find some scrap of information on this place. Finally, a friend of mine sent me these photos - the exact structure I remember - from an Italian design magazine from the early 80s. I’ve since found out the park was in Irvine at a place that still exists today called Mason Park. The bubbles are long gone, however - dismantled in the early 80s for their inherent dangers. Thank you very much, Annalee Newitz at io9.com for her piece several years ago. Mystery solved - now, seriously, gaze upon this magnificent relic of a 1970s childhood.
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