Perhaps it's the vibrant colors, the giant mushroom in the parking lot or maybe just the overall weird aura of this place that continues to grab my attention every time I pass it. Most native New Jerseyans will probably recognize this location right off the bat as, Fairy Tale Forest. For decades this fairy tale based theme park had entertained young children in the most unusual fashions. The fifteen acres park contained various sets each depicting their own fairy tale. Some sets even contained miniature dolls and hideous mannequins, that were so life like, it was scary. I myself as a young lad even visited this story land back in the early 90's when it was still in operation. But, as the years wore on and more modern day attractions popped up, the time eventually came for this enchanted woods to tell its last whimsical tale, and the park closed its doors for the last time in 2003.

Four years on neglect took quite a toll on this land of fairy tales. Both vandals and nature played a part in destroying what is left, but nevertheless it still continues to grab my attention every time I pass it. Finnaly I gave in to my temptations and decided to revisit this magical land, to repaint the fading images that reside in the back of my mind of what I vaguely remember this place to appear as, being as I havenÕt been here since the earth 1990's.

Walking through the lonely woods I was first greeted by Repunzel, who was now frozen in time, her knight in shining armor was now face down in a pile of dirt and seemed to have become a home for the woodland creatures. A little further down the trail, and I entered a patch of cement mushrooms, being careful not to trip over any of these shrooms, I continued to explore deeper into the enchanted forest. Adventually I came across an abandoned town of fairy tale proportion. The town was complete with its own miniature chapel, gingerbread houses, town square, and even a giant pumpkin.

Waking through this colorful but yet desolate fairy town was quite an odd experience to say the least. What were once sets reflecting scenes from fairy tales were now decaying wrecks. Be-headed dolls littered one of the structures which was being guarded by a life-less frosty the snow man figure, who was still complete with his candy-cane batoon and hand full of presents. Carefully walking past Frosty not wanting to disturb him, I made my way into the town chapel. The windows had since been smashed out by vandals, but the baby Jesus scene could still obviously be made out. Me not being much of a religious person, figured my presence was not welcome, and I made my way even deeper into the woods.

I soon pasted a delicious looking gingerbread house and was surprised to find that the neighboring house was a giant fiber-glass pumpkin, now faded to light orange through years of neglect. I swear everywhere I looked, there were fairy tale creatures, even the Queen of all fairy tales Mother Gooses, showed her presence. But most impressive of all was the giant yellow shoe that lay just a few yards ahead. As I made my way underneath the cobweb infested shoe back into civilization, I couldnÕt help to imagine what the park must have looked like in its hey-day, but being as nothing lasts forever, I was happy to be able to experience what I had, and personally I think that the years of abandonment actually added the the mystery of this enchanted forest sitting in the middle of the enchanted state of New Jersey!