Disneyland was originally meant to be a one-of-a-kind project for creator Walt Disney, but eight years after it opened in 1955, Disney became intrigued by the idea of a building a second theme park in Missouri, where he had spent much of his childhood. Disney met with the mayor of St. Louis during a time of major redevelopment for the city’s bicentennial. Soon after, blueprints were drawn up for Riverfront Square, a proposed five-story indoor theme park spanning two city blocks. Two years later, high development costs were blamed for the scrapping of those plans, but some also wondered if Disney not allowing the sale of beer at the park might have been a contributing factor. Disney soon turned his attention to Orlando, Florida, the future site of Walt Disney World.
Won’t see you in St. Louis:
Planned attractions at Riverfront Square included re-creations of old St. Louis and old New Orleans, plus rides inspired by the Lewis and Clark expedition and Davy Crockett.
Costs for the park were projected at $40 million USD, with a targeted attendance of 25,000 visitors per day.
Several classic attractions were originally conceived for Riverfront Square, including one that would later become the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.