# @sachistorymuseum on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3Ffo7AVFk
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/66911688-sachistorymuseum-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/37ab1a427b.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-06-21T20:05:47.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Sacramento History Museum (@sachistorymuseum) — https://gondola.cc/sachistorymuseum

## Caption

On June 21, 1920, a fire broke out at the Joyland amusement park at 35th Street and 5th Avenue in Sacramento, California. The fire burned down most of the attractions and buildings. Originally opened as a residential park in 1889 in Oak Park (Sacramento’s first suburb), the Sacramento Gas, Electric, and Street Railroad Company (a subsidiary of PG&E) sought to make the location an amusement park to attract the citizens of Sacramento to the area with a rollercoaster called the “Scenic Railway,” a zoo, a pool, concession stands, skating rink, and other attractions. 

The park was successful when it opened June 14, 1913 with thousands of visitors. The Sacramento Union newspaper dubbed the park “Sacramento’s Coney Island.” In June 1920, Joyland was seeing a record high number of visitors. 

The Sacramento Union published the next day that the fire was caused by a rapidly growing grass fire. Luckily, the animals in the zoo were saved and nobody was injured. It was reported that there was over $100,000 in damages, but the Union stated that management was already underway devising plans to rebuild the amusement park. Joyland, actually, did not close as some areas of the park escaped any damage. 

Once fully renovated two years later, Joyland could not compete with the growing popularity of William Land Park. Joyland closed in 1927 and was sold to Valentine McClatchy, who donated the park to the City of Sacramento and named the park after his father, James McClatchy. 

Photograph of the entrance to Joyland and the photograph of the roller coaster in 1915, courtesy of the California State Library. Newspaper clipping and photograph of the remnants of the Old Mill destroyed by fire at Joyland from the Sacramento Union June 22, 1920.

#TodayInHistory #OnThisDay #sacramento #sacramentohistory #sachistorymuseum

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## Tags

sacramentohistory, sacramento, todayinhistory, onthisday, sachistorymuseum

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