Marco Polo Park
Marco Polo Park, later called Passport to Fun World, was a small theme park west of Interstate 95 between Jacksonville and Daytona Beach, near Bunnell in Flagler County, Florida. The site is now part of the Plantation Bay community.
Theme and plan
The park was built around the travels of Marco Polo. Visitors were invited to imagine journeys through the Far East and Europe, with signs promising stops in the Far East, Venice, and other places.
The initial idea, dreamed up in 1967, featured a dramatic centerpiece called The Climatron—a 12-story cylindrical glass building that would show plants from Arctic to tropical climates. It would be hidden by trees and waterfalls, with viewing areas on the roof and gardens, a grand bazaar, and science observations below. Opening was planned for autumn 1968, but The Climatron was never built.
Opening and early attractions
The first phase opened on December 28, 1970. The Japanese gardens occupied about 500 of the park’s 5,000 acres and included a replica fishing village, a Japanese botanical garden, and a mile-long waterway with 18 teak sampans. Two restaurants served tempura-style dishes, and souvenir shops offered Japanese-themed goods. Admission was $2 for adults and $1 for children until April 1, 1971, when adults rose to $2.50.
Financial trouble and expansions
Although the park opened with fanfare, it was never very profitable. In May 1972, an expansion added a petting zoo and new areas themed to Venice, China, India, and Turkey, but the park soon faced ongoing financial difficulties.
Rebuilding efforts and decline
In early 1974, Daytona Beach hotelier Jack White hired Michael Jenkins to redesign the Japanese Village into a larger amusement park, similar to Six Flags. He brought in Paul Osborne & Associates to create the Kubla Kan puppet show and added new rides and shows. Tar walkways were still being poured as the grand reopening approached.
Problems continued, and by late 1974 the park was losing money. Some subcontractors left with their equipment amid lawsuits. The park closed in October 1974. In February 1975, two fires damaged the site within eight days, with arson suspected after the fire started in the Japanese Village where a security guard had been shot at.
Reopening as Passport to Fun World and final closure
The park briefly reopened on May 24, 1975, under the name Passport to Fun World, keeping the world-travel theme. The Japanese Village was completely razed and a bandstand with an American theme was built in its place. A 40-horse carousel was added. The park closed permanently in 1976, and the remaining equipment was sold at auction on March 14, 1978. No original structures remain today. The road crossing I-95 to the park’s entrance, once called Marco Polo Park Boulevard, reverted to Old Dixie Highway. The site is now home to Plantation Bay.
Access and competition
A major problem was the lack of a southbound exit on I-95, making it easier for travelers to skip the park. The early hype didn’t help, and competition from Walt Disney World, which opened nearby in 1971, drew visitors away. The park did create nearly 100 local jobs during its peak summers but never became the big attraction developers hoped for.
What remained
The park featured an overhead gondola linking various areas, a Venetian-style entrance arch, a 1 1/3-mile narrow-gauge railroad called the Orient Express, and replica Model Ts moving along a guided path. Rides included Flying Chairs, a Spinning Turban ride, Twin Bumper Cars, a Log Flume, a Flying Elephant ride, a Spinning Tea Cup ride, and a large 82-foot Ferris wheel. A jingle in some ads hinted at Marco Polo’s game of Blind Man’s Bluff.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 01:45 (CET).