In 1956, almost a year after Disneyland opened, Storybook Land began taking visitors through its gateway to enchantment and past miniature scenes from many classic Disney films.  After years of being exposed the elements, many of the original buildings were replaced with exact duplicates, but constructed with more modern and durable materials.  One particular set of buildings, the "French Village" that sat just below Cinderella's pink and gold castle, was saved and eventually donated to the Carolwood Foundation.  At 57 years old, the village today is nearly unsalvageable, but it still retains so much amazing detail that it begs to be restored as a piece of Walt Disney's history and a tribute to his love of miniatures.

The Carolwood Foundation is now embarking on this careful restoration, preserving as much of the wood structure as possible and rebuilding new sections that have been destroyed or have gone missing altogether.  Once completed, the village will become an entirely new exhibit at Walt's Barn in Griffith Park, entitled "The Small Worlds of Walt."  The exhibit will educate visitors about scale models and explore the different miniatures, large and small, that Walt wanted to put into his park.  Whether its Main Street, Sleeping Beauty Castle, The Disneyland Railroad, Storybook Land or the Carolwood Barn, they are all The Small Worlds of Walt.

The Carolwood Foundation needs your help to bring these beloved miniatures back to life.  Our hope is that the Disney fan community can come together to fund the restoration and the construction of the exhibit so that these priceless pieces of history can be enjoyed up close for generations to come.  

Please visit www.smallworldsofwalt.com to see the progress of the restoration and find out how you can help become a part of this important endeavor.