儿童被鳄鱼包围（小孩子骑着鳄鱼）

A trip to California can be chock full of tourist delights, ranging from the rides at DisneyLand to the natural beauty of desert oases. But back in the day, it was a peculiar type of farm life that enticed tourists to visit. Based in Buena Vista, the original Alligator Farm was one of the biggest attractions for those looking for something wilder than Mickey Mouse.

Founded in 1906 by a man named Alligator Joe, the facility remained a popular destination throughout the 1950s.

Joseph ‘Alligator Joe’ Campbell started in the reptile business back in Hot Springs, AR, before relocating to southern California.

去美国的加州旅游，可能会是充满了各种乐趣，特别是迪斯尼乐园还有沿途的沙漠绿洲自然风光。但很久以前，这里使用特殊的方式，来吸引游客参观。总部设在布埃纳文图拉的鳄鱼弄错，是比米老鼠还要打的景点。

成立于1906年的一个叫鳄鱼的农场，在整个20世纪50年代都是最热门旅游目的地。

The Lincoln Heights area was a popular place for LA residents to visit as a mini-getaway.

是一个受洛杉矶市民欢迎的小型的度假场所。

The gators were sorted by size, some only a few inches and others at up to thirteen feet.

短吻鳄是按大小排序，有的只有几英寸，有的多达13寸。

In 1911, Alligator Joe sold his share to partner Francis Earnest, who began importing other reptiles.

1911年，乔鳄鱼卖掉了他的股份，开始引入爬行类动物。

Earnest brought in iguanas from South America and 2-foot-long chuckwalla lizards.

带来了自南美的蜥蜴鬣蜥。

In fact, their biggest attraction was Billy the alligator, supposedly the oldest in captivity. The docile old gator even allowed children to ride him.

事实上，最让游客疯狂的是"比利"鳄鱼，据饲养员介绍：老鳄鱼甚至让孩子骑。

Ages of gators at the farm reportedly ranged from newborn to elderly gators.

在农场的鳄鱼的年龄介于出生到死亡。

The facility supplied Hollywood with several of their reptiles over the years, here shown in DisneysThe Happiest Millionaire.

该设施的鳄鱼也提供给好莱坞的百万富翁。

After Earnests passing in 1946, his son took over and eventually moved the farm to Buena Park, renaming it California Alligator Farm.

在1946年，他的儿子接手农场，将其改名加利福尼亚州鳄鱼农场。

The two-acre site was right next door to Knotts Berry Farm and also featured snakes and lizards.

隔壁的两英亩土地，还养了蛇和蜥蜴。

It was even popular with celebrities and welcomed visits from Albert Einstein, Lucille Ball, Michael Landen, Anthony Perkins, and more.

爱因斯坦，露西尔·鲍尔，迈克尔·兰登，安东尼·珀金斯等名人也来这里参观。

But it wasnt just fun and fame: the facility was also the first to breed many varieties of reptiles, such as Mugger crocodiles, Cuban crocodiles, and Ceylonese pythons. It was also the first to breed Nile crocodiles in the western hemisphere.

这里不仅仅只是好玩和有名！该设施还首次培育出很多品种的爬行动物，如古巴鳄鱼和蟒蛇锡兰。这也是第一个繁殖在西半球的尼罗河鳄鱼。

In its heyday, the farm would see as many as 130,000 tourists throughout the year. The attraction began losing popularity in the 1950s, and by the 1980s, their numbers were less than 50,000 visitors per year. They closed the gates for good in 1984, and the reptile residents were moved to a private preserve in Florida.

在其鼎盛时期，这个农场全年有多达13万游客。但是从20世纪50年代逐步失去的人气，上世纪80年代，他们的人数每年不超过50,000名参观者。最终，关闭于1984年。这些爬行动被转移到一个佛罗里达州的一个私人住所。

The building sat empty since, with barely any remnants of its former glory. However, many still remember the fun they could find on the unusual farm.

该建筑空置以来，随着昔日的辉煌几乎没有任何东西。然而，许多人仍然记得他们不寻常的乐趣。

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