Giant Presidential Statues | Virginia's Forgotten Theme Park

<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:15</time>
<p>Welcome to Talk With History.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:17</time>
<p>I am your host, Scott, here with my wife and historian,</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:00:20</time>
<p>Hello.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:21</time>
<p>On this podcast, we give you insights to our history inspired</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:23</time>
<p>world travels, YouTube channel journey, and examine history</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:27</time>
<p>through deeper conversations with the curious, the explorers, and</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:30</time>
<p>the history lovers out there.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:34</time>
<p>Now, Jen, before we get into our main topic, it's review time.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:38</time>
<p>So we actually got a couple of reviews, so I actually really appreciate that.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:40</time>
<p>And we bumped up to our 10th five star review.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:43</time>
<p>Huzzah.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:45</time>
<p>And, uh, we got another five star review on Apple podcast</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:47</time>
<p>from a miss Paula Daniels.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:50</time>
<p>So her five star review said, love this episode.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:54</time>
<p>Thank you for giving us a little more background to masters of the air.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:00:57</time>
<p>That was a really fun episode to do.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:00</time>
<p>And if you're listening, you can go back and find that.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:03</time>
<p>In the podcast episodes, or we actually did a full video version of that</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:07</time>
<p>podcast on the Walk With History, our Walk With History YouTube channel.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:12</time>
<p>She continued, My husband and I have been watching My husband's uncle was a B 17</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:17</time>
<p>radio tech slash gunner based in, I think it's Fugia, Italy from 1943 to 1944.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:25</time>
<p>Uncle Mickey enlisted after the bombing of Pearl Harbor as many young men did.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:30</time>
<p>This series and your podcast really help us understand the</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:32</time>
<p>dangers these guys encountered.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:34</time>
<p>It's mind blowing and makes us respect our American soldiers so much more.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:39</time>
<p>Well, thank you so much, Paul.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:41</time>
<p>That was really, really nice.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:42</time>
<p>And I love.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:43</time>
<p>Absolutely love hearing from our listeners.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:01:45</time>
<p>too, that really is, uh, encouraging.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:01:48</time>
<p>So thank you.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:49</time>
<p>That was great.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:50</time>
<p>And for anybody else listening, please keep those reviews and feedback coming.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:53</time>
<p>If you ever want to just reach out to us directly, you can,, find our contact</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:57</time>
<p>information over at talkwithhistory.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:01:59</time>
<p>com.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:02:07</time>
<p>Today we embark on a presidential pilgrimage unlike any other, a journey</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:02:13</time>
<p>to the enigmatic and awe inspiring ruins of President's Park here in Virginia.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:02:21</time>
<p>Imagine this, sunlight filtering through leaves as you stroll through rolling</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:02:26</time>
<p>fields and suddenly you come face to face with a 20 foot bust of George</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:02:31</time>
<p>Washington or Abraham Lincoln and 41 other American leaders who came before them.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:02:39</time>
<p>It's an experience that's both humbling and unforgettable.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:02:42</time>
<p>But these aren't your typical, pristine presidential statues.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:02:47</time>
<p>Weathered and decaying, they stand as remnants of an ambitious dream</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:02:51</time>
<p>that never quite materialized.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:02:54</time>
<p>Get ready to ponder the legacies of our past presidents, marvel at the power of</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:02:58</time>
<p>nature, reclaiming man's creations, and maybe even unearth some unknown secrets</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:03:03</time>
<p>you can use with you on your next journey to Maybe South Dakota of all places.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:03:09</time>
<p>So whether you're a history buff, a fan of the unusual, or simply looking</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:03:12</time>
<p>for a virtual adventure this episode is for you, grab your headphones, buckle</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:03:18</time>
<p>up, and let's embark on a journey to the ruins of president's park.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:03:27</time>
<p>So Jen, this was a lot more fun than I expected it to be.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:03:34</time>
<p>So tell us what we're talking about today.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:03:36</time>
<p>So if you ever wonder what happens to old theme parks when they close, think</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:03:41</time>
<p>of like old Scooby Doo episodes and stuff.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:03:45</time>
<p>So this was an established theme park outside of Colonial</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:03:50</time>
<p>Williamsburg, and it opened in 2004.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:03:53</time>
<p>And it was busts of the first 43 presidents.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:03:58</time>
<p>Now there's only 42 busts because Grover Cleveland served</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:02</time>
<p>twice with someone in between</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:04:04</time>
<p>that's right.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:04:04</time>
<p>So I got my little intro.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:04:06</time>
<p>My intro was off</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:07</time>
<p>And I didn't know that either until I read it a couple of times like</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:09</time>
<p>42 busts, but there's 43 presidents.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:11</time>
<p>And they say, cause Grover Cleveland had a break.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:13</time>
<p>He's 40, he's 25 and 27 or something like that.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:15</time>
<p>He's in, he has.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:17</time>
<p>He's served twice with a president between him.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:20</time>
<p>So it's these 18 feet to 20 feet busts of these presidents and they are really</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:28</time>
<p>grand and very intricate and detailed.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:32</time>
<p>It's just amazing to see them.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:34</time>
<p>So this park.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:36</time>
<p>opened in 2004.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:04:38</time>
<p>It was originally called just President's</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:40</time>
<p>It was called President's Park.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:42</time>
<p>And it was like, if you go to Colonial Williamsburg, it's very much a tourist</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:46</time>
<p>destination with the Historic Triangle.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:48</time>
<p>We've done a lot of episodes, Jamestown, Yorktown, Colonial Williamsburg.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:52</time>
<p>This is something else for people to do.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:54</time>
<p>So basically, if you bring your family for a week to Colonial Williamsburg.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:04:58</time>
<p>How are you filling the days, right?</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:05:00</time>
<p>Like you're taking them to New York town one day, you're taking them to</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:05:02</time>
<p>Jamestown one day, you're spending a day in Colonial Williamsburg, and</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:05:04</time>
<p>you're like, okay, what can I do?</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:05:05</time>
<p>Oh, I'll take you to President's Park.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:05:07</time>
<p>So it was like a walk, it was outdoor.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:05:10</time>
<p>And it was a kind of a walk with these bus with three plaques in front of them.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:05:14</time>
<p>And the plaques would give you Just details of their lives, of</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:05:18</time>
<p>their presidencies, and then a bunch of like fun facts, trivia</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:05:22</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:05:22</time>
<p>And we actually, uh, funny enough, cause if you're listening to this,</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:05:26</time>
<p>we have a full video, so I highly encourage anybody listening to go watch</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:05:29</time>
<p>the video because you can really get a good feel for how big these busts are</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:05:32</time>
<p>and like you said, how grand they are, but a friend of ours, Chris from over</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:05:36</time>
<p>his, another history, YouTube creator at, at WhitDocs he commented on the</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:05:41</time>
<p>video and he's I actually went there.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:05:42</time>
<p>In, I think it was 2005, and he says, I've got pictures somewhere, they may</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:05:46</time>
<p>be lost to time, but he actually went there and paid and walked through</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:05:49</time>
<p>the park and did all the stuff.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:05:50</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:05:51</time>
<p>And if you have gone and have pictures, the gentlemen who</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:05:54</time>
<p>run it now want those pictures.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:05:57</time>
<p>So if you, there's a website, the president's heads that are run</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:01</time>
<p>by the two men who now run these.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:04</time>
<p>weekend visits, and they're looking for original pictures so they can</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:07</time>
<p>show those to people who come and visit what the park originally looked</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:06:11</time>
<p>Oh, cool.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:12</time>
<p>So, like I said, it was outdoor.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:14</time>
<p>It was like a walk around.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:16</time>
<p>We walked around and they were in order from other presidencies.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:20</time>
<p>And then there was some it.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:22</time>
<p>Exhibits inside and they said they had the first lady's dresses and things</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:25</time>
<p>like that things you can see today at the smithsonian But unfortunately</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:29</time>
<p>the museum went bankrupt in 2010.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:31</time>
<p>So basically it only was around for six years and they auctioned off the land</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:37</time>
<p>and The bus was supposed to basically be Recycled destroyed they're made</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:43</time>
<p>of metal So there's metal inside of a metal framing which you could recycle</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:46</time>
<p>that and then there's cement on over the metal with plaster over the cement.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:51</time>
<p>And the gentleman who was supposed to recycle them is the gentleman who actually</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:06:55</time>
<p>took them and put them on his property.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:06:58</time>
<p>I think he, he either purchased them or worked out a deal, adjusted it.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:07:01</time>
<p>They had, he had been hired to recycle and, and get, get them off the land.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:07:06</time>
<p>And then instead he was like, well, hey, let me work something</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:07:08</time>
<p>out so I can take these and.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:07:10</time>
<p>Do something else with them.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:07:11</time>
<p>Yeah, he figured maybe I can open another park.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:07:13</time>
<p>Now they were originally created this Everett Newman, the second was a local</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:07:17</time>
<p>entrepreneur in Colonial Williamsburg.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:07:19</time>
<p>It was his idea to make this original president's park.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:07:23</time>
<p>And then he hired sculptor David addicts to sculpt these sculptures.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:07:28</time>
<p>And he really used a, if you can think of a Mount Rushmore as his inspiration.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:07:33</time>
<p>mean, and, and you, you can, this is a pretty easy Google search.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:07:37</time>
<p>Mm-Hmm.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:07:37</time>
<p>, right.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:07:37</time>
<p>Or look in our show notes for some links.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:07:39</time>
<p>But it, it looks very much like that.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:07:42</time>
<p>The, the models, the busts.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:07:43</time>
<p>It's the very, very much the same style.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:07:46</time>
<p>I mean, if you look at George Washington in our video.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:07:49</time>
<p>It looks like the George Washington sitting up there on Mount Rushmore.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:07:52</time>
<p>Yeah, they're very, I'd say favorably done to depict the presidents.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:07:56</time>
<p>And so they're 18 to 20 feet because I think some presidents</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:00</time>
<p>are taller and shorter than others.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:02</time>
<p>So he wanted to play a little bit with scale, but not.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:05</time>
<p>too much.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:07</time>
<p>And he made three actually of each president.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:11</time>
<p>So one was for Colonial Williamsburg.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:14</time>
<p>They did do the same idea outside of Deadwood, South Dakota.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:18</time>
<p>Same premise.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:19</time>
<p>When you go visit Mount Rushmore, usually go for a week.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:23</time>
<p>And there's only so many things you can do while you're there.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:26</time>
<p>You see Mount Rushmore, you'll see crazy horrors and you're</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:28</time>
<p>like, how can we fill the rest of</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:08:30</time>
<p>And, and that would be very much in, in theme with being there</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:08:34</time>
<p>at Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, because of busts and presidents</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:08:37</time>
<p>and all that kind of history</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:38</time>
<p>Yes.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:38</time>
<p>You go to Deadwood for a day.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:40</time>
<p>And then this park, kind of like President's Park, was around Deadwood</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:45</time>
<p>and, but the same thing happened.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:46</time>
<p>It couldn't be financially sound.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:49</time>
<p>I think it was actually in Lead, which is right outside of Deadwood.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:52</time>
<p>Remember Lead is the mining</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:08:53</time>
<p>Oh yeah,</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:54</time>
<p>And so it couldn't be financially sound and they closed as well.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:08:59</time>
<p>Now what I read what happened to their busts is a lot of RV parks.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:09:04</time>
<p>In the area, South Dakota, North, North Dakota, even Montana.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:09:08</time>
<p>If their name for the president, like there was a Teddy Roosevelt Park, there's</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:09:12</time>
<p>a Lincoln Park, they took the busts.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:09:13</time>
<p>that's cool.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:09:14</time>
<p>So you can still find them today in</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:09:16</time>
<p>You could, you could drive into Lincoln RV park and there's Lincoln</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:09:19</time>
<p>sitting out front, 20 foot bust.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:09:21</time>
<p>And then the other set is in Texas because that's where the sculptor is from.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:09:25</time>
<p>So he built one set there.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:09:26</time>
<p>So I have people have commented online that they've seen them in Texas.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:09:30</time>
<p>And I, I just assume that he has them maybe on his private</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:09:33</time>
<p>land where people can visit.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:09:34</time>
<p>Yeah, and one of the fun things about doing this video, I was like a</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:09:38</time>
<p>kid in a candy store when I, there with my camera because it was just so unique</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:09:44</time>
<p>with all of us, the average person is, hovers around just below or just</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:09:48</time>
<p>above six feet, six feet tall, right?</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:09:50</time>
<p>And all of us are walking around and it's families and it's kids and these</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:09:53</time>
<p>busts, how they're grouped together, actually grouped very close together.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:09:57</time>
<p>And so what happens in this field, it's on private property.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:00</time>
<p>It's not a public park.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:02</time>
<p>They only open it, I think eight times a year,</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:10:04</time>
<p>you have to buy your tickets beforehand.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:10:07</time>
<p>Again, visit presidentsheads.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:10:09</time>
<p>com.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:10:10</time>
<p>They sell them on Eventbrite and they basically do it for a whole</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:15</time>
<p>Yeah, they give you like a two hour slot.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:17</time>
<p>So you show up, you gather your two hour slot, they give you the intro and</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:21</time>
<p>then they give you a fair warning and be like, Hey, typically, If it rains,</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:25</time>
<p>it doesn't really dry out because these busts are tall and it doesn't let the sun</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:28</time>
<p>in and so it's very, very muddy and so fortunately, they've actually purchased a</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:32</time>
<p>bunch of boots, kind of rain style boots.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:34</time>
<p>You can take your shoes off, put boots on.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:36</time>
<p>And our kids love that.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:38</time>
<p>That was like their favorite part, was just walking around, traipsing around in</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:41</time>
<p>this big, thick mud in these rain boots.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:44</time>
<p>And we kept yelling at them don't get dirty the whole time.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:45</time>
<p>And then you and I, I think you actually put rain boots on.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:48</time>
<p>I had my kind of boots that I didn't care if they got dirt.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:51</time>
<p>Dirty.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:52</time>
<p>But these, they are amazing to be close and personal with.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:10:58</time>
<p>The, the old ones, it was almost a little neater because they're decaying some.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:11:03</time>
<p>Because it's a little, it's just a different vibe.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:11:06</time>
<p>And I found some old videos from like 2017, so five or six years ago.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:11:12</time>
<p>And even Ronald Reagan was one that kind of really stood out to me because</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:11:16</time>
<p>I guess he got struck by lightning just less than a year ago from when we went.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:11:20</time>
<p>He got struck by lightning in 2023.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:11:22</time>
<p>And so you could see nowadays his face has decayed quite, quite a bit.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:11:27</time>
<p>But the 2017 video that I Borrowed some of their footage and credited</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:11:31</time>
<p>them and I wanted to show the contrast from just a few years ago to today I</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:11:35</time>
<p>mean he looks fairly pristine and very white and and nowadays are decaying</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:11:39</time>
<p>and you know You can see inside of some of them and who's the president</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:11:43</time>
<p>that had his kind of jaw fall off</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:11:45</time>
<p>So Chester Arthur, who's the president after Garfield, after Garfield's</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:11:49</time>
<p>assassinated, he's the 21st president.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:11:51</time>
<p>He has what they call mutton chops, which is where you can</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:11:54</time>
<p>grow the hair down the sides.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:11:56</time>
<p>Not sideburns.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:11:57</time>
<p>Like you can think of Elvis having the sideburns.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:11:59</time>
<p>These go further down your chin and the mutton chops were long</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:12:03</time>
<p>and again, very, uh, detailed.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:12:07</time>
<p>And because of the weight that the cement had with the plaster on his</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:12:12</time>
<p>face, it actually broke his face away.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:12:15</time>
<p>So if you see, if you're on Instagram, you see me standing by a president</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:12:18</time>
<p>that looks like he has no face.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:12:19</time>
<p>All you can see is the metal framing inside.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:12:22</time>
<p>That's Chester Arthur because the mutton chops have.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:12:25</time>
<p>broken his face</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:12:26</time>
<p>And some of the detail on these presidents was really, really</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:12:29</time>
<p>I love that the most like walking up to Eisenhower and he's in uniform.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:12:35</time>
<p>ribbons and you had, you could see his five stars and who was it that,</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:12:39</time>
<p>uh, I mean, had the horn rim glasses.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:12:41</time>
<p>And then Andrew Jackson up front was just, I mean, spectacular.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:12:47</time>
<p>Truman had the glasses.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:12:48</time>
<p>Andrew Jackson's hair was like blowing in the</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:12:52</time>
<p>It's blowing in the wind.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:12:53</time>
<p>And think about this, like picture this in your mind at 20.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:12:57</time>
<p>He was probably a little taller, probably 20 plus 22, 23 feet.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:13:01</time>
<p>Full metal frame, cement, and plaster, and it looks like he's standing there</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:13:05</time>
<p>with his classic kind of hair blowing in the wind, he's wearing, he's in uniform,</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:13:09</time>
<p>with epaulets.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:13:10</time>
<p>epaulets on his shoulders, and those really stand out, just</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:13:13</time>
<p>looks absolutely spectacular</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:13:15</time>
<p>Yeah, he blew me away with how incredible again, the</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:13:19</time>
<p>detail was on these on these bus.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:13:21</time>
<p>And then you have George W.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:13:23</time>
<p>Bush, who has little Elephants on his tie to represent the Republican Party</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:13:31</time>
<p>and they're very detailed elephants like they're sculpted out each one.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:13:35</time>
<p>we say little I mean little is like they're probably five inches tall</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:13:40</time>
<p>five six inches tall But compared to the rest of the bus that they pair little</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:13:44</time>
<p>so it was really neat to see some of these details because they Had details</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:13:47</time>
<p>it everywhere And it was so much fun for me as a as an amateur videographer to</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:13:54</time>
<p>just shoot and get all these fun angles.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:13:57</time>
<p>And he's just, it was super unique.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:13:59</time>
<p>And I, I, I enjoyed it so much more than I expected.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:03</time>
<p>I would definitely say the reason, so there's two gentlemen who</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:07</time>
<p>privately run it now and they really want to get people out there because</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:11</time>
<p>cause of the rate of deterioration and they're only going to deteriorate more.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:18</time>
<p>So if you want to see them, they're still very impressive.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:21</time>
<p>They're still beautiful.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:22</time>
<p>Uh, this is the time of year to go cause it's not a lot of</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:24</time>
<p>vegetation growing up around them and you can really get in and just.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:28</time>
<p>look at how amazing just their facial features are like I got to see</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:32</time>
<p>Garfield really up close and personal.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:35</time>
<p>I got to look at Madison and you see Ford, you see Reagan, you see Kennedy, FDR.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:41</time>
<p>And what's crazy is they're not in any real order.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:45</time>
<p>They're like.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:45</time>
<p>As they took him out of the park and brought him in and just</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:48</time>
<p>set them down and they set them close, I think, for protection.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:51</time>
<p>But like you said, rain can get in there.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:52</time>
<p>It's make some of them sink down.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:54</time>
<p>So there's deeper puddles around them and hard to to slide in between</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:14:59</time>
<p>them, but you can still do it.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:01</time>
<p>And it's just super impressive to be there.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:04</time>
<p>You have two hours.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:05</time>
<p>It's absolutely more than enough time.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:07</time>
<p>And then they have three out in front.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:09</time>
<p>So they have George Washington, number one.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:12</time>
<p>They have Andrew Jackson, number seven.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:14</time>
<p>And they have Abraham Lincoln, number 16, right, the three out in front.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:19</time>
<p>And then everybody else is scattered in these four rows.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:22</time>
<p>But it's just super cool because you can get some great pictures</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:26</time>
<p>and get some great footage.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:27</time>
<p>You can walk around and then they give two talks while you're there.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:31</time>
<p>One is a president trivia.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:33</time>
<p>So, how much do you know knowledge about President's lives?</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:37</time>
<p>And the other one is more about the history of the park</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:40</time>
<p>and before and now after.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:42</time>
<p>And you can ask your questions there.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:45</time>
<p>We always get questions like they only have up to George W.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:47</time>
<p>Bush.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:48</time>
<p>That's when.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:48</time>
<p>They stopped making bus.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:49</time>
<p>Now they have a prototype of President Obama.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:53</time>
<p>It's like a little</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:15:54</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:15:55</time>
<p>I think the nickname there is baby</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:15:57</time>
<p>baby Obama because they were going to make a bust from that,</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:16:00</time>
<p>but they never got around to it.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:16:02</time>
<p>And so they have that there so you can see it as well.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:16:04</time>
<p>But after Obama, there's no other bust.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:16:06</time>
<p>So don't ask this.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:16:09</time>
<p>It's always someone's opinion about that.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:16:11</time>
<p>But, uh, it, you can bring your dog there and we were able to find, fly the drone.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:16:16</time>
<p>Yeah, we asked him, they just said Hey, just watch out for the dogs</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:16:19</time>
<p>and, just be respectful of people.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:16:21</time>
<p>So we got some, some fun drone shots.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:16:23</time>
<p>It was just, it was super cool.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:16:25</time>
<p>It was just one of those really neat kind of afternoon type things that</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:16:28</time>
<p>if you live in the Norfolk area, the colonial Williamsburg area, or if</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:16:33</time>
<p>you're in town I would definitely check out the links in our show notes.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:16:36</time>
<p>You can, we'll put the link to the website.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:16:39</time>
<p>So if you're in town the right time of year.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:16:41</time>
<p>Spring or fall, you can look it up and you can purchase tickets ahead of time.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:16:45</time>
<p>But they said they sell out pretty much every year that they've done</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:16:48</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:16:48</time>
<p>And we went president's day weekend.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:16:49</time>
<p>It was sold out.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:16:50</time>
<p>It's family friendly.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:16:52</time>
<p>You can bring your children.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:16:53</time>
<p>They have restrooms.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:16:54</time>
<p>I would only say it is probably not disabled friendly.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:16:59</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:16:59</time>
<p>I mean, it's, it's literally like in a field on some like contractor's land.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:17:03</time>
<p>So you probably could bring a wheelchair if you didn't</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:17:07</time>
<p>want to get in between the</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:08</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:09</time>
<p>There's no way you'd be able to, to get in between.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:11</time>
<p>And again, this is, this is private property.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:13</time>
<p>So they, they, the two hosts work with the owner and they work that together.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:24</time>
<p>Well, there you have it, folks.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:26</time>
<p>Our journey through the ruins of President's Park has come to an end.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:30</time>
<p>Hopefully you've gained a new appreciation for these unique historical</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:34</time>
<p>relics and the stories they hold.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:36</time>
<p>Remember, these busts may be weathered and silent now, but they still have a lot</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:40</time>
<p>to teach us about ambition, perseverance, and even the fleeting nature of power.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:45</time>
<p>Maybe next time you see a presidential portrait or statue, you'll think</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:49</time>
<p>about the real people behind the stone and the legacies they left behind.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:53</time>
<p>But our exploration doesn't have to end here.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:55</time>
<p>If you're curious to learn more about the ruins of President's Park, I've</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:17:58</time>
<p>included some links in the show notes.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:18:00</time>
<p>And as always, if you know someone else that might enjoy this</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:18:02</time>
<p>podcast, please share it with them.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:18:04</time>
<p>Especially if you know if somebody's going to be in the</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:18:06</time>
<p>Williamsburg area sometime soon.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:18:08</time>
<p>Shoot them a text and tell them to look us up.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:18:11</time>
<p>We rely on you, our community to grow, and we appreciate you all every day.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Scott:</cite>
<time>00:18:15</time>
<p>We'll talk to you next time.</p>
<p></p>
<cite>Jenn:</cite>
<time>00:18:17</time>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>