Poster | advertisement:Showboat Band Set

Arto Monaco (1913-2003) was a theme park designer and owner, a toymaker, and--according to his friends and family--a child who never really grew up. He is probably best known for his designs for theme parks, which include Santa's Workshop (opened in 1949) in Wilmington, NY; Storytown (now Great Escape) in Lake George; and the Land of Makebelieve (his own theme park lasting from 1953 to1979) in Upper Jay, NY. Characterized by child-sized buildings and plenty of room for free imaginative play, Monaco's many parks were innovative designs which helped inspire the massive parks of today.

For some time, Monaco ran a "factory" in Upper Jay, with his brother and wife as the chief employees. The wooden toys they produced, marketed as educational toys, were sold at a few high-end retailers. These toys were generally vehicles or circus-related figures. The factory operated only a few years, but Monaco continued to make wooden toys throughout his life. He exhibited these, and allowed children to play with them, at his Land of Makebelieve theme park.This poster advertises a circus band toy set designed by Monaco.