This shot of Balboa Island is taken from Balboa Peninsula. Balboa is really an island, a manmade island, and is connected to the mainland (in the distance) by a bridge. William Collins built a dredge and, in 1906, began dredging a channel on the north side of the bay, depositing the sand and silt on the mudflat tidelands that would become Balboa Island.
According to Wikipedia, The Fun Zone was built in 1936 by Al Anderson featuring a small beach and a 45’ Ferris Wheel as the main attractions. In 1986, Jordan Wank rebuilt the entire area and re-opened it. In 1988, Doo & Sons owned the Balboa Fun Zone, but they walked away after not receiving zoning permits to develop the property into a mixed use of retail and housing. The property languished for several years and the area went into decline. In 1994, the Balboa Fun Zone was purchased by former employee Joe Tunstall. The Fun Zone consisted of a newly restored Carousel purchased in 1985, a #5 Eli Ferris Wheel, bumper cars, Drummer Boy, and the Scary Dark Ride There were also a few souvenir shops, restaurants and tour boat companies offering boat rides and narrated cruises The Ferris wheel is a frequently photographed night landmark on the Balboa Peninsula.
