What happens when you mix a wizard tower and Hobbit-size huts with a giant monkey and gargantuan tiki head?

Tucsonans may soon find out, with the proposal of merging two funky entities – Valley of the Moon and Magic Carpet Golf – in one place to help preserve them both.

State Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, wants to help by applying for status as an Arizona Centennial 2012 Legacy Project for the two icons.

Projects approved by the Arizona Historical Advisory Commission will receive help with fundraising and promotion, the Arizona Centennial Web site said.

Magic Carpet Golf, 6125 E. Speedway Blvd., was recently sold to a Phoenix-area car dealership that has no plans to sell its Mercedes-Benzes next to a giant monkey or tiki head.

“I would be delighted to have somebody come and take them,” said Ted Chapman, president of Chapman Automotive and new owner of the now-defunct miniature golf facility, still packed with dozens of giant statues dating to the early 1970s.

Valley of the Moon, 2544 E. Allen Road, needs about $500,000 to repair its crumbling 1920s-era fantasy world that includes huts, a troll bridge and rabbit hole. Its Jan. 19 “Save the Moon” event brought in $2,500, said spokesman Charles Spillar.

Legacy Project status may be available for the two, provided they collaborate. The plan is to move the behemoth golf course structures to the 2 1/2 acres that house Valley of the Moon.

Farley said creating public interest does not mean public funds. “The project would not use taxpayer money,” he said. Money would come from fundraisers aimed at private sector companies, he said.

Spillar said the idea of moving the statues to Valley of the Moon property is being considered by the board of directors.

He said half an acre is available in the back of the property and some in the front parking lot.

“We’d have to put the statues where they wouldn’t interfere with the magic of the Valley of the Moon,” he said.

Source: Arizona Centennial Web site at www.azcentennial.gov

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ARIZONA CENTENNIAL 2012 LEGACY PROJECTS MUST
• Accurately portray a significant aspect of Arizona history

• Be accessible to a large number of visitors

• Demonstrate collaboration in the planning

• Produce an enduring product that will live on after 2012

• Include an educational component

• Include a plan for implementation

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 at 12:01 am and is filed under Local, Special. Tags for this post: Arizona, Breaking News, History/Culture, Local-History/Culture, Local-History/Culture-Arizona, page-a04, Ryn Gargulinski, Special-Breaking News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.