ST. LOUIS (AP) — Imagine packing up the kids and heading for that dream vacation to a Disney theme park ... in St. Louis.
It almost happened, and one of the few remnants of the Disney park that might have been goes on the auction block next week — 13 pages of 1963 blueprints spelling out plans for "Walt Disney's Riverfront Square" in St. Louis.
The company wanted to build a fully enclosed indoor theme park near the Mississippi River, blocks from the Gateway Arch that was under construction at the time.
Money doomed the project. Disney was willing to pay the cost of rides and attractions but wanted St. Louis leaders to foot the bill for the building, and they refused.
Disney officially dropped out in 1965 and turned attention to Florida, where Walt Disney World is now one of the nation's top tourist attractions.