Marine World/Africa USA
Before it moved to Vallejo and became Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Marine World/Africa USA operated in the Redwood Shores area of Redwood City. The park combined marine animal shows -- dolphins, killer whales, sea lions -- with African wildlife exhibits featuring elephants, giraffes, and big cats. For Bay Area families in the 1970s and 1980s, it was the closest thing to a major theme park on the Peninsula.
Two Parks in One
The concept was unusual: a marine park merged with an African wildlife park, creating a single attraction where visitors could watch dolphin shows and then walk through exhibits featuring land animals from another continent. The combination gave the park a breadth that pure aquariums or zoos could not match, though it also created operational complexity -- maintaining both marine and terrestrial animal habitats required extensive infrastructure and expertise.
From Redwood City to Vallejo
The park's Redwood Shores location became untenable as the Bay Area's real estate market heated up. The land was too valuable for an animal park, and the facility's infrastructure was aging. Marine World/Africa USA relocated to Vallejo in 1986, where it eventually became part of the Six Flags chain. The Redwood Shores site was redeveloped into the commercial and residential neighborhood it is today. The story parallels Bay Meadows Racetrack and other large-footprint entertainment venues that could not compete with the Peninsula's real estate values.
From the Air
The former Marine World/Africa USA site is at 37.532°N, 122.265°W in Redwood Shores, now redeveloped. The area is a commercial/residential district along the bay shore. Nearest airports: San Carlos (KSQL) 2 nm west.