This Once Taboo Place in Utah Opens To Reveal Its Secrets to the Public

There’s a place with odd pillars with odd saying and empty homes and cabins that has inspired rumors of little people. Allen Park was once envisioned as a bird sanctuary and now is home to empty houses and peacocks. 

The Vision of the Allens in Creating the Park 

In 1931 a Utah man named Dr. George Allen and his wife Ruth purchased eight acres of land next to Emigration Canyon. The park is across from Westminster College and designed with walking paths and places for students and visiting professors to stay. 

The Allens first built a home and a barn on the property. Ruth Allen was an artist and designed the walkways and fountains. There are also rock walls and pillars with sayings on them. “Nature never wears a mean appearance,” reads one on a cement slab. 

Cages were added to house some of the exotic birds while others were allowed to roam like the peacocks. At one point there were other animals which included an elephant. 

Why Rumors Began to Swirl About the Park 

Dr. Allen brought in houses from abandoned mining towns to rent to visitors and provide income from those staying. All of these houses and cabins were different and added character and mystery to the park. 

Urban legends sprang up about hobbit like people living quietly in the trees. Because of the reclusive nature of the residents, these rumors took on a life of their own. After the Allens passed on, the preserve began to deteriorate. This only made it more strange. 

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In 2020 Salt Lake City bought the property with plans to preserve and make the property accessible to the public. Now you can wander the acreage although the houses are fenced off.

Read More: Learning the Art of Cursing in the Underworld

You can see what its like in the above video. As of this writing there is no word of anyone having met any small humans smoking pipes.