In the 1950s, space travel was still an adventure for the future. Visitors to Tomorrowland had the chance to take a rocket to the moon before NASA’s astronauts, and excitement about the “final frontier” was at an all-time high. Disney humanized the excitement around space travel with Space Man and Space Girl, a couple visiting the park between flights.
Source: Disney History Institute
Space Man arrived in Tomorrowland in August 1955, and Space Girl joined soon after. The couple hopped on attractions with visitors, strolled Tomorrowland, and stopped for meet & greets. Their costumes changed over time, but they were always white and silver, shining, and had a touch of “super hero” to them.
Space Man and Space Girl left the park in 1965, but the age of astronauts in Tomorrowland wasn’t over. Instead, Disneyland opted for the real thing, broadcasting the moon landing live in the park. And in 1977, Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, Wally Schirra, and Alan Shepard visited Disneyland to open Space Mountain.
But in the 50s and 60s, Space Man and Space Girl captured the imaginations of visitors young and old. Crowds followed the couple as they roamed Tomorrowland, and the duo of the future became “symbols of Tomorrowland” in Disneyland souvenir books.
Thanks for the photos! That wonderful rocket I remember so well from my first visit at age 5. I love the old 1950s visions of the future. Even though the women’s space suits would not have worked well.
Haha yeah. I can spot a few issues for space travel 🙂