Second Life: Hairy Hippo Fun Land

Looking towards Hairy Hippo Fun Land from Aquarium Grounds

 The idea of Bay City was born around 2008. As Marianne McCann explains in an article in the Bay City Post:

"The art deco theme would be further refined by Blue and Michael, both of which had a distinct interest in the look and feel of this new city. With "art deco" as the basis, they expanded on this in the blog post announcing this area to the public on 22 February, 2008, saying, "The style is the American urban experience, between 1940 and 1965, perhaps best typified by Chicago circa 1950 and marked by a distinct deco influence." 

(See article here)

Bay City wasn't built all at once. Parcels were set and auctioned off and people moved in. In 2011 the Moles built a boardwalk amusement park. Later the Hairy Hippo Fun Land became official. The last project was the "Rollercoaster".  (See Daniel Voyager's article here. )

Besides the roller coaster, Hairy Hippo Fun Land has all the traditional elements of an amusement park: a ferris wheel, bumper cars, a shooting gallery, food stalls, fortune telling machines and mutoscopes, and rides like the Teacup Whirl.

It is all a little bit grubby*, but full of touches of what I call "Mole humor" - that never gets old.

On a diet? Try the Hippo's Food Challenge to fill up on virtual food.

The food stalls look empty, but touch the front of the booth to get a treat.

There are over 30 virtual foods to try. Just be sure to always know where the nearest restroom is.

For lighter fare, try the seafood restaurant on the pier.

You can try your luck at a fishing spot. For more info visit 7Seas Headquarters. 

Warning: I recommend avoiding this game.

Remember this was built around 2011, which in SL years is the equivalent of the Stone Age. Still, most of the Hairy Hippo Fun Fair has held its own. One game I would avoid, though, is the 'test your strength' game, it was designed for simpler avatars.

Have fun!

*look closely at the flies

History: Hippos in Second Life (Updated January 2021)

Hippos at Hippotropolis

According to the Second Life Wiki, the hippo meme started when Darwin Appleby started a thread about hippos in 2003. The thread went on for over 27 pages, and hippos became a part of Second Life history. 

There were hippo statues, and avatars, and hippo products. There was even an invocation to the hippos "Oh the great Hippo! Stomper of gnomes! Savior of all Second Life! How we worship thee!" (This was to encourage the hippos to stomp the bugs in the SL computer code.)

One of the first hippos was found in Hikaru Yamamoto's zoo.

Statue of Hippo at SL History Exhibit 

National Hippo Day is February 15th, and although not too many people still celebrate it, you can find references to hippos everywhere in Second Life. 

If you search place names you will find "Happy Hippo Building School & Hippo Resource and Learning Center", "Hairy Hippo Fun Land", and "Hippo Technologies".

Hairy Hippo Fun Park. Do try the Hippo Eating Challenge there, if you dare. 

Now, I have a theory that hippos were in Second Life long before 2003. How else to explain the mysterious underwater hippo statues in two regions, and the hippo earrings I found in the Ruins of Cividale?

Underwater hippo statues

There's a nice hippo statue at the Nerditorium http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Warmouth/25/144/95

INDEX