35565 - Walt’s Disney’s Hometown 100th Birthday Celebration - Walt Disney's Marceline Barn - Misc - Disney Licensed

Pin Description:

Walt Disney would have turned 100 years old on December 5, 2001. Although born in Chicago, Walt spent his childhood (ages 4-8) in Marceline, MO, a small town that was little more then a railroad stop. Even though his time in this small town was short, it made a lasting impression on him and he referred to Marceline as his Hometown. He was inspired by Marceline’s Main Street when designing Main Street USA for Disneyland. Because of all of this, Marceline wanted to celebrate Walt’s Birthday and decided to hold a Hometown Celebration in September since it would likely be too cold for a celebration in December. Due to 9/11 happening just 10 days before the event, the event was greatly scaled back but did proceed with the support of fans.

This pin was sold during this celebration. It has graphic built up around a basic circle. The center features Walt’s beloved barn. (There had been a barn behind the house where the Disneys lived during their time in Marceline. This barn meant a great deal to Walt and he used the plans of the original barn to recreate a new barn in his backyard to hold the controls for the railroad he also built in the backyard. That barn was saved by Walt’s daughter Diane and moved to Griffith Park for preservation. It is now a Museum.) Under the barn are the dates “1901-2001” on a white enamel background. The circle itself reads “Walt Disney’s” arched along the top and “Centennial” arched along the bottom. American flags mirror one another left and right behind the barn.

The back of the pin features a grid-like texture and a single post. Below the post, a box with (C) Walt Disney Family Foundation - China is embossed.