While the public has recently been able to visit a new polar bear and two new zebras in residence at the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, it’s now time to say goodbye to some smaller creatures.
The four Mold-A-Rama machines that have cranked out colorful plastic sea lions, gorillas, lions and polar bears as souvenirs at Como for generations are packing up and moving south due to a change in their Illinois-based company’s strategic plans.
The public is encouraged to come out and make their final creations as soon as possible before the machines, which are situated around the zoo, are removed the first week in November (or while supplies last). Money collected from the molded souvenir vending machines help support Como’s free admission.
Nostalgic icons
The vintage machines, which light up and make noise before churning out the warm molded plastic animals for $5 each, are nostalgic icons dating back to the 1960s and 1970s. However, these so-called “plastic factories,” which are rented, did leave for a generation or two before returning to Como in 2007.
Mold-A-Rama’s decision to move on surprised Katie Hill, the new president of Como Friends, the nonprofit organization that supports Como Park Zoo & Conservatory and oversees both the Mold-A-Rama machines and Como’s gift shops.
“The company reached out on Oct. 9 to let us know that they would like to move the equipment out at month’s end,” Hill said. “They said it was strictly a business decision, to move them somewhere where there’s a longer peak season, that it would be more lucrative on their end.”
A company representative contacted on Friday referred to Como’s statement on the decision, which also mentioned that a new location would offer higher year-round attendance, but the representative declined to disclose where the machines were going, noting that this would be announced later on social media.
Hill hopes maybe this isn’t the final era for Mold-A-Rama’s time at the St. Paul zoo.
“They came back to Como once, maybe they can again,” she says.
‘Good times and good memories’
After Como announced the upcoming departure this week, the public has been reacting to the news by sharing memories, thoughts and ideas on social media, with 729 comments on Como’s Facebook page by Friday afternoon:
“Must have been 50 years ago, every time we went to Como I would beg Mom to get me one. I still remember how hot they would be dropping out of the mold. I’d grab them anyway and juggle them around until I could hold them. Good times and good memories.”
“As a kid I was amazed by this machine. I went on to school to be a mold/toolmaker. This might have been my influencer??”
“The smell of a warm wax figure is unforgettable. Ingrained in my brain, as part of my childhood.”
“Is there a petition to keep ’em? I’d sign it! Heck, I’d go to school to figure out how to maintain & repair them!”
“I have a one year old daughter and when we took her to the zoo for the first time, gathering all of the molds was part of our day. I grew up with them and now she will have one of the last sets.”
The announcement on Mold-A-Rama’s Facebook page about the decision had the comments closed, but the Pioneer Press asked the company if they were surprised at the reaction elsewhere to the news.
“Not really surprised,” a representative replied by email. “People across the country all love the Mold-A-Rama machines and want them at their zoos and museums.”
Other current vending machine locations include the Field Museum in Chicago and the San Antonio Zoo in Texas (info at mold-a-rama.com).
“Thank you to Como Park Zoo, zoo attendees and Mold-A-Rama collectors for all the support through the years,” the Mold-A-Rama representative said on Friday.
On Friday at Como Zoo, the machines were still lighting up and the memories were still flowing, including those of Paul Kelley of Andover. He and his wife, Meg, brought their 3-year-old grandson, Nolan, to the zoo, but Kelley was suddenly transported back to his own childhood as he remembered the toys that the machines created, warm as cookies out of the oven and perfectly sized for a child’s hands to hold and play with for hours.
“We moved here from Wisconsin in ’69 and lived in Roseville, so nearby,” he said. “The smell is what I remember. The feel of the plastic brings back great memories. And now we’ve got all four of them for our grandkids.
“It’s sad, it’s very sad.”
There are still the machines at Como that make souvenir pennies, at least …
“Yeah, I guess so,” Kelley said, “but it’s not the same.”
What now?
While Como Friends would love to have the machines stay, not only for nostalgia’s sake but because the revenue is “meaningful,” what is plan B?
“It’s an opportunity to look forward, to try something new,” Hill says.
What kind of modern and interactive souvenirs could align with Como’s mission? That’s an open question for now.
“Ideally we will work with someone local and find or create something new that is more aligned with our conservation-focus moving forward,” Hill said in an email late Friday. “A fun new challenge that I’m sure the local community will have great ideas about. I’ve already received some calls …”
Stay tuned, St. Paul. And in the meantime, Astra (the polar bear) and Khomas and Keanu (the zebras) are not going anywhere and can be visited from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week within Como Park in St. Paul at 1225 Estabrook Drive.
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