The naked truth about Balboa Park’s nudist colony

[Davin]

Nowadays, visitors to the Zoro Garden in Balboa Park would likely be looking for butterflies. Eighty years ago, though, the main attraction was a nudist colony.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...nudist-colony/

Don't you hate it that news reports call nudist area colonies? Just because people are naked doesn't mean they are colonies.

[usuallylurk]

Nowadays, visitors to the Zoro Garden in Balboa Park would likely be looking for butterflies. Eighty years ago, though, the main attraction was a nudist colony.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...nudist-colony/

Don't you hate it that news reports call nudist area colonies? Just because people are naked doesn't mean they are colonies.

The reason for the term "colony" was that in the 1930s - the nudists themselves called their gathering spots "colonies" and the name stuck.

And as far as paying to see nudists - well, some purported nudists - that still goes on today. There are "nudist beauty contests" - there's one at a mid-western nudist resort that operates outside of organized nudism. Back in the 60s - at least one hippie "commune" would charge admission for people to view naked "hippie women" swimming.

So - not surprising - what was the Zoro Garden actually called itself a "colony". Albeit, it could have been more accurately described with the term "peep show".