Anaheim's History

More than 150 years ago, German colonists came to the land that is now Anaheim to grow grapes and produce wine. The original purchase price? A humble $2.00 an acre!

The city's name was originally spelled “Annaheim.” “Anna” was taken from the nearby Santa Ana River, a vital part of the early settlers and farmers life and named for Saint Anne by Spanish explorers. The word “Heim” is the German word for home, so the name meant "home by the Santa Ana River." Today, the second "n" is dropped, blending Spanish (Ana) with German (heim). 

Anaheim was the wine capital of California for many years, but in the late 1880s a blight completely wiped out the vineyards, thus ending the thriving industry.

Then, the orange industry developed and grew, as did the prosperous new city of Anaheim. The area remained a booming agricultural community until post World War II.

On July 17, 1955, an enterprising visionary named Walt Disney opened the doors of his fabled "magic kingdom" - Disneyland.

Only 11 years later, in 1966, Anaheim Stadium was built. It is currently the home field of Major League Baseball’s Angels. Just across the street from the baseball stadium is the Honda Center, a 19,200-seat state-of-the-art entertainment facility and home ice for National Hockey League’s Anaheim Ducks - 2006/07 Stanley Cup Champion.

The Anaheim Convention Center was built in 1967 directly across from Disneyland and received five major expansions since its opening. The fifth expansion, which was completed in December 2000, gave the center a total 1.6 million gross square feet, making it the largest convention center on the West Coast.

The latest expansion of the Anaheim Convention Center was part of a $5 billion renovation now called The Anaheim Resort™ district. The 1,100-acre garden district encompasses the Anaheim Convention Center and the Disneyland® Resort, which features Disneyland® Park, Disney’s California Adventure™ Park and Downtown Disney District.
Today, the Resort is also home of the Anaheim Arsenal NBA D-League team and the USA Men's National Volleyball team.

Anaheim is now the second largest city in Orange County and is the center of Orange County’s visitor industry, which attracts nearly 45 million people annually.