Master Planner C.V. Wood: From Disneyland to Desert

How did a bold 1960s vision shape the community we call home today?

Find out as you step into the inaugural exhibit of Desert by Design: The Minds that Mapped Fountain Hills series, featuring Cornelius Vanderbilt “C.V.” Wood — Disneyland’s very first General Manager turned Master Planner.

Discover how Wood brought theme-park scale, crowd orchestration, and showmanship to the desert:

The Visionary Design: How he drew up the initial master plan for Fountain Hills.

The Crowning Jewel: The story behind conceiving our world-famous centerpiece fountain.

Archival Artifacts: Rare photographs, engineering blueprints, and early promotional materials that show how theme-park design shaped our town.

This is the first feature in a multi-part series highlighting the four key pioneers behind McCulloch Properties, Inc., including Robert P. McCulloch Sr., Lorne Pratt, and Robert P. McCulloch Jr. Don’t miss this deep dive into the showmen who mapped our hometown!