Local legend Garner Holt reflects on career, launching new makerspace for students

Garner Holt knew at age 14 that he wanted to build animatronics such as the ones he saw at Disneyland.

He was fascinated with the pirates at the iconic ride there and the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln show featuring the 16th president of the United States.

Holt, who turns 65 this year, has realized his dreams and more, creating animatronics at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, such as 12 cars in Radiator Springs Racers at the Cars attraction, Monsters, Inc.: Mike and Sulley to the Rescue, and The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.

The two red trolley cars at California Adventure, which debuted June 15, 2012, stopped taking guests on trolley rides on Feb. 8, 2025, to make room for the expansion of Avengers Campus. One of the trolleys will remain there for people to take photo ops on the trolley.

The other was donated to the Garner Holt Foundation in April 2025. “Thanks to the generous donation from our friends at the Disneyland Resort, this piece of theme park history can continue to inspire the next generation of dreamers and doers to discover potential careers in STEM and STEAM,” according to a press release from the Garner Holt Foundation.

Holt is excited about the future of teaching the next generation of animatronic creators, which will open a makerspace studio called Garner’s Garage across from Garner Holt Productions on Research Drive in Redlands in July 2025.

Holt recently sat down for an interview at his production company to talk about the beginnings of his career in San Bernardino and the international influence his creations have brought to theme park visitors.

He said he was always building things in his parents’ garage and decided at 14 to have a Halloween haunted house at his family’s home. He rode his bike down to the San Bernardino Sun’s main office on D Street.

Holt said he wanted to purchase an ad to announce the haunted house but was turned down. But one of the news reporters, Steve Cooper, was there in the lobby, so Holt talked to him about the haunted house.

Cooper said he would stop by to see it and write about it. The story ran and drew 400 people to the attraction. The good luck continued with a call from Central City Mall, which wanted Holt to create a haunted house in the Harris court for Halloween in 1975.

Holt said that Garner Holt Productions would not exist today had it not been for Steve Cooper’s story in the Sun.

Holt took the assignment from Central City Mall and created a five-day attraction leading up to Halloween. Another success for the budding animatronics designer, who years later created the Jack Skellington attraction inside the Haunted Mansion.

Still a teen, Holt started working on productions at the California Theatre in San Bernardino, helping with musicals such as “Carousel” and “1776,” and a production starring Yvonne De Carlo, who played Lily Munster on the classic TV show “The Munsters.” Coincidentally, Holt became friends with actor Butch Patrick, who played De Carlo’s son, Eddie Munster, on the '60s series.

Holt also helped with the restoration of the theater and the Wurlitzer organ.

But his love for animatronics led him down the path he was meant to go, and that was working for Disneyland and other parks worldwide. Garner Holt Productions has also worked with Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios.

Holt kept his Inland Empire ties and had his production studio in San Bernardino before moving to Redlands.

Many of his creations are there in the studio, including Chuck E. Cheese and characters from Harry Potter.

Holt is excited about teaching the next generation about animatronics and letting them explore their creativity and imagination through building things like he did in his parents’ garage in San Bernardino.

Garner’s Garage, which will be owned and operated by the Garner Holt Foundation, will provide students with information on 25 to 30 careers. The trolley car will help teaching students about STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — and STEAM, which adds the arts to the mix.

Holt said he appreciated Disney donating the trolley to the foundation and is proud of the work he has been doing for five decades.

He is proud of his legacy.

“It’s been a dream come true,” Holt said. “I feel very blessed in my life.”