Cleveland's BabyLand General Hospital marks 45 years of 'adoptions'

CLEVELAND, Ga. - It’s been 45 years since Xavier Roberts and his friends opened BabyLand General Hospital, turning an old Cleveland medical facility into the headquarters for what would become the world-famous Cabbage Patch Kids. 

And although a lot has changed since 1978, the "doctors and nurses" are still working hard to make sure every Cabbage Patch Kid goes home with the perfect family!

This morning on Good Day Atlanta, we marked the 45th anniversary of BabyLand General Hospital by exploring the unique attraction, learning more about the history and legacy of Cabbage Patch Kids and their indelible link to North Georgia. Roberts — who'd been an art student at the time — opened BabyLand General Hospital in downtown Cleveland as a "home base" for what he called Little People Originals, hand-made soft sculptures which he didn’t sell, but "adopted" to parents for a fee.

Little People Originals, of course, exploded in popularity and eventually became known as Cabbage Patch Kids, breaking toy sales records and emerging as one of the "must-have" toys of the 1980s. The craze drew visitors from all over the world to BabyLand General Hospital, and in late 2009, the attraction re-opened in a 70,000-square-foot space located just north of downtown Cleveland. BabyLand General Hospital remains a top tourist destination today, welcoming in visitors daily to witness the live "births" of Cabbage Patch Kids from the famed Magic Crystal Tree.

BabyLand General Hospital is located at 300 N.O.K. Drive in Cleveland; regular hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, and admission is free. 

For more information on visiting BabyLand General Hospital, click here. And click the video player to check out our morning celebrating the institution’s 45th anniversary!