Kiddieland Amusement Park
Encyclopedia
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
at the corner of North Avenue
Illinois Route 64
Illinois Route 64 is an east–west road in north-central Illinois. Its western terminus is at the Iowa state line, connecting with U.S. Route 52 and Iowa Highway 64 via the Savanna-Sabula Bridge at the Mississippi River west of Savanna...
and First Avenue in Melrose Park, Illinois
Melrose Park, Illinois
Melrose Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a "near-in" suburb of Chicago. The population was 23,171 at the 2000 census. Melrose Park has long been home to a large Italian-American population, though now it is majority Mexican-American. It was the home of Kiddieland...
. It was home to several classic rides including the Little Dipper roller coaster, which opened in 1950. The park closed on September 27, 2009 at 8 PM.
History
Kiddieland started out as a small venture of Arthur Fritz in 1929 when he purchased six ponies and offered rides as an escape for parents reeling from the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Miniature gasoline-powered cars were added a few years later after Fritz learned that they were being given away to children by a Chicago newspaper as a subscription promotion.
In 1940, the "German Carousel", two Miniature Steam Locomotives, the "Little Auto Ride", the "Roto Whip" and the "Ferris Wheel" were added. The latter two lasted until the park's closing. The park saw its first major expansion in the 1950s with the addition of the Little Dipper and the Carousel, of which both still exist today. Bumper cars were added in the 1960s as they replaced the original pony ride.
The park transferred ownership in 1977, as Arthur Fritz's grandchildren took over the park and its operation. The park continued its expansion and installed several major attractions, including a Log flume
Log flume
A log flume is a flume specifically constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain to a sawmill by using flowing water. These watertight trough-like channels could be built to span a long distance across chasms and down steep mountain slopes...
, a swinging pirate ship
Pirate ship (ride)
A pirate ship is a type of amusement ride, consisting of an open, seated gondola which swings back and forth, subjecting the rider to various levels of angular momentum....
, a 40 feet (12.2 m) long water coaster, and numerous other attractions.
Closure
A dispute developed between Shirley and Glenn Rynes, who own the land that Kiddieland occupies, and Ronald Rynes, Jr. and Cathy and Tom Norini, who own the amusement park itself. The landowners sued the park owners in 2004, claiming that the park had an improper insurance policy and that fireworks were prohibited in the lease. The case was thrown out in a Cook CountyCook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
court and later in an appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
s court. The landowners declined to extend the lease on the land in early 2009. In late June 2010, it was announced that Kiddieland would be demolished, nine months after the park was officially closed. A Costco
Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
store now occupies the land.
List of Defunct Rides & Attractions
| Ride | Year Opened | Year Closed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boats | |||
| Dune Buggies | |||
| Ferris Wheel | |||
| Flying Saucers | |||
| Galleon | |||
| German Carousel | |||
| Kiddie Swings | |||
| Lava Run Hand Cars | |||
| Little Autos | |||
| Little Dipper Little Dipper (Six Flags Great America) Little Dipper is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America, an amusement park in Gurnee, Illinois. Little Dipper was built in 1950 by Philadelphia Toboggan Company and operated at Kiddieland Amusement Park in Melrose Park, Illinois in the Chicago metropolitan area until Kiddieland... |
1950 | 2009 | Designed by Herbert Schmeck and built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company Philadelphia Toboggan Company The Philadelphia Toboggan Company is one of the oldest existing roller coaster manufacturing companies in the world.Mack Rides of Germany dates back to 1781, but it did not start building coasters until 1921 Based in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, it was established in 1904 by Henry B... in 1950. The brakes are operated manually by a wooden handle in the station. The out-and-back coaster is 24 feet (7.3 m) tall and travels a course of 700 feet (213.4 m). It was awarded the ACE Coaster Classic award by the American Coaster Enthusiasts American Coaster Enthusiasts The American Coaster Enthusiasts is an organization dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of roller coasters. Membership is open to anyone with payment of yearly dues, and membership benefits may include discounted admission to certain amusement parks... . Six Flags Great America Six Flags Great America Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain... bought the ride in November 2009 at a Kiddieland auction. The ride cost $33,000. |
| Little Ferris Wheel | |||
| Log Jammer | |||
| Merry-Go-Round | |||
| Pipeline | |||
| Polyp | |||
| Race-A-Bouts | Now located at Santa's Village Santa's Village (Illinois) Santa's Village AZoosment Park is a theme park in East Dundee, Illinois. It was built by Glenn Holland, who also built two other Santa's Villages, in California; one located in San Bernardino County and the other in Santa Cruz County. The Illinois park, the third to be built, was projected to be... as the Midge-O-Racers. |
||
| Scooters | |||
| Scrambler | |||
| Sky Fighter | |||
| Tilt-A-Whirl | |||
| Tornado | |||
| Train | |||
| Umbrella Rides | |||
| Volcano Play Center | |||
| Whip | Now located at Santa's Village Santa's Village (Illinois) Santa's Village AZoosment Park is a theme park in East Dundee, Illinois. It was built by Glenn Holland, who also built two other Santa's Villages, in California; one located in San Bernardino County and the other in Santa Cruz County. The Illinois park, the third to be built, was projected to be... as the Kiddie Whip Ride. |