Playland Park was an

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

located in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

operating between 1940 and 1967. Louis Slusky opened Playland Park circa 1940 at 9200 South Main. It is popularly remembered for its

wooden roller coaster A wooden roller coaster is a type of roller coaster classified by its wooden track, which consists of running rails made of flat steel strips mounted on laminated wood. The support structure is also typically made of wood, but may also b ...

The Skyrocket ''The Skyrocket'' is a 1926 American silent romantic drama film directed by Marshall Neilan and starring Peggy Hopkins Joyce. The film was based on the 1925 novel of the same name by Adela Rogers St. Johns and scripted by Benjamin Glazer. Cas ...

. Texas' first elevated

monorail A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and "rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, ...

train (1956) briefly operated near the park. Next to the park was an adjoining

stock-car Stock car racing is a form of Auto racing, automobile racing run on oval track racing, oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specif ...

race track A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also u ...

known as Playland Speedway. Slusky also facilitated the miniature children’s train located in Houston’s

Hermann Park Hermann Park is a urban park in Houston, Texas, situated at the southern end of the Museum District. The park is located immediately north of the Texas Medical Center and Brays Bayou, east of Rice University, and slightly west of the Third ...

. This train may have originated from Playland Park. Playland Park closed in 1967. Playland Park, Houston should not be confused with the Playland Park located in

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

which started around the same time and later had a wooden roller coaster similarly named The Rocket.

The Skyrocket

The

Skyrocket A skyrocket is a type of firework that uses a solid-fuel rocket to rise quickly into the sky; a bottle rocket is a small skyrocket. At the apex of its ascent, it is usual for a variety of effects (stars, bangs, crackles, etc.) to be emitted. S ...

was a wooden roller coaster relocated to Playland Park and opened on September, 1941. Originally opened in 1924 at Houston’s former

Luna Park Luna Park is a name shared by dozens of currently operating and defunct amusement parks. They are named after, and partly based on, the first Luna Park, which opened in 1903 during the heyday of large Coney Island parks. Luna parks are small-sc ...

, at that time it was billed as the “largest” roller coaster in the country with a reported length of , height of and a drop of . The original construction cost (1924) was $75,000. The relocation from Luna Park to Playland Park is believed to be the last Roller Coaster project

John A. Miller John A. Miller (born August John Mueller; 1872 – June 24, 1941) was an American roller coaster designer and builder, inventor, and businessman. Miller patented over 100 key roller coaster components, and is widely considered the "father of th ...

was involved with. Miller died in Houston in 1941 while working on this project. The roller coaster, now claiming to be the largest in the South, appears to have been operational until some time between 1962 and 1964. By 1964 the roller coaster was partially removed and no longer operational. This was to make room for a new large building behind the park where the race track was formerly located. The remainder of the roller coaster was torn down after the park finally closed.

Playland Speedway

The race track started ca. 1948. Various races and demolition derbies were held at the track. Local racing talent

A. J. Foyt Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American retired auto racing driver who has raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ cars, sprint cars, and midget cars. He ...

raced there. In 1959 a race car crashed through a fence killing three people including co-owner Sam Slusky. Within a few years of the crash, the race track closed. Many speculate the fatalities contributed to this decision. By 1962 the grand stands were removed and by 1964 a new building was constructed where the track once existed. Alternate names include Playland Park Speedway and Playland Park Stadium.

Closure

The park closed in 1967, just prior to AstroWorld opening in Houston in 1968. Prior to closure, the race track was long gone and the roller coaster had ceased to operate. By 1973, the location was empty. Years later it was eventually redeveloped as retail space and apartments. In the early 1970s, nearby AstroWorld considered purchasing and relocating an existing wooden roller coaster to that park but from

Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...

. Ultimately AstroWorld built its own wooden roller coaster, the

Texas Cyclone Texas Cyclone was a wooden roller coaster at the defunct Six Flags AstroWorld in Houston, Texas. Designed by Don Rosser and William Cobb, it was manufactured by Frontier Construction Company and opened to the public on June 12, 1976. Well-know ...

which opened in 1976.

References

External links

Family Behind Playland ParkHouston Luna Park Giant Skyrocket
* {{coord missing, Texas Buildings and structures in Houston Amusement parks in Texas 1940 establishments in Texas Defunct amusement parks in Texas 1967 disestablishments in Texas

The Skyrocket

Playland Speedway

Closure

See also

References

External links