Kiddieland Amusement Park (stylized as "KiDDieLAND") was an amusement park located at the corner of North Avenue and First Avenue in

Melrose Park, Illinois Melrose Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 24,796. Melrose Park had long been home to a large Italian-American population. The suburb was the home o ...

. It was home to several classic rides including the ''Little Dipper'' roller coaster, which opened in 1950. The park closed on September 27, 2009, and was demolished in 2010 to make way for a new

Costco Costco Wholesale Corporation (Trade name, doing business as Costco Wholesale and also known simply as Costco) is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only Big-box store, big-box retail stores (warehouse c ...

store. The sign for the amusement park was relocated to the Melrose Park Public Library, where it can be seen in the parking lot.

History

Kiddieland started out as a small venture of Arthur Fritz, a local builder and contractor, in 1929 when he purchased six ponies and offered rides to local children. He realized parents would often save a few pennies in order to provide their children entertainment during the Great Depression. 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. By the 1930s, Fritz was calling his collection of amusements Kiddieland; the attractions were primarily sized and geared towards younger children. In 1940, the German Carousel, two miniature

steam locomotives A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...

, the Little Auto Ride, the Roto Whip and the

Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsule ...

were added. The Roto Whip and Ferris wheel would remain as rides until the park's closing. The park saw its first major expansion in the 1950s with the addition of the Little Dipper and the merry-go-round. Fritz's adult children also became more involved in the park at this time. The 1960s saw bumper cars replace the original pony ride, as well as the unexpected death of Fritz in 1967. The park transferred ownership in 1977, as three of Fritz's grandchildren took over the park and its operation. The park continued its expansion over the next several decades and installed several major attractions, including a

Log flume A log flume is a watertight flume constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain using flowing water. Flumes replaced horse- or oxen-drawn carriages on dangerous mountain trails in the late 19th century. Logging operations pr ...

, a swinging pirate ship, a long water coaster, and numerous other attractions.

Closure

A dispute developed between Shirley and Glenn Rynes, who owned the land that Kiddieland occupied, and Ronald Rynes, Jr. and Cathy and Tom Norini, who owned 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 County Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...

court and later in an appeals 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 closed to the public. A

store now occupies the land.

Image gallery

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Rides and Attractions

References

External links

Archived copy of official website, from 4/10/2008
*{{RCDB, 4614 Amusement parks in Illinois 1929 establishments in Illinois 2009 disestablishments in Illinois Defunct amusement parks in the United States Melrose Park, Illinois Buildings and structures in Cook County, Illinois