Kiddieland Amusement Park

Kiddieland Amusement Park (stylized as "KiDDieLAND") was an amusement park located at the corner of North Avenue and First Avenue in Melrose Park, Illinois. 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 store. The sign for the amusement park was preserved and relocated to the parking lot next to the Melrose Park Public Library.^[1]

Kiddieland Amusement Park

Sign at the front of Kiddieland.
Interactive map of Kiddieland Amusement Park
Location	Melrose Park, Illinois, U.S.
Coordinates	41.9094°N 87.8364°W / 41.9094; -87.8364
Status	Defunct
Opened	1929
Closed	September 27, 2009
Owner	Family owned and operated
Operating season	May – September
Attractions
Total	27
Roller coasters	The Little Dipper

The Little Dipper.

The top of one of the carousels before the park closed.

History

Kiddieland started out as a small venture of Arthur Fritz, a local builder and contractor. In 1929, he purchased six ponies and offered rides to local children. 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, Fritz added the German Carousel, two miniature steam locomotives, the Little Auto Ride, the Roto Whip and a Ferris wheel. 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.^[2]

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 swinging pirate ship, a 40-foot (12 m) 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.^[3] 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 court and later in an appeals court. The landowners declined to extend the lease on the land in early 2009.^[3][4] In late June 2010, nine months after the park closed to the public, it was announced that Kiddieland would be demolished. A Costco store now occupies the land.^[5] In 2012, a section of Melrose Park's 1st Avenue was honorarily named Kiddieland Amusement Park Road.^[1]

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Rides and Attractions

Ride	Year opened	Year closed	Description
Boats	1949	2009
Tractors	1958	1988	Five gas-powered tractors could be driven between guardrails (not on tracks) by children with an optional standing platform in back for adults. Tractors were painted two green to represent John Deere, three red to represent International Harvester and one yellow to represent Allis-Chalmers. Tractors were not sold at the closing auction. The family kept one; as of 2020 Thoosie Rocco Casella owns another; some additional trucks were located at a private collector's house when the Kiddieland firetrucks were rescued in 2022.
Dune Buggies	1971	2009
Large Ferris Wheel	1940	2009	Relocated to Nelis' Dutch Village. It was combined with a reproduction of the de Grosmolen windmill in Hoogmade, Netherlands and renamed Harry's Windmill Ride.[6]
Flying Saucers	1966	2009	Most likely now in a traveling fair circuit.
Galleon	1986	2009	Was relocated Gillian's Funland in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, but status is unknown after park closed.
German Carousel	1962	2009	Special ordered by Fritz for Kiddieland. Sold at auto auction for $557,000 to a private car collector in Canada. Was last seen in Arizona auction.[7]
Kiddie Swings	2008	2009
Kiddieland Limited Steam Engines	1941 & 1949	2009	A 14 in (356 mm) gauge miniature railway with two steam locomotives. One, a 4-6-4 Hudson, was built in 1941 and the other, a 4-8-4 Northern, was built in 1949. The Hudson was sold to Hesston Steam Museum in the 1980s. The Northern stayed at Kiddieland until 2009 and was bought by Bill McEnery of Gas City. The Northern was leased by McEnery to the Hesston Steam Museum in Indiana and operated for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. The Northern was purchased outright by the Museum after McEnery filed for bankruptcy.
Kiddieland Limited Diesel Engines	1953	2009	Two diesel-powered engines built between 1950 and 1953. The diesels have disappeared from public knowledge since the park closed and it is unknown if they were sold or scrapped.
Midge-O-Racers	1954	2009	Now located at Santa's Village AZoosment Park
Mushroom Ride	1979	2009	Relocated to Lake Winnepesaukah in Rossville, Georgia, renamed Silly Saucers.[8]
Lava Run Hand Cars	1950	1984	Relocated to Nelis' Dutch Village in Holland, Michigan and renamed Petal Pumper Cars.
Little Autos	1939	1954	Replaced with Midge-O-Racers
Little Dipper	1950	2009	Designed by Herbert Schmeck and built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company 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 (210 m). It was awarded the ACE Coaster Classic award by the American Coaster Enthusiasts. The ride was relocated to Six Flags Great America after Kiddieland's closure.[9]
Little Ferris Wheel	1951	2009	Now at the Volo Museum in Volo, Illinois.
Log Jammer	1992	2009	Being relocated to Santa's Village AZoosment Park after sitting in storage at Wisconsin's Little Amerricka. Was planned to reopen as Yule Tide Plunge in 2022, but plans have not progressed as of 2024.
Merry-Go-Round	1949	2009	Relocated to Sonny's Place in Somers, Connecticut in 2017. The hand carved horses are in the process of being restored by The Carousel Museum.[10]
Pipeline	1995	2009
Polyp	1967	2009	Relocated to Lake Winnie, Georgia from 2009 until 2020. Relocated to Indiana Beach Amusement and Water Park, in Monticello, Indiana. Now known as Sea Warrior.
Raceabouts	1982	2009
Scooters	1962	2009	Sold to Jeff Kimble who resold it to collector in TX.
Scrambler	1966	2009	Relocated to Gillians Wonderland Pier in Ocean City, New Jersey, but as of 2021 the ride is no longer on the pier or listed on the website. Current whereabouts are unknown.
Sky Fighters	1950	2009
Tilt-A-Whirl	1962	2009	Was relocated Gillian's Funland in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, but status is unknown after park closed.
Tornado	2008	2009
Space Age Umbrella Ride	1966	2009	Relocated to Santa's Village AZoosment Park and renamed Space Invasion.[11]
Volcano Play Center	1984	2009
Roto Whip	1938	2009	Relocated at Santa's Village AZoosment Park.[11]
Dip N Drop		2009
Firetrucks	1959	1990s	Rescued by Randy Carlson[12] and currently under refurbishment in California in 2022.
Elephant Ride		2009

v t e Kiddieland Limited
Legend
Maintenance depot Race-A-Bouts Parking lot