Arthur Fritz started with six ponies in 1929. He added miniature gasoline-powered cars a few years later after learning they were being given away to children by a Chicago newspaper as a subscription promotion. He named the collection Kiddieland, which served small children with attractions primarily sized for them.
German carousels and steam locomotives arrived by the 1940s. The 1950s brought the Little Dipper roller coaster and a merry-go-round. The park survived Fritz's death in 1967. In 1977, three of Fritz's grandchildren took over the park and its operation. Log flumes and pirate ships grew until a lease dispute ended everything in 2009.
Demolition crews flattened the site in 2010. A Costco store now occupies the land. The original sign for the amusement park was preserved and relocated to the parking lot next to the Melrose Park Public Library.
Road signs still point toward the area where the park once stood. They remain standing in 2026. The land holds bulk goods now.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Leroy
Discuss this with the author and others
No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.