Melrose Park, Illinois

Kiddieland Sign

The sign to a demolished amusement park now stands in front of a local library.

In 1929, Arthur Fritz decided he would open an amusement park on the corner of First and North Avenue in Melrose, Illinois. He opened it as a means of entertainment for people affected by the Great Depression.

Even with its humble beginnings, the park was successful and regularly attracted customers for 70 years. When the park first opened, there were things like a kiddie roller coaster, Ferris wheel, and a pony enclosure.

The park soon became a beloved local attraction, and continued to expand throughout the ’50s and ’60s. In 1977, Fritz’s grandkids took over the business. Over the years, they added attractions like a water coaster, a log flume, and a swinging pirate ship.

A dispute between the landowners and the park owners caused the park to shut down in late 2009. It was demolished in June 2010 and was replaced by a Costco. Today, there’s just a small memory of the park in the form of the preserved sign, which now guards the Melrose Park Library.