If I haven’t yet convinced you Hollywood Park was the best thing that could happen to a Chicago kid during the 1950s and ’60s, this photograph should do the trick. We had, right in our neighborhood, the Hollywood Kiddieland amusement park.
It was no week-long carnival that came and went under the cover of darkness. I’m not sure when it opened, but at the 1948 zoning hearing for the proposed Lincoln Village Shopping Center, Hollywood Kiddieland was mentioned as being adjacent to the undeveloped parcel.
In the late sixties, ride tickets cost 20 cents each, six for a buck. Earlier on, Kiddieland offered free tickets in exchange for the cardboard caps from glass milk bottles. My mother saved them over the winter, and she never had to remind me to drink my milk. Each glass went towards more rides.
Opening day we arrived at the Kiddieland ticket booth with our pot of gold–a large, clear plastic bag bulging with milk bottle caps. On summer nights, we stayed so late my mother made my sister and me change into pajamas in the car because we fell asleep before she made it home. We lived six blocks away.
Birthday parties held at Kiddieland meant free pickup from the birthday child’s house on a big red fire truck. At least I remember it being big. I’d hear the jangling of the bell before seeing the fire truck coming down the street, and though the sound was a sad reminder that I had never been invited to a Kiddieland birthday party, I always ran out front to catch a glimpse of those lucky kids who looked as though they were sitting on top of the world.
I also remember the first time I went to Kiddieland–we never called it Hollywood Kiddieland–without a parent. I arrived in a pack of sixth and seventh-grade boys and girls. We roamed the grounds, all of us pretending to be much too old for baby rides. We hung out at the arcade and the batting cages, then played a round of miniature golf, but what I really wanted to do was ride the Ferris wheel one more time.
About that other, larger and more famous Kiddieland? Until 2009 it was located in the Chicago suburb of Melrose Park. Back in 1950 they sued Louis Klatzco, the owner of Hollywood Kiddieland, in a bid to gain exclusive use of the Kiddieland name.
Big Kiddieland, which had been operating in Melrose Park for 13 years, claimed little Kiddieland, which must have been open nearly that long, copied their name to take advantage of their success. Why Big Kiddieland waited so long to sue Little Kiddieland is a mystery, but Klatzco won and got to keep the Hollywood Kiddieland name. Oh, did I mention Klatzco was a Chicago cop, a captain? In court he claimed he no longer owned Hollywood Kiddieland. His wife, two sons and sister-in-law did.
Geoffrey Acciari, one of the five brothers who owned Hollywood Kiddieland
In 1955, the five Acciari brothers bought Hollywood Kiddieland. Their purchase included 18 rides and the refreshment stands. They added the arcade for the 1958 season. The original owner kept title of the land, plus the batting cages and miniature golf course.
For forty years the Acciari family also owned Roma’s, the pizza joint that was on the corner of Sheffield and Webster. I sure wished I had known that back in the late 1970s and early ’80s when I used to eat Roma’s pizza regularly. I would have told the Acciari family how much I loved Hollywood Kiddieland.
I talked to Karl Reins, Jr., who worked at Hollywood Kiddieland as a teen. He told me his father also worked there for a number of years and did the demolition job when the park closed in 1975. Karl remembers it all fondly: his co-workers; the neighborhood kids who hung out at the park; and the owners, who, Karl recalls, made a big difference in the lives of the underaged kids who worked at Kiddieland.
If you enjoyed Hollywood Kiddieland, check out the Facebook page I hung out at Hollywood Kiddieland. It’s mostly a group of people who worked there as kids and they’re sharing their memories. They’d like to hear yours.
Photo credits: Thanks to Gorillas Don’t Blog for permission of the top, third and bottom photos. All other photos courtesy of Linda Trotier.
Sources: My thanks to Karl Reins, Jr.
Thanks for sharing this story with us. Like Karl, I was also a part of the crew when when we had to tear down the park. Jeff, actually gave me a job when I was about 12 because he got tired of me hanging around every day. I asked all the time to work there. He finally said as long as you’re showing up every day and I have your mom’s permission so you can work, I’ll start you tomorrow. I beamed when he gave me 2 official Hollywood Kiddieland tee shirts to wear there. Packed away, I still have my time cards from there. When we tore the place down, they let us take what we wanted. For many of us, it was our first job, our new found family (better than a gang) and whether we knew it or not, friendships to last a lifetime. Working there was the best days of my young teenage years.
Thanks, Caryn, for visiting. It was so hard to get jobs when we were in our early teens and you were lucky to get such a great one.
When I saw the photos of Hollywood Kiddieland, flashbacks from my childhood came in rapid succession. Oh, how I remember my Dad taking me to this place on weekends! The little boats that spun around in a small pool of water, the kid – friendly roller coaster. And does anyone remember the cage – like ride that required a considerable amount of exertion from those inside to lift it off the ground. Of course, there was the merry – go – round, tilt – O – whirl, and mini – cars.
After a long day at Hollywood Kiddieland, my Dad would take me to a popcorn shop in Lincoln Village and buy me a bag of carmelcorn. Delishhh!
Jackie
West Rogers Park
Jackie, thanks for visiting. I love hearing your memories–and knowing I’m not the only one who was crazy about Kiddieland!
WOW!! I am SO happy you printed this…and the picture with Shopper’s World in the background is priceless!!! I remember Kiddieland as being SOOO big, and the Tilt-a-Whirl….wlll let’s just say my stomach and it, did NOT get along.
Thanks again SOOOOOOOO much! (HAs it really been almost 35 years since we were neighbors!?!?)
Where do I start ?? O.K.,here goes….Kiddieland was the first job I had…and the most fun I ever had…I didn’t really care about the pay..as long as I had a few bucks to buy the latest record…(for a teenager,it was WAY better than slingin’ newspapers..) They started me off slowly,(the boats,the race cars,etc.) then I was allowed to run the good stuff..(the ‘trooper,Rock-o-plane and finally: the bumper cars !!)
Karl Jr. and I were best friends and classmates during that time,and it was Karl Sr. that spoke up for me,and got me the job there….I came to know the entire Reins family,and they were like a second family to me…and the friends that I came to know while working there is something that I’ll never forget. (And the steady diet of cherry sno-cones and popcorn didn’t hurt,either !
I agree…tearing the park down was kind of sad,but we had a job to do,and we got it done…some rides just got demolished,but others were sold to other amusement parks, I believe..I still have a souvenir from the tear-down- cutting torch+ hot metal = burn scar on forearm…!
So many good times,good friends (then AND now)..Kiddieland-the best of times !
Hi, Zev. I agree about the Shopper’s World sign. I can still picture the store layout in my mind. One of the other shots has the Weiboldt’s sign. I guess it was actually hiding one of those water tower structures.
Bob, it’s great to hear your recollections. Popcorn I could pass up, sno-cones were great but the cotton candy was my favorite.
Boy, does this bring back memories.. even thought i lived in uptown, my dad brought me to hollywood kiddieland on a regular basis.. and bounceland. and amy joy donuts. (do i have my geography straight?? were they all there near each other). i sure loved that tiny ferris wheel where you got into a little screened in cage. kiddieland was totally my thing..
Yes, Amy Joy donuts was on the corner of Lincoln and Kimball/McCormick. I can picture the sign, big block letters.
he frances great job,ive been in the i hung out at hollywood kiddieland group for a little while,the pictures are wonderful i still have my jacket i will post a picture of soon. i just got back in my house after 6 months…its a long story. but again thanks for doing this my step father was manuel everybody knew him, i worked there from the age of eleven to sixteen if you could call it work, i thnk we had to much fun to call it work. if anybody remembers me please let me know,thishas been a great trip back intime
Thanks for your comment Carol. I think Karl did mention your stepfather–he’s the one people called Manny, right? And he was a manager at Hollywood Kiddieland. I’m sorry I accidentally left him out of the story. But now he’s in the comments.
Being a south-sider, I don’t believe we ever made it to this Kiddleland. Too bad, looked like a fun place and I especially liked the fire truck b-day pickup.
Another thing. The girl in the second to last photo above reminded me of one of the History Detectives on PBS.
Dave, you miss a good time.
Frances,
You’ve covered all the bases in this great post. Not only kiddieland, but the Wiebolts sign, Shoppers World, and the long forgotten Amy Joy donut shop were all touched upon in this piece. A lot of good times were found around Lincoln and Mc Cormick back in the day.
Thanks
Hi, Frances,
Marv got it right–it’s not just about KL, but the background! Wieboldt’s, SW (as we called it), Amy Joy (Puff-Luff on Pratt and Western was better). I even remember going there one Sunday with Rabbi Twersky (from Lev Someach) and his kids (all dressed traditionally)! What memories!
Frances – the trek from Belmont and Broadway to Hollywood Kiddieland felt like a journey to a distant land back in the ’60′s, and we more often than not would go to Riverview when “amusement park” was the activity of choice, but my I remember with pleasure the many times we visited Kiddieland and enjoyed the rides and refreshments. I don’t know if you’ve seen the movie “Adventureland” which I worked on a few years ago, but it did a wonderful job of capturing the daily life of a not-so-prime-time amusement park, in our case filming at Pittsburgh’s Kennywood Park.
Bill, I was totally thinking of Adventureland as I wrote this post, particularly because I had interviewed people who worked at Hollywood Kiddieland as teens.
Way to go Frances, another great article about my past. All the pictures bring back fond memories of those days when the biggest problem in your life was how late could you stay out. Kiddieland was a Chicago institution, like Riverview. Can’t wait for your next article…excellent writing!
Ellen
I worked at Kiddleland in the mid-sixties. At that time they paid 75 cents an hour but paid a bonus of 15 cents more an hour if you stayed on to close the park at the end of the season. It was my first real job and being underage I was lucky to work then. I think the worst ride to tender had to be the boat ride. Each boat had a bell with a dangling rope that the kiddies would clang endlessly as the vessel circled around and around and around. Not a pleasant memory.
Hi, Mark, belated apologies. Depending how early in the sixties your started working there, I may have been one of those kiddies clanging the bell. But you are right about the job in one sense. There’s nothing today in the way of job opportunities like underaged kids back then had.
Frances – Wow! I used to run the boats at Kiddieland.
Great job! Outside, by the water.
Amazing you were able to get these images. It brings back many memories and that Shoppers World sign in the background is great! My mom used to work there.
Great article, Frances! I have so many fond memories and met so many great people working there. I, too, remember working the boats, probably one of my first rides I operated, and it was not that exciting. I remember those irritating bells too.! I do remember a guy named Steve that actually claimed that as the ride he always wanted to be assigned to! Anyone remember him?
I do also remember working another kiddie ride that had horns and bells and was controlled electronically by the ride operator and many times the parents would ask about the sounds (which I had turned off intentionally) and would pretend I didn;t realize they were turned off!
Remember the huge slide, and the moonwalk?? I remember Ernie Banks brought his daughter there one day when I was assigned to the moonwalk, and I didn’t take the ticket, (like he couldn’t afford it!)
I started out working in the “foodhouse” serving hot dogs, and soft drinks, along with making popcorn, cotton candy (which actually required some practice to do it right), and snowcones.
I remember we used to work 12pm to 10pm, (or was it 10am?) Everyone would arrive at least an hour or so before the park opened and we would hang out in the arcade, playing the juke box and some of the games. I worked 6 days a week, and would always be there on my day off too! It just was so much fun!
Thanks, Linda, for sharing your recollections of working at Hollywood Kiddieland. It’s great knowing it was as fun for people working there as it was for kids who visited. Not too many jobs like that anymore.
Unbelievable, I spent my childhood there. First with my parents taking my brother and I there when we were good, then as I got older hanging out there with the girls, then eventually with the gang.
I remember all the other places mentioned above too. It takes you back to good times, free of worries and responsibilities. Thanks for sharing.
Donna, nice to hear from you. I feel the same way.
Thanks for the fantastic trip down memory lane. My father had a collection of pictures of me at Kiddieland (many/most of them in black and white) during the 1960′s. The photos are most likely still at my parents’ house. My cousins lived near “Big Kiddieland” but they loved going to Hollywood Kiddieland when they would stay overnight at our house during the summer.
I met my husband at Kiddieland in 1968, I was a junior and Von, and he just came home from Nam. What memories.
Sarah, very romantic. I wonder whether a lot of couples met at Kiddieland.
Bill, I know how busy you are, but if you ever get a chance to dig up some Hollywood Kiddieland photos, please share them here. You can send me .jpgs by email or post on Facebook and I can copy here (with your permission of course!)
I attended 2 or 3 bday parties that began with the firetruck. It was so special. The precursor to limo rides. There is similar setup to Kiddieland
Denise, thanks for your comment. I’m guessing Little Kiddieland copied a lot more than the name of Big Kiddieland.
I remember they had trampolines in the ground for a while. The “cages” were called Swinging Gyms – you stood in a metal cage and rocked up and back – until you could make the cage swing in a full circle. Thanks for the photos – especially the Shoppers World – where I used to buy all my phono albums 33rpms, and Beatle Music books. I believe Wiebolts had the S&M trading stamps that you put in a “book” and then when you had a number of books could get household items such as a toaster, etc.
Did anyone go to Morrie’s Hot Dogs on Lawrence and Lawndale?
Thanks for visiting and adding your memories. The tramps were across the street at Bounceland, though. It was in the parking lot of Shoppers World. You’re right about the Swinging Gyms, and Weibold’s did have the Green Stamps redemption center. I also remember buying 45s at Shoppers World. Several people did recall Maury’s when I wrote about Chicago hot dog stands.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, WTTW ran a marathon Remembering Chicago series. The final episode was entitled “baby boomer years”, the profile many here fit.
After the Riverview segment, the Hollywood Kiddieland was shown, complete with the birthday fire truck and clanging bells on the boat ride. I’d guess dating the time frame, late 50s early 60s.
Thanks for letting me know. I’m going to look for that segment.
The view of Shopper’s World really takes me back. Then it was Community. I remember before that was built and the whole west side of Kimball was Mini-golf. How about AmyJoy Donuts???
Thanks, Frances, this is priceless!
Hi, Andy. It’s funny that the Shopper’s World sign is so memorable. Hard to believe we haven’t seen it for 40 years. I remember buying 45′s there.
great job frances. I worked at the roma for many years. I wound up working with Geff after the kiddieland closed. I still have 2 brand new Hollywood Kiddieland tee shirts.
Mike, glad you liked the story. Roma was a great neighborhood joint.
Of course I remember Kiddie Land ! I was so upset when they closed it. Community opened up later across the street and Rabbi Nayman’s Shul moved in diagonally across the street.
I was lucky enough to have one of the birthday parties at Kiddieland. My mom even brought an ice cream cake along for us. She always claimed to have invented the recipe! One of the comments was about the trampolines…..I thought they were located where Novelty Golf is, near the Bunny Hutch? Your articles are appreciated. I think they take us back to a simpler time, one which we can look back fondly upon. Thanks!
Robyn, thanks for yourkind comments. Bounceland was in the parking lot of Shopper’s World, but there may have been trampolines by the Bunny Hutch as well, but I don’t know. Did you know the Bunny Hutch is still open and hasn’t changed much.
Wow Frances – this is an amazing journey back in time that you have created. The Tilta-World was probably the most challenging ride by far. Or maybe more exciting were those capsules you could enter, which,elevated, then spun around in mid-air for a number of seconds and then turned upsidedown before returning rightside up to the ground!! The roller coaster was also great but didn’t come close to Riverview’s Bobs or Comet! Kiddieland also had a cool train ride and pony rides! I do remember buying my first Beatles LP at Shoppper’s World, or it might have been at Harmony Hall in Lincoln Village where I bought subsequent albums.
I bought 45s at Shopper’s World, along with white lipstick and black eyeliner. I’d forgotten about Harmony Hall carrying records as well, but I do recall getting my first album at Flip Side. The prices were 3.27 an album my freshman year at Von, and if I didn’t buy lunch all week, I could buy a new album every week.
I never rode the capsules, and I guess I never will.
Harmony Hall; Flip Side. I’d totally forgotten about those places. Frances, the white lipstick must have been by Yardley. Didn’t most of us want to look like Jean Shrimpton or Twiggy? My wavy, frizzy hair was such a burden at the time. As for Kiddieland, I have a photo of me at around 18 months with my mother and aunt. I don’t look as happy as they do, maybe too much cotton candy–or not enough.
I wonder if anyone has a pictures of the Batting Cages. That was our destination point every night during the summer. Everyone walked, even those coming from Albany Park. Life was good. Saturday afternoons at the Terminal Theatre, another walking destination no matter how north you lived. And who can forget summer evenings in Peterson playgound – that is until they kicked us out.
The Terminal Theatre–that’s another name I haven’t thought about in years. Weren’t the movies something like $.25 for a double feature! It is amazing how much walking we did then and didn’t think anything of it.
Kiddieland was the tool my parents used to teach me the subject of “psychology.” When I wanted desperately to go to Kiddieland and whined in the back seat of the car about it, my mom would say, “If you keep asking, we won’t go, but if you don’t say anything more, there’s a chance we will. That’s called using psychology.” So I generally never asked for anything. Rarely got anything, but hey, at least I learned psychology.