Melrose Park in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Kiddieland Amusement Park
Photographed by Sean Flynn, October 24, 2023
1. Kiddieland Amusement Park Marker
80 years of family fun
Founded by Arthur Fritz
Erected 2012 by Melrose Park Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1929.
Location. 41° 53.671′ N, 87° 51.371′ W. Marker is in Melrose Park, Illinois, in Cook County. It is on North 19th Avenue south of Iowa Street, on the left when traveling south. The marker and the original Kiddieland sign sit along the exterior north wall of the Melrose Park Library within the library's parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 801 North 19th Avenue, Melrose Park IL 60160, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At
this page online
Another marker is no longer nearby. Major League Players from Proviso East (was approx. half a mile away but has been confirmed missing).
Regarding Kiddieland Amusement Park. Kiddieland opened in 1929 at the northwest corner of North Avenue and 1st Avenue, about 2½ miles (by car) northwest of the library. Kiddieland closed in 2009 after an ownership dispute, and it was torn down in 2010. It was replaced by a Costco.
The Kiddieland sign, which for years had lit up the North and 1st intersection, was preserved and rededicated on the side of the Melrose Park library
Photographed by Sean Flynn
2. Kiddieland Amusement Park sign and marker
The entrance to the library parking lot also features another sign from a now-departed Melrose Park institution from that same 1st and North intersection: the Maywood Park race track. The harness-racing track, which was at the intersection's southwest corner, opened in 1946 and closed in 2015. In 2019 it was sold and torn down, and today it is the site of an Amazon distribution center.
Also see . . . The Complete History of Kiddieland in Melrose Park, Illinois (1929-2009). Includes photos of the park (Submitted on October 25, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 1, 2025
3. Kiddieland and Maywood Park signs
Photographed by Sean Flynn, October 27, 2023
4. Kiddieland site, 2023
The spot at 1st and North avenues in Melrose Park that once was home to Kiddieland is now a Costco.
Jeremy Thompson (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons, September 5, 2009
5. Kiddieland sign, 2009
This view of the Kiddieland sign overlooking the intersection of North Avenue and 1st Avenue was taken during its final year of operation. The Kiddieland site today is a Costco. The sign for the Maywood Park race track is visible across the street in the background; it has also since been razed and is now home to an Amazon logistics center.
circa Circa/1929
6. Pre-Kiddieland Amusement Park
Before there was any amusement park there were pony rides supplied directly across from what was the former Cook County Fairgrounds. Arthur Fritz took full advantage of its proximity to the Fairgrounds which later became Maywood Park Racetrack.
circa Circa/1946
7. Kiddeland & Maywood Park Racetrack - Circa 1946
Circa 1946, birds eye view looking North-East, with Kiddieland (Upper Portion) and Maywood Park Racetrack (prominent Grandstand shown). North Ave (Rt. 64) and CPKC railroad tracks (formerly Soo Line/Wisconsin Central) separated the two venues.
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 29, 2024
8. "Kiddieland Amusement Park Road"
An honorary street sign along First Avenue honors Kiddieland, which stood across the street until 2009.
Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 1, 2022
9. Little Dipper today
Kiddieland's Little Dipper roller coaster, built in 1950, was acquired for $33,000 by Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Illinois) upon Kiddieland's closing, and was installed in 2010.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 25, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 1,556 times since then and 178 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 25, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 3. submitted on February 1, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 4. submitted on October 27, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 5. submitted on September 29, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 6, 7. submitted on April 18, 2026, by M.Bloom of Leyden, Illinois. 8. submitted on October 29, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 9. submitted on October 25, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
