Historic Houston Amusement Parks & Places

[cahomer]

I remember Globe, U-Totems, Kiddie Wonderland (oh, but those ponies were sooo old! I remember how they used to start running just a teensy bit faster when they got closer to the end of the track...and how some of the ponies would just stop right in the middle of the track and stubbornly refuse to move until an employee would come prod them along--or were those mules?), Kitirick (meow), Pipe Organ Pizza, and Sage--did Globes turn into Sages or Sages into Globes?--and today, I hear Astroworld is closing for good. Is it true?

[djrage]

Man it really trips me out how many of yall are from southeast, I feel like I'm hearin family members talk when I read yalls posts. I'm 3rd generation southeast myself. My grandparents lived in the magnolia/manchester area and my parents were from right there off broadway by milby, sellers bros., ingrando park, etc. Am I the only one who swam at glenbrook public pool, and jumped off the dreaded "hightower"? When I was up there as a kid I used to look out in the distance and see the skyline and think, "man I wanna live there one day, and now I do so ha, take that "your supposed to stay in the hood" mentality! Does anyone remember a place called "the mark" across the street from milby in the early 80's during the explosion of breakdancing? It was an arcade and a place to battle (breakdance "fight"). Supertrack closed???? Wow that's the end of an era.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

YES!!! I grew up in this area too. I've been to that pool with the "dreaded" hightower a couple of times. Last time I was there I was about 16 in '86. I was always afraid I was going to hit the side of the pool jumping off that thing! Is it still there?

I'm suprised no one mentioned Fame City Water Works. Remember that place.

I kind of remember the chessy commercials they ran on cable for that place.

The jingle "Fame Fa Fa Fame, Fa Fa Fa F F Fame.... Fame City!"

[GregM]

Heights...  Do you, or anyone else, remember a bad accident at Playland's race track that happened in the early 60's, I think it was?  Maybe the very late 50's.  I was there.  During warm-ups, a wheel came off Blackie Lothringer's car coming into the first turn where the entrance to the raceway was.  I was standing at a refreshment stand between the gate area and the race track, which had only a very small wall around it.  I heard a loud bang and looked up in time to see the wheel come flying over ther wall...followed immediately by Blackie's car.  I was about 50 feet from where the car landed.  Three people were killed and many injured, as they were headed from the gate area to the stands.  If I hadn't stopped for a Coke, I would probably been where the car came down.  I have tried to find out if there is anything about this accident on the internet, but have not been successful.

The crash you are refering to happened in '59. One of the 3 people killed was one of the owners of Playland and unfortunately, he was the one owner who was passoinate about the park. This basicaly signaled the beginning of the end of the park since his siblings allowed it to fall into neglect and disrepair.

I found this out when I went to the library down town to research Playland. I found several news articles but zero photographs. Where can one find more pictures of Playland?

[LarryDallas]

I'm 26 and been a Houstonian 25.5 of the 26 yrs so the Kiddie's Wonderland, Fame City, Hanna Barbera, and this one place next to Sharpstwon Mall where the Federated store used to be resonate with me.

Kiddie's was a real cool place now that I think back on it. I think they stayed around until 1990ish which is a big deal when you consider the Target and Al's Formal across the street were so modern compared to them. The property value was insanely high even back in those days for such a small independent business. I can recall you could pick between a slwo, fast, or medium speed pony. I once got a slow and he stopped on the track and started chewing the rails that kept them on their way. They also had a small train that used to take you around their lot and a carrosel that would hold 10-15 people at a time.

The people that worked there were really nice folks. There was an old lady that handled the tickets and such while this jolly guy in overalls tended to the pony track. I loved that place and have fond memories. The Kroger that came there used to be about 1/2 a block up Kirby in the next strip mall. When Albertsons left they took over the newly built building. Kiddies was gold.

Hanna Barbera I went to only once with a childhood friend and his family. I can recall that the tickets were very cheap yet it was very impressive (well I was like 10 I think). They had a nice water slide you could do on a small raft.

Fame City I can recall being too geared toward the arcade games which I was never into. Even as a kid I used to be like "why waste my money a bit at a time to play that and start back at level 1 when I finish a game" The idea of buying a home game system seemed to make more sense. Um, not to mom and dad though cause nintendo used to cost about a hundred bucks and a game was about 50 (a lot of money in the 1980s).

The place that used to be near Sharpstown we went to around 1989ish with some friends. His mom had just bought a new 1990 Camry and we thought it was the coolest car in the world casue the radio had a digital tuner and it had motorized seatbelts. Anyway, the place was awesome! It had bumper cars, a pit of those plastic ball things with cargo nets to climb, mini-golf, and some other stuff I can't clearly recall.

Playland and Peppermint Park I had never heard of since they were before my time. Very cool stuff.

[belmontdrew]

Does anyone remember Moutian Park? I think that was the name. It was off westpark where 59 and 610 meet....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, was that what it was called? "Mountain Park"? Was that the waterslide and pirate ship and arts and crafts amusement thing or the ski slope thing. I remember going to a birthday party there in the very early 80's! Must've been pre-WaterWorld!

[Heights2Bastrop]

I remember an amusement park from the past called "Astroworld". Anyone remember it?

[Houston born and raised]

I hated to hear that Astroworld is closing it's doors. I remember going there as a small child through my teenage years and always had a seasons pass. The black dragon was my favorite ride back in the early days.

[TJones]

I thought the Cyclone was supposed to be an exact duplicate of the roller coaster at Coney Island. Or was that just hype?

Cyclone is bigger and faster than Coney Island's.

[gto250us]

The best place was Kiddie Wonderland on Kirby. Man those horses were a million years old but they sure were a good time.

[torvald]

Cyclone is bigger and faster than Coney Island's.

When it was first built, but reprofiling over the decades left the Texas Cyclone in a rather emasculated state. These days the Cyclone at CI is much, much more intense.

[bcnet]

Did a little searching and found this picture of Hanna Barberra land in Spring.

[sevfiv]

Hanna Barberra land in Spring

neat-o...i almost forgot about that place, and that splashtown is where it used to be...

Edited September 30, 2005 by sevfiv

[john Lopez]

Maybe I remember a Playland Park, too. I remember us going to another amusement park, and I thought that I could see from it the neon "rock" of the logo of the Prudential building. Is that possible? Was Playland Park near that Prudential building? If it was, then it's possible that my memory is still good after over 40 years.

Chet Cuccia

Every year, in the 50's & early 60's, Playland Park had "back to School" party. Houston Press had 1 coupon each day during summer, & was good for 1 free ride. We would collect coupons from anyone that would give to us, ride bus from Near North Side to Playland, & ride Roller Coaster 30 or 40 times. Used to see the Houston Wrestlers of Paul Bosch at the party every year.

There was also a Huge public swimming pool near there. Gateway Swim? Had a big bubble at bottom of deep end you could swim down to and actually breathe inside the bubble.... can't quite remember how that worked... hummmmm

[MidtownCoog]

big bubble at bottom of deep

That sounds awesome!

I bet all the lawyers wish they would bring those fun things like that back.

[PCfixit]

I grew up across woodridge from Gulfgate, in some apartments called Gulfgate Village Apartments in front of Globe. Some of the things I barely remember are:

I couldn't wait for the carnival that would set up every year in the Gulfgate parking lot eastside near I45

The pony rides with the old man in the overalls, I think the ponies were trained to stop so kids would ask to go again on the medium track.

I could of swore that Peppermint Park was located on woodridge when leaving Gulfgate and going under I45, I thought it was on the right hand side, there was a Lutheran High School on the left, but I did not drive back then I was to busy bouncing around in the back seat (nobody knew what seat belts where back then) so I could be wrong about that.

They use to have Superslides that were three or four stories tall and you got a potato sack to sit on, there were two huge bumps that if you pushed off at the top you could actually get airborne for a couple of feet.

Twice I remember one of the car lots off of I45 at woodridge were giving Helicopter rides, they just took you up made a big circle and then landed, but it was still cool.

And I remember the pool with the high dive, my mom never would let me go off the top platform, I think thats why we quit going there, as I got older I keep getting a little more courage up, the last time I was there i was probably 8 or 9.

Edited November 20, 2005 by PCfixit

[Ashikaga]

I grew up across woodridge from Gulfgate, in some apartments called Village Way Apartments in front of Globe. Some of the things I barely remember are:

I couldn't wait for the carnival that would set up every year in the Gulfgate parking lot eastside near I45

The pony rides with the old man in the overalls, I think the ponies were trained to stop so kids would ask to go again on the medium track.

I could of swore that Peppermint Park was located on woodridge when leaving Gulfgate and going under I45, I thought it was on the right hand side, there was a Lutheran High School on the left, but I did not drive back then I was to busy bouncing around in the back seat (nobody knew what seat belts where back then) so I could be wrong about that.

They use to have Superslides that were three or four stories tall and you got a potato sack to sit on, there were two huge bumps that if you pushed off at the top you could actually get airborne for a couple of feet.

Twice I remember one of the car lots off of I45 at woodridge were giving Helicopter rides, they just took you up made a big circle and then landed, but it was still cool.

And I remember the pool with the high dive, my mom never would let me go off the top platform, I think thats why we quit going there, as I got older I keep getting a little more courage up, the last time I was there i was probably 8 or 9.

I'm 47. How old are you? I lived in Houston from 1962-64. I remember going to Globe and to Gulfgate. I also remember us going to the Winkler Drive-In Theatre on the corner of Winker Drive & Flowers Street. Can you tell me anything about that place?

[gnu]

...I could of swore that Peppermint Park was located on woodridge when leaving Gulfgate and going under I45, I thought it was on the right hand side, there was a Lutheran High School on the left, but I did not drive back then I was to busy bouncing around in the back seat (nobody knew what seat belts where back then) so I could be wrong about that....

Peppermint Park at Gulfgate was at the corner of Reveille and Arnim (i think it is currently the Dodge Body Shop)

Lutheran High School (South) was across the freeway from Gulfgate - corner of Woodridge and Rustic (Currently HCC Southeast Campus). It was there until 1982, then it moved to the South Loop feeder just down from the YMCA. It moved to Dixie Farm Road and 45 around 1998

[Montrose1100]

Busch Gardens?

[PCfixit]

Peppermint Park at Gulfgate was at the corner of Reveille and Arnim (i think it is currently the Dodge Body Shop)

Lutheran High School (South) was across the freeway from Gulfgate - corner of Woodridge and Rustic (Currently HCC Southeast Campus). It was there until 1982, then it moved to the South Loop feeder just down from the YMCA. It moved to Dixie Farm Road and 45 around 1998

gnu I think your right about Peppermint Parks location, I know Lutheran High School was located northside of Woodridge and on the frontage road eastside of I45, there is a shopping strip in its place now, and Woodridge I think vears to the right before it gets to Rustic, at Rustic and Garland is where I went to Mount Olive Elementry. Not sure if the Elementry school is still there, it is on Google Earth but those photos are years old.

[gnu]

gnu I think your right about Peppermint Parks location, I know Lutheran High School was located northside of Woodridge and on the frontage road eastside of I45, there is a shopping strip in its place now, and Woodridge I think vears to the right before it gets to Rustic, at Rustic and Garland is where I went to Mount Olive Elementry. Not sure if the Elementry school is still there, it is on Google Earth but those photos are years old.

Oops. Sorry I guess I wasn't clear on the Lutheran High School info.

It was in the area formed by Rustic, Garland, Woodridge, and I-45.

Taking a second look at it, I guess the High School has been completely removed.

However, the buildings along Rustic and Garland - in the northeast corner of the property are still there - which I guess are actually the buildings that were part of the Mount Olive Lutheran Church Elementary School.

This is an image from the 1982 USGS map:

Aerial view from 2002

[Nikoz78]

I remember Games People Play out on F.M. 1960. Awesome 80's hangout! It had a killer arcade... I can close my eyes and still hear the sounds of all those arcade machines and the smell of hotdogs and nachos. They had bowling type games with small hard balls (I got into trouble a few times for running up the thing and throwing my ball in the big point slot,,, so I could get those tickets to trade for crappy junk). The best thing at Games People Play were the waterslides. Three of them. You had to walk (I ran) up this wood staircase that winded upward to what seemd to me (a kid at the time) to go WAY up and it was slippery and damn I fell and busted my ass a lot. At the top of this thing you waited in line (or if you were lucky and no line was present you could run and jump right in) on a platform with wood walls and no roof. Man I remember the LEGEND of the kid who cut his back on the pipe and had to get alot of stiches. I was scared going down, sometimes wondering where it happened. If it ever did lol. Those slides were a blast. After being out in the hot (and bright) sun you walked into the arcade/food area inside and it was kinda cave like, dark but lit by golden/yellow lights and arcade screens. I remember it was real cold in the arcade from the A/C after coming in from the slides. Dude the bumper boats were round and there was a cement island with grass in the middle (I think), and coins in the nasty water. I actually saw a life guard go in there and swim after something some girl had dropped out of her boat lol. Go-Carts with a pretty cool track, Putt-Putt golf, and some batting cages out back. Yeah that place rocked. Nothing left now but a skeleton. The slides are sort-of still there and parts/pices of the putt-putt area. Very overgrown. The sign was still there (old and faded) until this last year. They took the sign down and put up a for-sale sign in it's metal frame (on the tall steel post). I'm sad to think they just threw it in the trash. R.I.P. Games People Play. Anyway, if anyone has pics please share them! I may build a small (permanent) tribute site dedicated to this awesome 80's hangout. "Stay Gold" and keep those memories alive!

[matt24]

I remember Games People Play out on F.M. 1960. Awesome 80's hangout! It had a killer arcade... I can close my eyes and still hear the sounds of all those arcade machines and the smell of hotdogs and nachos. They had bowling type games with small hard balls (I got into trouble a few times for running up the thing and throwing my ball in the big point slot,,, so I could get those tickets to trade for crappy junk). The best thing at Games People Play were the waterslides. Three of them. You had to walk (I ran) up this wood staircase that winded upward to what seemd to me (a kid at the time) to go WAY up and it was slippery and damn I fell and busted my ass a lot. At the top of this thing you waited in line (or if you were lucky and no line was present you could run and jump right in) on a platform with wood walls and no roof. Man I remember the LEGEND of the kid who cut his back on the pipe and had to get alot of stiches. I was scared going down, sometimes wondering where it happened. If it ever did lol. Those slides were a blast. After being out in the hot (and bright) sun you walked into the arcade/food area inside and it was kinda cave like, dark but lit by golden/yellow lights and arcade screens. I remember it was real cold in the arcade from the A/C after coming in from the slides. Dude the bumper boats were round and there was a cement island with grass in the middle (I think), and coins in the nasty water. I actually saw a life guard go in there and swim after something some girl had dropped out of her boat lol. Go-Carts with a pretty cool track, Putt-Putt golf, and some batting cages out back. Yeah that place rocked. Nothing left now but a skeleton. The slides are sort-of still there and parts/pices of the putt-putt area. Very overgrown. The sign was still there (old and faded) until this last year. They took the sign down and put up a for-sale sign in it's metal frame (on the tall steel post). I'm sad to think they just threw it in the trash. R.I.P. Games People Play. Anyway, if anyone has pics please share them! I may build a small (permanent) tribute site dedicated to this awesome 80's hangout. "Stay Gold" and keep those memories alive!

Glad to see your post. You brought back some great memories. I posted earlier about GPP. GPP "was" an awesome 80's hangout - straight out of something like "Fast Times At Ridgemont High"! I remember all those sounds too in that arcade - FUNNY. Let us know if you do a site or find some pics - I'd love to see them.

[plumber]

God I hated that Globe store on Hillcroft. Ugh!

What a great memory! I am 52 years old and grew up in Bellaire & Sharpstown until I was 9. Mom & Dad used to take me to ride those ponies at OST & Main. One of my early childhood fond memories.

Other memories in Houston as a child . . .

* Seeing Snow White at the movie theatre in the old shopping center on the north side of Bellaire Blvd. just east of the train tracks on the east end of Bellaire.

* Going to see Kitirik at Channel 13 and Captain Bob on Channel 2 at their old studios on Post Oak Rd.

* The deep drainage ditches along Avenue A (now Newcastle) and Post Oak Rd. in Bellaire.

* Movies at the Trail Drive In, and the new Sharpstown Drive In.

* Bissonnet was still called Old Richmond Road from the curve at about Edloe, down through Sharpstown.

* A big discount store on Hillcroft in Sharpstown called "Globe".

* That jingle . . ."Summer winter spring or fall, stroll in the air conditioned mall, with one stop to shop for all, at Sharpstown Center."

* The old Sears on South Main just south of Downtown

* U-Tote-M was a fairly large chain of convenience stores in those days. Their radio jingle? "Just in case anyone should ask you, you tell 'em U-Tote-M." Their sign incorporated a totem pole.

Probably a lot more stored in this old brain here!

Busch Gardens?

There were a few of the bird cages and thatched roof huts lift when Anheser Busch underwent a major renovation in the middle 80's. The smokers were using the huts as a break area. Wrong part of town for an amusement park, don't you think?

[Subdude]

I don't know about the Tropicana, but people had mentioned earlier that the Gateway Pool on South Main had a submerged plastic bubble. In the picture the pool is open, but in the photo of the Surrey Motel you can see they later enclosed it.

[Zephyr]

What a great memory! I am 52 years old and grew up in Bellaire & Sharpstown until I was 9. Mom & Dad used to take me to ride those ponies at OST & Main. One of my early childhood fond memories.

You and I are about the same age. I grew up in Genoa, which was later known as the Almeda Mall area, and now, I think, is called South Belt/Ellington.

It seems the OST area was popular for everyone in southern Houston. I remember the pony rides, as well as the old OST Bowling Lanes.

The movie theater in Bellaire. It was still there as a $1 movie theater when I left Houston in 1985.

Kitirik....wasn't her assistant there a guy named Don Chandler? He also played the part of Nod the Clown.

Drive-Ins: For us in Genoa, it was the Gulfway Drive-In. I could watch the movies from our front yard. There was also the Kings Center on South Loop.

LOL.... "Globe"...Yes, Globe Shopping City was also near Gulfgate. Anyone remember the Sage store on the Gulf Freeway? Or the Sage at Beechnut and 610?

I remember the Sears on South Main...another one on Wayside east of the Gulf Freeway.....and the one in Pasadena.

Anybody remember places called Taylor Hall, and later, Liberty Hall (Downtown)?

I lived off-campus at UofH, and we had several names for the U-Tote-M there....the prices were so high.

"U-Grab-M, We_Stab_M" is the only one I can mention in polite company.

Who remembers day games at Colt Stadium, when you were hardboiled by the end of the game, or night games at Colt Stadium, when you got mugged by mosquitoes?

Meyerland Plaza....it was still a great place to shop until the early 80s, when new owners went in and cut down all the trees in order to make the place a miserable shopping experience. I think they wanted a write-off or some excuse to tear the place down or sell it for redevelopment.

My longterm memory is still holding up.

[Montrose1100]

Did a little searching and found this picture of Hanna Barberra land in Spring.

My Sister got her first job working there. Seems like ages ago.

[bigdukem69]

I grew up in Windsor Village in SW Houston. I definetly remember Kiddie Wonderland. I think those ponies weren't looking so healthy the last time I went in the early eighties. I think there was a Games People play on Fondren that was cool to go to. I also remember a Showbiz pizza place on Fondren and W. Belfort next to the old K-Mart I think. It was similar to Chuck-E-Cheese. I was there when they debuted the Dragon's Lair arcade in 1981 or 82. The line was out the door. And you thought Pac-Man was popular! I think this area is nothing but apartments now. Does anyone know where the old S. Main Drive-In was? It apparently had a small kiddie park underneath the screen. My brother and I have been discussing where it was located. McLendon Tri-Plex is all I remember. Good memories guys!

[Ashikaga]

I don't know about the Tropicana, but people had mentioned earlier that the Gateway Pool on South Main had a submerged plastic bubble. In the picture the pool is open, but in the photo of the Surrey Motel you can see they later enclosed it.

Years ago, I heard that the clorine water in some of the swimming pools in Houston contained a chemical that would turn a dark purple color in the water all around a person who would urinate while in the pool. Was this one of those pools? They did that to discourage people from relieving themselves in the pool.

[foxmulder]

Hey chet i was the one who sent you the santa rosa theater picture! Small world. For those interested i'm devoting a site to the demolition of our beloved astroworld! Old Astroworld

[sevfiv]

For those interested i'm devoting a site to the demolition of our beloved astroworld! Old Astroworld

interesting site - will be neat to see the "progress" of the demolition

Edited December 27, 2005 by sevfiv