Old Houston Amusement Places

[Subdude 1605]

If your crazy, I am too. See the pool bubble here!

http://www.historica....aspx?poi=10978

I thought the Gateway pool was enclosed by that time?

Does anyone know what the maze-like thing is at the SW corner of Main and Braeswood? I am baffled.

[4PROP 3]

Does anyone know what the maze-like thing is at the SW corner of Main and Braeswood? I am baffled.

I think that was a miniature golf course. Next question; What was the name? "Goofy Golf" maybe.

[kylejack 878]

Anyone know where I can find some Games People Play photos? I'd like to take some Then And Now photos, but I'm having a hard time finding old photos.

[Subdude 1605]

Does anyone know what the maze-like thing is at the SW corner of Main and Braeswood? I am baffled.

I think that was a miniature golf course. Next question; What was the name? "Goofy Golf" maybe.

Thanks! That makes sense. I had no clue what that could be.

[mojo1158 0]

A friend of mine mentioned a kiddie place called Wee Wild West. I went there as a kid (60's) but have no idea where it was. Anybody remember that one?

I remember it! It was off of 290 near Windfern I believe...I was just talking about it the other day!

[mojo1158 0]

Anyone remember Happyland on Shepherd @ 43rd? I have some home video of it in the early 60's and will post it asap.

[Sparky 0]

Hi Friends. I have been away for quite a while. I stand corrected. There was a kiddie coaster at Playland. I talked to my brother and he reminded me where it was in the kiddie section of the park. If you look in the lower right section of the picture of Playland you can see it. Don't know why I didn't remember it.

[4PROP 3]

Hi Becky, Great to hear from you again. We look forward to some more of your park photos. I don't recall what years you lived at Playland, but have you seen the lastest Google Earth vintage shots. The 1944 view shows Playland before the race track was built. You may have been outside looking up for the plane taking the picture (Or wondering if Hilter was dropping a surprise on Houston!).

[Cemeterywolf 7]

Looking for pictures of the Super Slide that was located on Telophone Rd. and Almeda Genoa Rd.

Went there as a kid. Slid down on burlap sacks. It was a ruin for many years and I wished I had taken pictures of it.

Thanks for any help!!!!!!!!!?????????????

[NenaE 146]

Looking for pictures of the Super Slide that was located on Telophone Rd. and Almeda Genoa Rd.

Went there as a kid. Slid down on burlap sacks. It was a ruin for many years and I wished I had taken pictures of it.

Thanks for any help!!!!!!!!!?????????????

I remember the one that sat on Telephone, east side of road, close to an old 1950's style burger place. Part of of Almeda-Genoa ran to the west of the super slide.

(By the way, I saw some Astroworld Ferris Wheel baskets on that road, they were sitting in a yard, was years ago).

I remember it becoming a scrap/ junk yard, with the slide slowly deteriorating around it. Sorry, I don;t have any pictures.

I was kinda scared of it, it was sooo big.

[Goatman79 6]

I remember both the Hockley Oil Ranch, and Physical Whimsical. I got to take a trip out to the oil ranch several times either through school field trips or Cub Scout outings. It was probably the single most awesome rope swing I had ever used. At the top of the barn with the rope swing was also a maze made from hay bails that kids could crawl in and out of.

The Physical Whimsical had two locations, the one on 1960 and 249, and another one inside Sharpstown Mall. I tended to visit the Sharpstown location more often, for birthdays and such, but I do recall the FM 1960 location quite well.

It had a lot of moonwalks, including one that resembled an old western saloon, and the place smelled like Wild Berry Skittles candy.

The Sharpstown location was much better in my opinion. More things to do. There were two stories, and you could climb a giant net to get to the top floor, and ride the spiral slide down. There was also a room that had glow-in-the-dark walls. While the light was on, you held a position, and then the lights would go out, and you could see your shadow still on the wall for a minute or two. There was also lots of jungle gyms, a ball pit, a maze of giant padded-vinyl blocks (that we used to hit eachother with), and those little roller racers you sat on and pivoted the steering handle back and forth to move around the floor. Ah, such fond memories. I think both locations were closed by the early 1990's.

[4PROP 3]

Looking for pictures of the Super Slide that was located on Telophone Rd. and Almeda Genoa Rd.

Went there as a kid. Slid down on burlap sacks. It was a ruin for many years and I wished I had taken pictures of it.

Thanks for any help!!!!!!!!!?????????????

Here's one like it. (Mi-Tee-Slide) Not sure where this one was.

[NenaE 146]

Cool picture of the slide, groovy side panels, reminds me of the Laugh-In show.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-for-sale-giant-slide-at-state-fairgrounds-20110622,0,5315982.story

Here's a short article of the inventor of the giant slide. says there were 42 of them, at one time.

Edited September 9, 2011 by NenaE

[plumber2 234]

I remember it! It was off of 290 near Windfern I believe...I was just talking about it the other day!

Wee Wild West was at the corner of Westheimer and Yorktown. It later became a Putt Putt Golf.

[sinister1 17]

Boy Downtown has changed some!!!

And it's going to change again if they go ahead and go through with the expansion of 45. : (

[NenaE 146]

http://digital.lib.uh.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/p15195coll1&CISOPTR=200&REC=3 Scene in Highland Park. ...from the University of Houston On-Line Archives Collection The Magnolia City (1904) (Part 3) Click on Pg.5

Drag the bar inside the page down for the caption.

Edited January 12, 2012 by NenaE

[coxjj 0]

Forgive me for any repetition in this long thread. I might be able to add a little info on Playland Park. Yes, it was on the corner of S. Main and Murworth. My father owned the arcade and skee ball there, so, naturally, I spent a lot of my childhood there. I remember the difficulty even getting there as we lived 2 blocks south of Meyerland Plaza and 610 wasn't built yet. So we traveled residential streets to get there.

With almost unlimited access, I was able to achieve perfect scores of 450 (9 balls @ 50 pts. each) on skee ball. I remember collecting and tracking the coins out of the 100+ arcade machines and rolling them up and helping my dad deposit the bags of pennies, nickels, and dimes at the bank in the Prudential building.

I remember my dad became friends with the man in charge of souvenirs for the Colt 45's and ultimately the Astros. He had a son about the same age as me so I was able to see a number of games over the years. Good times.

[57Tbird 29]

I just came across the attached ad in an old 1947 paper.  Looking at its location and description, I have no recollection of it at all, and I thought I was pretty well informed about all the recreation facilities in the South Main area in the '40's - 60's timeframe.  Its address puts it right inside the intersection of South Main and OST.  The ad says, ..."behind Price's Restaurant.", but I think it should have been Prince's Drive-In, which was near that location.  Looking at blurry 1953 Historic Aerials and Google Earth views in that location show something that might have been it.

 

[FilioScotia 155]

I'm willing to go out on a limb and say Lake Island didn't last very long, probably because it was aimed at adults, with dancing and beer, and it was outdoors. I'm speculating that a guy named Wes Oldfield bought it and turned it into the Gateway Swimming Pool and Skating Rink complex for grownups and kids.

 

I say this because the Gateway Pool was at precisely the same location as the Lake Island complex. On Main one block south of OST. A Super Target store and parking lot now covers that location. Here's a link to more information about Gateway with a historic aerial shot of where it was:

 

http://www.examiner.com/article/the-gateway-swimming-pool-on-south-main

Edited July 25, 2015 by FilioScotia

[57Tbird 29]

I'm willing to go out on a limb and say Lake Island didn't last very long, probably because it was aimed at adults, with dancing and beer, and it was outdoors. I'm speculating that a guy named Wes Oldfield bought it and turned it into the Gateway Swimming Pool and Skating Rink complex for grownups and kids.

 

I say this because the Gateway Pool was at precisely the same location as the Lake Island complex. On Main one block south of OST. A Super Target store and parking lot now covers that location. Here's a link to more information about Gateway with a historic aerial shot of where it was:

 

http://www.examiner.com/article/the-gateway-swimming-pool-on-south-main

 

Filio...  I agree that it was probably short-lived, but the Target is at 8510 Main, and this was at 8301, on the odd number side.  Also, the ad is from July, 1947, and your link says Gateway was built in 1946.

 

[Ross 1559]

On the 1953 Google Earth images, there's no sign of any pools, etc at 8301 Main.

[FilioScotia 155]

I'm fascinated by the apparent fact that there were two competing water parks across South Main from each other in the late 40s and 50s, and there seems to be no trace of them now.

 

The Gateway pool was in a grassy area  just north of the spot where the Target store is now, which would put in or right next to the 8300 block of  Main.

[57Tbird 29]

After more research on locations and verified addresses, I came up with these notations, which I have added to a 1953 Historic Aerial.

 

 

Edited July 26, 2015 by 57Tbird

[FilioScotia 155]

The advertisement shown above says Lake Island was at 8301 Main, which would put it a block south of the Main-OST merge, and directly across Main from the Gateway Pool complex.

 

The ad also says it was behind Prince's Restaurant, which doesn't make any sense. Look at the aerial photo. The only thing behind that Prince's was OST. I can't see any evidence of a water-themed recreation area for grownups anywhere on the east side of Main. 

Edited July 27, 2015 by FilioScotia

[Subdude 1605]

The advertisement shown above says Lake Island was at 8301 Main, which would put it a block south of the Main-OST merge, and directly across Main from the Gateway Pool complex.

 

The ad also says it was behind Prince's Restaurant, which doesn't make any sense. Look at the aerial photo. The only thing behind that Prince's was OST. I can't see any evidence of a water-themed recreation area for grownups anywhere on the east side of Main. 

 

I think it says it was behind Price's Restaurant, not Princes, would could explain the discrepancy.  

[57Tbird 29]

Both of you are correct.  I began looking for a Price's Restaurant on the internet and couldn't find anything.  Maybe someone who has accress to a Houston phone book circa 1947 timeframe can find something.  I did find an ad for a Price;s Restaurant in an old high school yearbook from 1953, located at Prairie and San Jacinto, so Price's did exist and most likely at the South Main location at one time.  Looking at the HCAD map, I could find no 8300-8400 addresses that exist today.  I did find this  that shows the addresses for that area I had noted for the possible location,  The 8301 must have been farther south as Filio noted.  Price's must have been at 8301, since Lake Island was behind it at 8301-1/2.  It would have to have been on the east side though, since even nos. were on the west and even nos. on the east side.  Since the aerial picture was from 1953, a lot could change from 1947.  It was most likely a flop

[Ross 1559]

Only location for Price's I can find is at 501 San Jacinto in the 1954 city directory. The directories for the years prior are truncated on Ancestry. I may be able to get over to the Clayton Library tomorrow. If so, I'll see what I can find.

 

In the 1944 and 1953 Google Earth images, there is an amusement park at what is now Main and Murworth, with a very large roller coaster. It's on the East side of Main

[57Tbird 29]

Only location for Price's I can find is at 501 San Jacinto in the 1954 city directory. The directories for the years prior are truncated on Ancestry. I may be able to get over to the Clayton Library tomorrow. If so, I'll see what I can find.

 

In the 1944 and 1953 Google Earth images, there is an amusement park at what is now Main and Murworth, with a very large roller coaster. It's on the East side of Main

 

That's Playland Park.

[FilioScotia 155]

And Playland Park was an old carny style amusement park with no water related attractions, other than the tank with the small boat kiddie ride.

 

My fellow HAIF'ers we have a mystery. We have an old newspaper ad promoting what appeared to be a semi-outdoor water-themed honky tonk with beer, setups and dancing, supposedly at 8301 Main. Unfortunately, that ad is ALL we have. Even with the address in the ad, nobody here had been able to find any evidence of where it was, or any credible evidence that it even existed.  

 

I'm willing to theorize that somebody named Al Gomillion tried to start up a place like that but it failed, or never even opened. Notice the ad says the people in the photos were models. That tells me he didn't have any happy customers to pose for the ad. If it opened it didn't last long because it didn't leave any footprints. 

 

The floor is open.......

Edited July 28, 2015 by FilioScotia

[57Tbird 29]

Both of you are correct.  I began looking for a Price's Restaurant on the internet and couldn't find anything.  Maybe someone who has accress to a Houston phone book circa 1947 timeframe can find something.  I did find an ad for a Price;s Restaurant in an old high school yearbook from 1953, located at Prairie and San Jacinto, so Price's did exist and most likely at the South Main location at one time.  Looking at the HCAD map, I could find no 8300-8400 addresses that exist today.  I did find this  that shows the addresses for that area I had noted for the possible location,  The 8301 must have been farther south as Filio noted.  Price's must have been at 8301, since Lake Island was behind it at 8301-1/2.  It would have to have been on the east side though, since even nos. were on the west and even nos. on the east side.  Since the aerial picture was from 1953, a lot could change from 1947.  It was most likely a flop

 

Was supposed to be odd. 

 

[IronTiger 925]

Wasn't at one time Main was completely different, with only Old Main Street Loop Road being the only remnant today? I thought I read something on HAIF about that...

[cspwal 3991]

Here's a site with a bunch of old street and road maps of Houston on it.

 

https://houstorian.wordpress.com/old-houston-maps/

 

It even shows some of why Westheimer turns (1937 street map)

[Subdude 1605]

Wasn't at one time Main was completely different, with only Old Main Street Loop Road being the only remnant today? I thought I read something on HAIF about that...

 

I think that originally Main Street didn't extend beyond Braes Bayou, and that Old Main Street Loop Road was the route southwest.  

[montrosepatriot 1]

On ‎4‎/‎30‎/‎2008 at 6:08 PM, Gurgis said:

I remember Gooney Golf. It was actually on Chimney Rock, between Willowbend and S. Post Oak. To the right of it (from the parking lot) was Meyer Branch Library (which is probably still there). To the left of it was a restaurant. I want to say it was called Kings. I remember getting hamburgers and onion rings there.

All I can remember of the miniature golf park was a tall Pteronasaurus (sic) Rex (whose arm would raise and lower an obstacle on the course), and a Humpty Dumpty figure on a wall. Must have closed in the 70's.

The Goony Golf location (address unknown) was located where the Havoline Express Lube and the Car Wash is now located adjacent 2 the present day Kroger Meyer Park - most of the Kroger location as of 2017 once housed MacRobert (later AJFoyt and Texstar) Chevrolet including a derelict strip mall where the Taco Cabana is now located (since Hurricane Harvey the Kroger Meyer Park ceased 24 hr operations where the Voss/San Felipe, West Gray, and Buffalo Speedway/Westpark location retained the 24hr service)

[montrosepatriot 1]

On ‎7‎/‎28‎/‎2015 at 5:23 PM, Subdude said:

 

I think that originally Main Street didn't extend beyond Braes Bayou, and that Old Main Street Loop Road was the route southwest.  

A section of Old Main Street Loop still exist (where Stella Link terminates) - the rest was abandoned since the 1980s (part of the route was paved over by the Central Houston Nissan dealership but the stub outs still remain; another chunk north of the South Loop faded out since the 1960s when the Astrodome was built and a small section NE of Reliant Center is still there)

[CaptainJilliams 1173]

I wasn't sure which thread this would fit best under, but a fantastic video by Kevin Purjurer on the history of Astroworld.

 

Check it out below:

 

[NenaE 146]

On 7/28/2015 at 4:09 PM, IronTiger said:

Wasn't at one time Main was completely different, with only Old Main Street Loop Road being the only remnant today? I thought I read something on HAIF about that...

 

I had no idea there was an old South Main... I've been tracing it tonight, using GoogleEarth - old (1940's-50's) views along with the new maps... you can still detect the road's path. Parts are overgrown or completely covered by new development. There are road blocks that hint at where the old path crosses over other newer roads. And what's up with those loop roads? One is over by Holmes Rd.

 

You can see where the Old Main St. takes a somewhat sharp turn around Knight and Fannin, forks off right after crossing Old Spanish Trail (Alt 90) and passes behind the Astrodome.

[JLWM8609 774]

1 hour ago, NenaE said:

 

I had no idea there was an old South Main... I've been tracing it tonight, using GoogleEarth - old (1940's-50's) views along with the new maps... you can still detect the road's path. Parts are overgrown or completely covered by new development. There are road blocks that hint at where the old path crosses over other newer roads. And what's up with those loop roads? One is over by Holmes Rd.

 

You can see where the Old Main St. takes a somewhat sharp turn around Knight and Fannin, forks off right after crossing Old Spanish Trail (Alt 90) and passes behind the Astrodome.

According to an old topographic map from the early 20s, Old Main was the original route before the current route was built. Main St. ended at current day Holcombe. Main Street Road intersected with Main St. near its terminus. That part of Main Street Road still exists in the Medical Center as a small stub called Old Main St. between Main and Fannin. Main Street Road then followed current day Fannin and Knight Rd before jogging to the SW and crossing the tracks to join the route parallel to the tracks (currently US90A). The maps don't say what the road parallel to the tracks was called back then, but it was probably known as Holmes Rd.

Edited September 22, 2018 by JLWM8609

[IronTiger 925]

The section between modern-day Buffalo Speedway and 610 was completely removed between 1978 and 1989 with a "stub road" at both ends. Yet when Advenir apartments were built, a section of their parking lot was built directly on the right of way (likely due to the way land was split), and THAT was marked as Old Main Street Loop Road on Google Maps!

 

 

[Shamrock1949 6]

I found an pic I took of Kiddie Wonderland in 1986, I think it was in the process of being taken down....

[ggmsmolly 9]

On 6/20/2005 at 1:57 PM, belmontdrew said:

Does anyone remember these old amusement places in Houston? what they were called? where there may be pictures of them?

The ski slope at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway which later became...

The waterslide at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway which finally became...

Lone Star Amphitheatre at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway

OR HOW ABOUT...

Malibu go-cart raceway and arcade at the Southwest Freeway

Games-People-Play...I believe it was on Fondren....big 80's hangout with arcade, waterslides and go carts..

The little go cart place off westpark (Southwest Freeway ran in front of it)..the track was lined with red and white tires...

Peppermint Park was another one on South Main in the 40s to 70s.

 

[ernie5823 19]

15 hours ago, ggmsmolly said:

Peppermint Park was another one on South Main in the 40s to 70s.

 

Playland Park was the one on South Main. Peppermint Park was initially in Pasadena & later between Gulf Freeway & Reveille (before I 610 built). It was a kiddie park. I worked there, running the rides, in 1960, 61 & 62 as a teenager.

[ggmsmolly 9]

8 hours ago, ernie5823 said:

Playland Park was the one on South Main. Peppermint Park was initially in Pasadena & later between Gulf Freeway & Reveille (before I 610 built). It was a kiddie park. I worked there, running the rides, in 1960, 61 & 62 as a teenager.

Thank you so much for the clarification.