4PROP

Try this Texas Auto Racing website. They have a "Where are they now?" forum, and others that might help you in your search.

Hi Tbird! I jumped over to the racing forum and found Clyde's name mentioned by Midget85. In his post he refered to pickup truck races at Playland. Hum. I don't recall those at all. Can you expand on that or direct us to more details? Thx

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.

Great find! I'd love to see a hundred more hours of this! Thanks for posting. Great to see Lucille Ball's name in lights the day after her hundredth birthday.

Now let's see who can identify the performers at the Tidelands.

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!).

On 2/8/2011 at 10:11 PM, Ross said:

I get the baseball stadium where Fingers is, and an oval track and random buildings where the church is

The track across from Buff stadium was used for midget races. Not sure if stockers ever ran there. It is talked about in PBS's "Houston; Remember When" episode #3. Note that Playland Park didn't even have a race track yet. This era of photos certainly proves there once were race tracks on Stella Link.

I used the Googly Earth flight simulator function to visit the old airfields around town, even the South Main Airport across the street from Playland. It is an amazing pleasure to see all this again.

He also had a call in night show on KILT, in the midst of Vietnam you can imagine how heated it got sometimes. My buddy and I tried to call one night, never got on, but it was like a party line where you could talk to the other callers waiting to get on, at least that's the way I remember it, no guarantee I remember it correctly.

Alex Bennet , "The man you love to hate". He was definately the king of the spin doctors back then. Wow, all the good music on air and we sat and listened to this jerk? I gotta' hand it to him, he certainly held the secret to successful radio!

I may be wrong but I though it was only one caller at a time so he could do all the one-on-one razzing himself.

Hey I am glad I did my time in the 60's. It sure must have sucked to have to have been a kid in the 80's.

Hey I am glad I did my time in the 50's. It sure must have sucked to have to have been a kid in the 60's.

10. Steam locomotives daily down the double tracks.

9. Escape to monkey's hill.

8. Seeing the distant 4th of July fireworks at the Shamrock Hotel.

7. Open windows, attic fans, quiet city at night.

6. Saturday morning double horror features at the Bellaire.

5. Looney auction.

4. You actually see stars in the night sky over Bellaire.

3. Safely walking to and from Horn Elementary without a care in the world.

2. Leaflet drops from DC3's.

1. Rides and races at Playland Park.

Here is a Kaphan's ad from 1970 - "the Aristocrat of Sea Food and Steaks" featuring their "world series of gold bats"

Kaphan's moment to remember: They were always proud of their kiddie menu. I recall once ordering "what the elephant is having" from their kiddie "zoo animals" menu. It was during a sizable family dinner back in the sixties. The problem being at the time I was 13 years old and was completely embarrassed as any recently-turned-teenage young man would have been. Thank goodness it didn't affect me later in life. ....#$%#&^&*(*&^%%$$....

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.

Nice video. However, if I'm hearing right, the big shrimp was said to be at Christie's. It was at Gaido's, not Christie's.

Hi 57 ! In a related post I was reminded about a "pistol-packing" giant shrimp. Was that the one at Gaido's across from Playland?

Hey Specwriter ! Your point is valid. Today's kids are impossible to impress. Back in 2004 in my flying days I rented a Piper Warrior and flew my grand kids down to Galveston for a visit to the Lonestar Flight Museum. On departure from Scholes, I flew over the ship channel to provide them some great sightseeing. Just off Eagle Point, I turned to the back seat expecting two wide-eyed, excited little girls only to find both sound asleep. I guess it would have been more impressive to just drive them down for a day at the water park. (A lot cheaper too!)

devonhart, I'm with you on the HD TV stuff. I do my flying now with Flightsim X on a big flat screen. The fuel is much cheaper and the aircraft rental is pretty much free.

Larry - I know your post was a couple of years ago, but I searched out Gateway swimming pool and found HAIF and you. I'm so glad to find someone who remembered it and the "bubble." I tell people about it and they think I'm crazy.

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

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

Can anyone find this Fondren location on historicaerials.com? It seems like it should be visible on the 1957 and maybe the 1963 map but I can't identify it.

It's on the 1964 map. http://www.historica....com/?poi=10090

Globe, Sage, KMart, Fed Marts...What about dear old GEMCO...Where and when did they come in and leave??? Never realized that Sage was so compartmentalized !!

Poor old forgotten Shoppers Fair! I think that must have been the first discount dept. store to come to the Houston area back around 1962. It was located somewhere off OST. My first purchase there was a 2 transistor AM radio for $4.95 and a 98 cent plastic model airplane that cost only 69 cents. Wow! First time ever I paid less than msrp for anything. (Ask me what shirt I had on yesterday, I won't remember, but how many pennies I saved almost fifty years ago...Now that's an easy one!)

We have discussed Playland on other threads, and I mentioned a few times about the maniacal mechanical clown that was in a glass booth at the entrance to the Fun House. I don't think anyone ever acknowledged that they remembered that.

He scared the Bajeezus outta me!

Well thanks alot Heights. That was a memory I could of gone without. As I remember, the clown was animated and screamed a horrific laugh. My wife remembered it too as soon as I mentioned it to her.

She also recalled a creepy mechanical fortune teller in a glass booth. We couldn't remember exactly where it was in the park. Maybe in the arcade?

I can remember going to Playland Park back in 1958 with our CYO group.

Here's Playland Park in 1957:

http://www.historicaerials.com/?poi=3341

DOOHH!

I'm taking the kids to see Bolt Friday night, now! Not a one of them has any idea what a drive-in even is, this will be too cool.

Thanks for the tip.

How long has it been there?

RhinoVP,

Did you ever make it to the Showboat drive in movie? I know it was pretty cold the Friday after you posted this reply. If you have, please share your experience with us and in particular how your kids liked (or didn't like) it.

My siblings & I would walk up Stella Link to the entrance & they would let us in for free. Amazing what we used to could do as children back then. We would walk to the back rows & turn the speakers up all the way. Alot depended on the direction of the wind but we are talking backyard, 2 lane road & wide back end of the drive-in.

I loved Playland park. That rollercoaster was great! And the pony rides at KiddieLand.

Hey Carol802,

I think I can see your house from here:

http://www.historicaerials.com/?poi=3380

Anyone remember Meyer's Speedway? I told my husband I took drivers ed (Westbury 1969) on a racetrack and he doesn't believe me! It was great! Seems like it was down S. Main past Post Oak by the stadium we used to have our football games at.

There's a couple of videos (old film) from Meyer Speedway on YouTube. Just use Meyer Speedway as key search words. (Plenty from Playland Speedway also)

You'll also find alot of posts and photos on the Texas Speedzone (TXSZ.com) forums under Texas Racing History.

Good memories here!

When I was little we lived in Townwood for a few years, and went here almost every weekend. It wasn't such a big deal back then, it was either there or Meyerland if you wanted to see a show. My parents not wanting to put up with a squirmy kid in a theater, normaly choose the drive-in.

As we were driving in, I would hide under a quilt in the back the old Ford station wagon we had. I never stayed well hidden, I know he saw me several times but never seemed to care.

The last movie I remember actually watching was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid, but know we went to see countless others. I was always too busy playing

with the neighbors kids, who we would often go to the show with.

BTW- There is still a drive-in open! It's just a few miles south of Dallas on I45, I've passed by it many times.

Regards,

Rhino

FYI; We have one in Tomball.

http://www.theshowboatdrivein.com/

I found this great website today when I googled the South Main Drive-In. There seemed to be some confustion of it's location on an old string.

The South Main was located at Stella Link and South Main with the back bordered by Willowbend. There was a dirt road that cut off to make the front right entrance & exit to the left of the screen. I grew up on Woodhaven which was the last residential street off of Stella Link before Willowbend. Our house had a back driveway on Willowbend. We watched literally thousands of movies from 1958-1971 from our upstairs picture window that was in perfect alignment to the screen. It was awsome.

You are absolutely correct in your location and description. I hope we can lay that confusion to rest.

I'll confess, I was always jealous of those living in the houses across the back of the theater and wondered what you did to hear the sound clearly. I recall the speakers around the sitting area at the concession stand were not that loud. I hope the bouncing blue VW with the fogged up windows (often near the back) row did not distract you. My steady girl (now wife of 41 years) frequented the theather in the mid sixties. We actually did see parts of the movies sometimes...har har.

My first disappointed in life was at the South Main back in the fifties. They had a kiddie train in front of the theather entrance with a sign saying Disney characters could be seen inside the tunnel. Heck, I was only 5 or so and was expecting live characters. The pictures of Mickey Mouse painted on the inside of the tunnel wall did not impress me at all.

If anyone runs across good aerial photos of this south main area up through Playland, please post info.

Below is picture of my Grandfather "lou Turbeville". I'm told he was 3 time Southwest Champion racing in the 40's and 50's. Raced against Doc Cossey, AJ Foyt Sr. My Father at one time had several pics of him and AJ as kids in the pits.

Great topic apoftexas. You might also want to post in http://txsz.com/forums/. You would most likely get "quality" replies and feedback there. I look forward to seeing more from you on your local racing history.

Hi. the miniature coaster you remember was not at Playland. It was at Kiddy Wonderland where the small pony ride was. My brother ran it for a while. Hope this helps.

Hi Sparky,

I second the nomination for your Oscar and look forward to your future Playland postings.

I think LeeinMT is correct in referring to the Wild Mouse at Playland. It was a steel-framed coaster built some time after the race track had closed. It was near the east end of the park not far from where the ferris wheel was located. Compared to the wooden "rollie coaster", the Wild Mouse could have been considered miniature, but it was definately not a "pee-winker" ride like the ones at Kiddie Wonderland.

Have you seen the Playland race films posted on you-tube? Some go back to the early dirt track days. Use "Playland Park Houston" in the search box.

Does anyone remember a Wild Mouse ride at Playland Park? It would have been in the early 60's and was a miniature roller coaster that turned sharp corners just as it seemed the car was going over the edge.

My wife certainly remembers it. She HATED that ride because of those slow but sharp turns at the top. The cars ran on a double set of wheels so the car would actually tilt outward a bit with the bottom wheels riding against the bottom of the rail. This was about 25 feet up, not so miniature!

You might want to contact: http://www.positiveimage.com/

They have an impressive collection of vintage aerial photos from all around Houston. I have seen many covering the South Main area including the drive in. The only catch is, the photos are not posted anywhere. You must visit them.

Back in the early 1960s, my dad received his instrument rating at an airport on the side of what was then Houston International Airport. I remember him telling me that back then he went and played golf at Ellington AFB. I think he also said something about an airport in Pearland.

I was about to ask the stupid question: "Has any airplane ever landed at an abandoned airport"? But when I think of that airline plane in Kentucky that tried to take off on the wrong runway, that might not have been such a stupid question after all.

FYI: Additional information on wrong airport landings.

http://www.thirdamendment.com/wrongway.html

I had my own close call experience with a wrong airport. I was flying a light Cessna between Victoria and College Station inbound for Easterwood when I started to call the tower about 8 miles out with my intentions and to report the airport in sight. Thankfully, I hesitated just to recheck my bearings only to realize it was Texas World Speedway in the distance. I quickly scanned to the left, spotted the actual airport and proceeded to contact them. I often wondered if they would have cleared me for approach and landing, turn four.