Historic Houston Amusement Parks & Places

[bmil128]

I vaguely remember the bungee tower. Searching the Chron archives I only found one mention here:

http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive....id=1994_1206347

"Afton Oaks Civic Club responds quickly to anything that threatens the residential character of the neighborhood. The association was instrumental in shutting down the

bungee jumping operation that was located nearby at Loop 610

."

It was on the SW corner of the 610/59 interchange if I remember correctly, where the big hill used to be that was a waterslide and later an ampitheater was built there. It's all gone now due to the Westpark tollway.

[Sparky]

[ These are pictures of my sister and me, my sister, me and our little brother testing out some new "Boards" that my Uncle Homer painted for our Mothers Mug Joint. Any one that came to Playland and had my mother take a picture should recognize the background in the first picture. The picture of my brother holding our dog, Troubles, was taken years later. You can see the lead hill of the Coaster in the background. This is the hill that we watched blow over in the hurricane that I spoke of before. My brother is facing the side parking lot where race fans parked. The building to the right of our house was the "Fun in the Dark" ride. If you enlarge that picture you can see the oval sign that was above the laughing clown advertising the ride. If you remember coming to the park, you would enter under the giant Toothbrushes which turned into Murworth Street later on. As you entered the Park you would see, looking to the right, the Bingo House, my fathers frozen custard stand, my fathers front food stand, and the ticket booth for the coaster. On race days people would park not only in the front lot but also up and down the side parking lot, my front yard, from the Bingo House to the Race track. I will post some more pictures when I can remember how I did these. Mark, Thank you. Sparky

Another from Sparky

Edited October 26, 2008 by Sparky

[ddavenport]

What happened to Games People Play?

[LeeinMT]

My first post on this topic.

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.

[4PROP]

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!

[Vertigo58]

[ These are pictures of my sister and me, my sister, me and our little brother testing out some new "Boards" that my Uncle Homer painted for our Mothers Mug Joint. Any one that came to Playland and had my mother take a picture should recognize the background in the first picture. The picture of my brother holding our dog, Troubles, was taken years later. You can see the lead hill of the Coaster in the background. This is the hill that we watched blow over in the hurricane that I spoke of before. My brother is facing the side parking lot where race fans parked. The building to the right of our house was the "Fun in the Dark" ride. If you enlarge that picture you can see the oval sign that was above the laughing clown advertising the ride. If you remember coming to the park, you would enter under the giant Toothbrushes which turned into Murworth Street later on. As you entered the Park you would see, looking to the right, the Bingo House, my fathers frozen custard stand, my fathers front food stand, and the ticket booth for the coaster. On race days people would park not only in the front lot but also up and down the side parking lot, my front yard, from the Bingo House to the Race track. I will post some more pictures when I can remember how I did these. Mark, Thank you. Sparky

Another from Sparky

Oh my God Sparky! Your a genius!

and what a coincidence, I was scanning (finally) some vintage family pics yesterday and was going to do one my mom took in this exact local at Playland or at least I am certain. However for some insane reason we (kids or someone) cut it to where only moms head is showing above a cutout like these! Now I wish I had or still can scan it. It was taken around mid-late 40's too?

You win the oscar for best picture of the week as far as I'm concerned!

[Sparky]

Oh my God Sparky! Your a genius!

and what a coincidence, I was scanning (finally) some vintage family pics yesterday and was going to do one my mom took in this exact local at Playland or at least I am certain. However for some insane reason we (kids or someone) cut it to where only moms head is showing above a cutout like these! Now I wish I had or still can scan it. It was taken around mid-late 40's too?

You win the oscar for best picture of the week as far as I'm concerned!

I am in the middle of moving and will be out of touch for about 3 weeks. I will post more pictures when things settle down. Sparky. (Thanks for oscar award)

[Sparky]

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!

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.

[4PROP]

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.

[hellbilly]

i stopped by games people play on 1960 today. i did not have my camera. the mini golf is still standing along with the fence that was around it. you can clearly see where all of the holes were. the bumper boat pool is still holding water. the steps to where the water slide stood are still there as is the pools you ended up in after the slide. the building that housed the game room is nothing but a concrete pad being used as a temporary skate park. i could make out the beginning of the go kart track but not much else. it is easy to get into. there is an animal hospital right next door you can park in and all of the fence is gone. there is not a no trespassing sign on the property. wear boots and long pants. it is real overgrown. in the back there is batting cages somewhere in the brush. you can see alot of it on google maps. it is on 1960 between walters road and kuykendial(spell). i could never spell that street. it will be on the south side of 1960 between a discount tire and an animal hospital. check it out before the property sells. it is houston history. my brother and i had quite a few birthday parties there. if i can remember next time i ride my motorcycle i will bring a camera.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&...1&encType=1

tis will link to a birds eye view. check it out. i not very good a posting links.

[LeeinMT]

Does anyone remember a public swimming facility out Hempstead Hwy in the late 50's and early 60's? It seems like it was on the South side of the highway and could have been anywhere between 1960 (Jackrabbit Rd) and Waller. I remember it being real BIG but I have been trying to remember it's name and where it was. Our church youth group used to go there a lot.

[Alpha]

Does anyone remember a public swimming facility out Hempstead Hwy in the late 50's and early 60's? It seems like it was on the South side of the highway and could have been anywhere between 1960 (Jackrabbit Rd) and Waller. I remember it being real BIG but I have been trying to remember it's name and where it was. Our church youth group used to go there a lot.

My grandmother used to go to a place called Hot Wells. I think it was in that area, but can't find any evidence of it anywhere.

[hellbilly]

Hot Wells is still there. It is north of Barker Cypress on the southbound feeder road. It is now just a shooting range. It is still open to the public but there is no more swimming there. They do skeet shooting, conceled handgun classes, and just regular shooting range. My father used to tell me how they would go swimming there.

[Alpha]

Hot Wells is still there. It is north of Barker Cypress on the southbound feeder road. It is now just a shooting range. It is still open to the public but there is no more swimming there. They do skeet shooting, conceled handgun classes, and just regular shooting range. My father used to tell me how they would go swimming there.

Thanks for the info, hellbilly. I did another google search and found this: http://houstorian.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/hot-wells-tx/

[RhinoVP]

i stopped by games people play on 1960 today. i did not have my camera. the mini golf is still standing along with the fence that was around it. you can clearly see where all of the holes were. the bumper boat pool is still holding water. the steps to where the water slide stood are still there as is the pools you ended up in after the slide. the building that housed the game room is nothing but a concrete pad being used as a temporary skate park. i could make out the beginning of the go kart track but not much else. it is easy to get into. there is an animal hospital right next door you can park in and all of the fence is gone. there is not a no trespassing sign on the property. wear boots and long pants. it is real overgrown. in the back there is batting cages somewhere in the brush. you can see alot of it on google maps. it is on 1960 between walters road and kuykendial(spell). i could never spell that street. it will be on the south side of 1960 between a discount tire and an animal hospital. check it out before the property sells. it is houston history. my brother and i had quite a few birthday parties there. if i can remember next time i ride my motorcycle i will bring a camera.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&...1&encType=1

tis will link to a birds eye view. check it out. i not very good a posting links.

If you zoom and rotate, you can still see the go kart track and batting cages too.

I remember about 10 years ago passing by there, and thinking how strange it was that it was still there. I'm amazed to see it's STILL there!

Lot's of good times there, wish we still had something like this now.

Regards,

Rhino

[LeeinMT]

Thanks for the info, hellbilly. I did another google search and found this: http://houstorian.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/hot-wells-tx/

That's it! Hot Wells. And exactly where I remember it to be. Great info from Houstorian. Google Earth shows it as a big mudhole with the shooting range nearby. What a resouce it could be. Harris County isn't exactly covered with hot springs.

[NenaE]

Was looking thru the life pics on-line again, and found a pic from Pasadena, Texas of a carnival grounds, looks like there is a rodeo arena to the right, nice pics of the rides, be sure to click on the pic to get a close-up. Does anyone know exactly where this would have been located? The photographer is one of my all time favorites, Margaret Bourke-White. http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?img...l%3Den%26sa%3DG

[tmariar]

Sorry - don't mean to cut in on the Red Bluff discussion, but I only just saw the posts re Hot Wells.

Also, there's a recent Houstorian post about Highland Park, an amusement park located on the property that is now Woodland Park in the Heights.

Does anyone remember a public swimming facility out Hempstead Hwy in the late 50's and early 60's? It seems like it was on the South side of the highway and could have been anywhere between 1960 (Jackrabbit Rd) and Waller. I remember it being real BIG but I have been trying to remember it's name and where it was. Our church youth group used to go there a lot.

My grandmother used to go to a place called Hot Wells. I think it was in that area, but can't find any evidence of it anywhere.

If either of y'all have any information I could add to the Houstorian post, please let me know. Even just informal memories from you (LeeinMT) or your grandmother (Alpha), would be fun to add.

[Alpha]

If either of y'all have any information I could add to the Houstorian post, please let me know. Even just informal memories from you (LeeinMT) or your grandmother (Alpha), would be fun to add.

Well, my grandmother died in 1959 and my mother has Alzheimer's, so there's no way I can find out anything. I seem to remember going there once and I have a picture of my grandmother in a swimming pool, which is probably at Hot Wells. I'll have to look for it and see if there are any identifying buildings around it. If I find it, I'll scan and post it.

[tmariar]

Thanks, Alpha - sorry, didn't realize about your grandmother.

[jakdad]

Herring Burl Bailey was born Nov. 15, 1936 and lived most of his life in Houston. Surviving are his wife Michelle and six children. Son Joe Dan Bailey, who worked with several Cup teams as a tire specialist in the 1990s, now works at NASCAR's R&D center. Likeable Bailey, whose bearded visage was easily recognizable, never attempted more than six or eight Winston Cup (Grand National) races in a season, and his best finishes were two fifth-places.

Bailey also competed in NASCAR's lower-dollar Grand American division in the 1960s and 1970s, winning the GA pole at Daytona in 1972 and finishing second in the class standings.

Bailey was one of a group of persistent small operators who lasted in NASCAR well into the 1980s, although Bailey seemed more to race for fun than for a career. He ran his last Winston Cup race in 1990. H.B. Bailey, part-time NASCAR independent and operator of a group of Houston-area auto parts businesses, died 4/17/2003 of heart failure at the age of 66.

This is a short Grand National history of the H.B. Bailey NASCAR Grand American Firebird. This car and several others were part of a trial by NASCAR to mix the Pony cars (GT or Grand-American) with the Grand National (now known as Winston Cup) cars. That experiment was to be tried for the first time on September 19, 1971 at North Wilkesboro, NC. That race was to be the first to mix the smaller cars with the Grand National cars. Unfortunately the race was postponed by rain. It was later run in October. Prior to the rain, Charlie Glotzbzch in Junior Johnson

[Mark F. Barnes]

Hey Mark, Where did the Limited Sportsman Division fit in all this? Were they still running it while The Grand Nationals and GA cars were running? Thanks, Jim

Jim they ran the limited sportsman up until 1982 when it became the Busch Series, as far as I know.

[SchwinnChopper68]

More Astroworld memories. Fire up the 63 Galaxie 500 and lets head out to play!

Watch for Kitirik to show up at 0:38

[SchwinnChopper68]

[Jen]

West U,

Is there any possibility he was Marvin Fillip? He was simply known as Fillip, a lot of people didn't really know him as anything but Fillip. I have one old photo of Marvin Fillip in his super modified @ Meyerland Speedway. I will post it, and see if it rings any bells.

That's my grandpa! I love that picture, I think we have another one like it around the house somewhere. He has two sons that are in the racing business now: my uncle, Chet Fillip, and my dad, Corey Fillip. I guess it kind of runs in the family I wish I could have been there at Meyerland!

[jakdad]

West U,

Is there any possibility he was Marvin Fillip? He was simply known as Fillip, a lot of people didn't really know him as anything but Fillip. I have one old photo of Marvin Fillip in his super modified @ Meyerland Speedway. I will post it, and see if it rings any bells.

Hey Mark, Was that an Olds J-2 engine that Marvin had in the 1 car?

[ernie5823]

Here is a list of the Kiddie Amusement Parks I grew up with:

Peppermint Park :*1st (Original) location - Reveille & Arnim (Gulfgate Shopping City) - 1960's (bldg. gone)

2nd location - Hwy 59 South (Southwest Frwy @ Beltway) - mechanics shop now?

3rd location - 610 North Loop (@ where it meets Hwy 290) - now a plant store

*It had a carousel, train, small roller coaster, helicopters,hand-petal cars,...don't remember live ponies.

The "original" location was in Pasadena, but I can't remember exactly where. I went to work at the park in 1960, shortly after they moved to the Reveille & Arnim location. Many of the guys who I knew had worked at the Pasadena location. Everybody made a whopping 65 cents an hour.

[NenaE]

The "original" location was in Pasadena, but I can't remember exactly where. I went to work at the park in 1960, shortly after they moved to the Reveille & Arnim location. Many of the guys who I knew had worked at the Pasadena location. Everybody made a whopping 65 cents an hour.

I didn't know that...I'd like to know where it was, exactly. The Pasadena Library would probably have it listed somewhere, in their archives.

I loved the Peppermint Park at Arnim. Man, that place lasted a long time, survived several moves. I also went to a small kiddie park/ pony rides place that was close to the Pasadena Sears in the 1960's.

Edited August 12, 2009 by NenaE

[capt. kirk]

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...

WILL ALL THESE PLACES THAT YOU MENTIONED YOU CANT BE VERY OLD......ON SOUTH MAIN, BETWEEN BRAESWOOD AND 610 THERE STILL IS OR WAS A PLACE CALLED KIDDIE LAND--IT HAD RIDES OF ALL KINDS, PEDAL CARS THAT YOU PROPELLED WITH YOUR HANDS, PONIES TO RIDE, ETC.............WAY BEFORE ASTRO WORLD, THERE WAS PLAYLAND PARK--IN IT'S HEYDAY IT WAS THE ONLY PLAY TO GO--IT WAS LOCATED JUST WEST OF WHERE ASTRO WORLD WAS--RIGHT BEHIND PLAYLAND PARK THERE WAS A RACE TRACK FOR DIRT TRACKERS CALLED MEYER SPEEDWAY, OH THOSE GOOD OLD CARS COULD RUN--THEN CAME COLT 45'S STADIUM (AN OUTSIDE STADIUM) FOR BASEBALL, SOMEWHERE AROUND 61/62--THEN THEY BUILD ASTROWORLD, A PRETTY DECENT PART OF TOWN THEN--THE BASEBALL GAMES WERE ABOUT $3 AND I THINK ASTROWORLD AROUND $5, YOU COULD DO TICKETS BY YOUR WEIGHT, COKE CANS,ETC--AN ALL OF THE OLD DRIVE IN THEATERS HAD PLAYGROUNDS RIGHT UNDER THE SCREENS FOR THE KIDS SO THE PARENTS COULD WATCH THE MOVIES--$1 DOLLAR A CAR LOAD OR YOU COULD SNEAK PEOPLE IN BY PUTTING THEM IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CARS OR DRIVING THROUGH THE EXIT--THE OWNERS FIXED THAT PROBLEM WITH THE SPIKES, WHEN YOU WENT OVER THEM BACKWARDS KAPOW WENT YOUR TIRES--THEY HAD THE OLD BUSCH STADIUM ON CULLEN (MLK) AT I-45, TICKETS WERE CHEAP--HOT WELLS WAS A RPIVATELY RUN CLUB, HORSEBACK RIDING, SWIMMING AND THE SUCH--WE EITHER WENT SWIMMING AT CRYSTAL POOL ON SOUTH MAIN...IT HAD 3 DIVING BOARDS, A WATER SLIDE, A BUBBLE IN THE DEEP END WHERE YOU COULD GO ABOUT 12FT DOWN AND BREATH AIR, HOCKEY, TRAMPOLINES AND THE SUCH--IF ME AND GUYS WERE OUT FOR FUN WE USUALLY TRIED ALL THE WATER HAZARDS AT GOLFCREST COUNTRY CLUB...WE GOT TONS OF GOLFBALLS LIKE THAT--OR WE WOULD HIT ALL THE POOLS AT THE MOTELS FROM PARKPLACE TO COLLEGE AVE. AND PRETEND WE WERE VISITING, THAT IS UNTIL THEY CAUGHT ON--AND THERE WAS ALWAYS PUTT PUTT GOLF (MINATURE) --OR CRUISE THROUGH PRINCE DRIVE INS---IN OUR DAY WE COULD ALWAYS FIND SOMETHING TO DO

[SchwinnChopper68]

I don't think I have ever read anyone talk about it on HAIF but I really got my push into motorcycling from a minibike track that was very close to a major mall if not on the outerskirts of the mall property. I can't remember the exact area. I think for about a buck you could rent a minibike and follow a long serpentine path around the park. I think I must have been their best customer. This was around 1967-68ish.

I got pumped as a kid on a bright red Honda 305 in 63 and that ride never left my memory. Since then I have gone through a ton of bikes. The ol 74 RD350 tweaked, ported and piped to the max was one of my all time favorites. They just don't make them like that anymore. 53 horsepower and a hair over 300 pounds. That thing was like a bat out of hell. I used to put 750s to shame. When we came to the curves it was hasta la vista baby!! No matter what they were riding.