Playland Park At 9200 South Main St.

[blue92]

I too used to go to Playland park. We also went to the stock car races in the back. My dad and I was there that fateful night in 1959 when a car crashed through the fence during the time trials killing three people outside the entrance near the concession stand, We were only about a minute from being at that very spot. As a couple of you mentioned the fortune teller. She was creepy as all get out and I avoided her like the plague.

 

That night marked the end to Playland Park one of the people that was killed that night was the owner of Playland. It closed not to long after his death. I too used to go there with my dad to watch the car racing, A.J. Foyt raced there then moved on to race at Meyer's Speedway.

[blue92]

In 1940 Playland Park was opened on South Main south of OST & South Main intersection. Playland Park had a race track. When I was 9 yo I watched AJ Foyt race there in the late 50s. Could be the race track your talking about.

[Highrise Tower]

A few adds in the Southwestern Times magazine dated November 1944.

[Ross]

Here's the aerials from 1944 and 1953. The 1953 has the race track on the East end of the park

[Highrise Tower]

Some Playland Park articles and advertisements from random newspapers.

What I found cool is they had a dancing venue called "Venetian Grove".  Must have been so cool! I believe I saw that there was a complete list of attractions, rides, food vendors, games, etc.  I'll have to find that list.

I wonder how many rides, or roller coasters, there was?

[JLWM8609]

The main thing I heard about Playland Park from older family members is that they could only go to the park on Juneteenth because of segregation. I'm guessing it never integrated since it closed in '59. 

[Highrise Tower]

The 1950 Sanborn map has the amusement park labeled in details! The map includes the name of the rides and attractions.  Playland Park Stadium is new to me. I thought that was called Playland Park Speedway?

Very cool history here.

[Dave W]

There was no stadium other than the racetrack. What's shown on the map is the grandstand seating around the racetrack.

One of my uncles was a big fan of the stock car races. He took me and the son of his best friend to the races there many times. For years afterward, he claimed that one or the other of us would inevitably have to go to the bathroom on the last lap. 😅

[Highrise Tower]

Found a very rare photo of South Main and the Playland Park roller coaster taken in 1945.

Love the sign for the Warwick Hotel!

[Dave W]

That Warwick sign was there for many years after 1945.

Note the extra-wide esplanade. As you drove north toward OST, the west side of South Main became noticeably higher than the east side. That wasn't rectified until years later.

Edited January 22 by Dave W

[EspersonBuildings]

Playland Park was way before my time, but my parents used to talk about it.  I definitely do remember the west side of South Main being higher.  Like Dave W mentioned, it stayed that way for years.