Monday, February 13, 2012

Fairyland Amusement Park Lyons, IL 1974



I found this absolutely "Wonderful" home movie that was photographed in 1974, at the former Fairyland Amusement Park in west suburban Lyons Illinois.

I actually visited Fairyland with My family a handful of times when I was a kid growing up in Chicago during the 1960's and 70's...but somehow My Parents forgot to bring the camera with them.

Fairyland Amusement Park existed from 1938 until 1978. This tiny family style amusement park with portable carnival style rides, was located along the west side of South Harlem Avenue at West 40th Street, in west suburban Lyons Illinois. This portion of Harlem Avenue, was once U.S Rt # 66.

I am currently seeking photos or advertisements from the former Fairyland Amusement Park in Lyons Illinois, for a slideshow /multi media documentary project about "Remembering Chicago's Historic Amusement Parks of The Past".

After Fairyland closed in 1978, the park was demolished that October, and was quickly redeveloped in to a small strip mall with a Zayre Department store, wich later became Aims.
Today, this is the site of a Marshall's Department Store, located immediately south of the Presidential Motel.

If anyone can share any old photos of the place, mainly the large neon roadside sign with the clown on it pointing to the park itself, this would all be greatly appreciated.

Fairyland Park in Lyons Illinois, is just about completely lost to local history today.

Thanks.

Eddie K.

1 comment:

M. Miller said...

Hello Eddie K.
Thank you for this small video of Fairy Land Park. The parts of the park are as I remember the park from when I was a little girl when my parents worked at the park and my grandparents who had own the park. Photos or artifaxs from the park my uncle and cousin have. I had a lot of memories of that park the pedal train, the helicoptor plane ride, merry go round,the distored mirrors, the bumper cars. The entry way of the park in the front with the castle tower on either side with all the lights and the entry way in the back where the drive to enter Aldi's I think of the train crossing and the tunnel that you ride through with locomotive train. The boats in the water was a cool ride too. The petting zoo in the back with the animals. I didn't like the fast rides like the tilt a world or the octipuse even the farris wheel in the front I remember screaming to my father get me off of this ride and looking at the park from up in the air I cried so bad to get off. I too miss the park I wish they never had closed it. Kids and families need a fun place to go that is local and not costing a arm and a leg. Good fun.