The Ferris wheel, the whip and many other rides and concessions of old Fairyland Park are pictured in color on an old Post Card of the '30s published by Max Bernstein. The Amusement Park at the south end of the Prospect street car line, between Prospect and Indiana, 75th and 77th, is especially remembered this time of year at school's end and Fairyland's annual pre-season free opening for the Parent-Teacher Association. It made Fairyland unforgettable. There was no usual 10 cents gate charge that day, and mothers and children with loaded picnic baskets came out early and stayed late. All rides that day were half price. A huge grassy picnic area was one of the park's best features and helped make the PTA event a success. The park opened in 1923 on 80 acres of farm land; the announced price, S 1 million. It was damaged by fire in 1938 and lighting struck the towering sky rocket ride in 1942. In 1935 the park was sold under foreclosure for 520,000 to the Fairyland Realty Company to satisfy mortgage default. Not a trace of the park remains today. Happy memories remain. especially those of the children who attended Kansas City's public schools at the time. Fairyland Park failed to open in 1978, its 55th anniversary year. According to a Kansas City Times story, "High winds the previous November had caused extensive damage, but more important, a rival park called 'Worlds of Fun' was attracting Fairyland's clientele." Kansas City Times, 9 June 1989.
Reproduction (printing, downloading, or copying) of images from Kansas City Public Library requires permission and payment for the following uses, whether digital or print: publication; reproduction of multiple copies; personal, non-educational purposes; and advertising or commercial purposes. Please order prints or digital files and pay use fees through this website. All images must be properly credited to: "Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri." Images and texts may be reproduced without prior permission only for purposes of temporary, private study, scholarship, or research. Those using these images and texts assume all responsibility for questions of copyright and privacy that may arise.
