Within a few years of the World’s Fair, amusement parks ‘popped up' like dandelions. Illinois alone had well over 140 local amusement parks that are now defunct. I’ve dedicated many years and countless hours of research finding the history of these parks and locating pictures.
Acorn Ridge (Amusement) Park, Lemont. (late 1940s-1989)
Adventureland (Amusement Park), Medinah, (advertised as Addison) (1961-1977)
aka: Storybook Park, Medinah, (advertised as Addison). (1958-1961)
aka: Storybook City, USA, Medinah, (advertised as Addison). (1958-1961)
Al Fresco Amusement Park, Peoria Heights. (1905-1944)
Alexander Park, Princeton. (????-????)*
Auburn Kiddieland, Rockford. (1921-1942)
aka: Central Park Gardens, Rockford.
aka: Rockford City Traction Park, Rockford.
Bounce Land Trampoline Parks in Northeastern Illinois. (late 1950s - early 1960s)
Brown Derby (Amusement) Park, Thornton. (mid-1930s-1960s)
Cagle Amusement Park, Marion. (????-????)*
Central Park Gardens Amusement Park, Rockford. (1921-1942)
aka: Auburn Kiddieland, Rockford.
aka: Rockford City Traction Park, Rockford.
Chap's Amusement Park, Decatur. (ca.1945-ca.1958)
Chateau De La Plaisance Amusement Park, Chicago, 5318-26 S. State. (1907-1910)
Cream City (Amusement) Park, Lyons, 7601 West Ogden. (1905-1908)
Custer Bowery Amusement Park, Kankakee. (ca.1890-ca.1920s)
Deer Haven Kiddie Park, Fox Lake. (1960-1967)
Dellwood (Amusement) Park, Joliet. (1905-ca.1938)
Dick's [Richard Bell] Amusement Park, Bloomington. (1955-1965)
aka: Richard Bell Amusement Park, Bloomington.
Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom, Oakbrook Terrace, Rt 83 & Rt 38. (1975-1984)
Doc Rivers Raging Rapids Water Park, Oakbrook Terrace. (1987-1989)
aka: Ebenezer Floppen Slopper's Wonderful Water Slides. (1980-1987)
Douglas Park Amusements, Danville. (????-????)*
Dreamland Amusement Park, Decatur, Illinois. (1905-1912)
Dreamland (Amusement) Parks, Springfield. (1912-mid-1930s)
Dunes Kiddieland, Waukegan. (????-????)*
Ebenezer Floppen Slopper's Wonderful Water Slides, Oakbrook Terrace (1980-1987)
aka: Doc Rivers Raging Rapids Water Park. (1987-1989)
Electric Park (Amusement), Joliet. (????-????)*
Electric Park Amusements, Chicago, Elston, Belmont, and California. (1895-1901)
Electric (Amusement) Park, Kankakee. (1894-1934)
Electric (Amusement) Park, Marion. (c.1904-????)
Electric (Amusement) Park, Plainfield. (1904-1932)
Electric (Amusement) Park Corners, Sycamore/DeKalb. (1904-1931)
aka: Electric Park, Sycamore/DeKalb.
Elliott’s Amusement Park, Matteson. (1890-1913)
Exposition (Amusement) Park, Aurora. (1922-1931)
Exposition Amusement Shelter, Peoria. (1926-????)*
Fairgrounds Park, Danville. (????-????)*
Fairyland (Amusement) Park, Lyons, Harlem & 40th. (1938-1977)
Ferris Wheel Park, Chicago, 1288 North Clark Street. (1896-1903)
Forest (Amusement) Park, Forest Park, Desplaines & Harrison. (1908-1922)
Fort Sheridan Amusement Park, Highwood. (1898-1908)
Fox River (Amusement) Park, Aurora. (1910-1925)
aka: Riverview Park, Aurora. (1899-1910)
Fox River Picnic Grove (Amusement Park), Fox River Grove. (1900 to Mid-1970s)
Freeport Park, Freeport. (????-????)*
Fun Fair (Amusement Park), Skokie. (1948-1968)
Fun Harbor, Waukegan. (????-????)*
Fun Valley Amusement Park, Springfield. (????-????)
Funland Kiddy Park, Dundee. (1959-1972)*
FunTown Amusement Park, Chicago, 95th & Stony Island. (1967-1982)
aka: KiddyTown Amusement Park, Chicago, 95th and Stony Island. (1950-1967)
Gabriel Yon's Balloon (Amusement) Park, Chicago, Cottage Grove & 50th. (1892)
Glen Oak (Amusement) Park, Peoria, Illinois. (1895-????)
Glennwood Park & Swimming Pool, Macomb. (????-????)*
Glenwood (Amusement) Park, Batavia. (1900-ca.1928)
Gould Park, Morris. (????-????)*
Green Oaks Kiddyland, Oak Lawn, 95th & Crawford Avenue [Pulaski]. (1946-1971)
Harlem (Amusement) Park, Rockford. (1891-1928)
Hasting's Bathing Beach and Amusement Park, Fox Lake. (????-????)*
Hawthorn-Mellody Farms & Amusement Park, Libertyville. (1907-1970)
Henry Amusement Park, Murphysboro. (1925-????)*
Highland (Amusement) Park, Quincy, Illinois. (1872-1919)
Highland Park Kiddieland, Galesburg. (ca.1950-1972)
aka: Kiddieland, Galesburg, Illinois. (ca.1950-1972)
Hillcrest (Amusement) Park, Woodridge (formerly Lemont). (1952-2003)
Hilltop Amusement Park, Richton Park. (c.1960-c.1975)*
Hollywood Kiddieland, Chicago, McCormick & Devon. (1949-1974)
Hopkins Park, DeKalb. (????-????)*
I & I Amusement Park, Danville. (????-????)*
Jo-Jo Kiddie Land Amusement Park, Chicago Heights. (1950-early 60s)
Joyland Amusement Park, Decatur. (1963-1975)
Joyland Amusement Park, Urbana, on North Rt. 45. (1951-????)*
Joyland Kiddie Rides, Manheim & Grand, Melrose Park / Schiller Park. (????-????)*
Jus-Fun Amusements, Oakbrook Terrace, (1981-2020)
Kiddie Dude Ranch, Lombard. (1940-1960)
Kiddie Land Amusement Park, Springfield. (????-????)*
Kiddieland, Hollywood, Chicago, McCormick & Devon. (1949-1974)
Kiddieland, Galesburg. (ca.1950-1972)
aka: Highland Park Kiddieland, Galesburg. (ca.1950-1972)
Kiddieland, Melrose Park, North & 1st Avenues. (1929-2009)
Kiddieland, Naperville. (????-ca.1975)
Kiddieland, Quincy. (????-????)*
Kiddieland Park, Rockford. (1950-1962)
aka: Sherwood Park Kiddieland, Loves Park. (1962-1967 )
aka: Sherwood Park, Loves Park. (1967-1977)
Kiddies Paradise, Rockford. (????-????)*
Kiddieville (Amusement Park), Niles. (c1936-c1966)
Kiddyland, Green Oaks, Oak Lawn, 95th & Crawford Avenue [Pulaski]. (1946-1971)
KiddyTown Amusement Park, Chicago, 95th & Stony Island. (1950-1967)
aka: FunTown Amusement Park, Chicago, 95th & Stony Island. (1967-1982)
KiddyTown Amusement Park, Norridge. (1953-1964)
Kolze's Electric (Amusement) Park, Chicago. (1904-late 1940s)
Lansdowne Park, East St. Louis. (1901-1912)*
Lincoln Land Amusement Park, Effingham. (1977-1988)
Lindbergh Amusement Park, Upper Alton. (1927-????)*
Luna (Amusement) Park, Chicago, Halsted & 52nd. (1907-1911)
Mackinaw Dells Park, Congerville. (1932-????)*
Marshall Park, Belvidere. (1921-1938)*
Midway Kiddieland, Spring Valley. (????-????)*
Midway Plaisance at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago.
Mineral Springs, Sterling. (????-????)*
Moline's Prospect Park, Moline. (1911-????)*
Mother Goose Gardens (Amusement Park), La Salle. (1957-1968)
Naperville Kiddieland, Naperville. (????-ca.1975)
Old Catlin Illinois Fairgrounds, A manual 'Ferris' wheel kills a young girl. (1876)
Old Chicago Amusement Park, Bolingbrook. (1975-1981)
Old Homer Park, Homer. (1905-1928)
aka: Riverside (Amusement) Park, Homer. (1905-1928)
Olson Memorial Park, Waterfall, and Rock Garden, Chicago. (1935-1978)
Palace Gardens, Peoria. (1930-????)*
Paul Boyton's Water Chutes (Amusement) Park, Chicago. (1894-1907)
aka: Water Chutes Park and Chutes Park, Chicago.
Paul's Grove (Amusement Park), Addison, Medinah Road & Lake St. (1952-1961)
Peterson Park, Mattoon. (ca.1952-????)*
Pioneer Park; Today's Blackberry Farm, Galena Blvd & Barnes Road, Aurora (1969-1980s)
Playland Amusement Park, Willow Springs, [Justice] 79th & La Grange Rd. (1950-1979)
Presters' Park, Belleville. (1899-1919)
aka: White City Park, Belleville. (1899-1919)
Prospect Park, Moline. (1904-????)*
Ravinia Amusement Park, Highland Park. (1904-1910)
Richard Bell Amusement Park, Bloomington. (1955-1965)
aka: Dick's Amusement Park, Bloomington. (1955-1965)
Ride-A-While, Alton. (????-????)*
Riverside (Amusement) Park, Homer. (1905-1928)
aka: Homer Park, Homer. (1905-1928)
Riverview (Amusement) Park, Aurora. (1899-1910)
aka: Fox River (Amusement) Park, Aurora. (1910-1925)
Riverview (Amusement) Park, Chicago, Belmont & Western. (1904-1967)
aka: Schuetzen Park - Sharpshooter Park [Pre-Riverview], Chicago. (1879-1903)
aka: Riverview Sharpshooter Park, Chicago. (1904-1908)
aka: Riverview Exposition Park, Chicago. (1909-1912)
aka: Riverview Park, Chicago. (1913-1967)
Riverside Park, Havana. (????-????)*
Rockford City Traction Park, Rockford. (1921-1942)
aka: Auburn Kiddieland, Rockford.
aka: Central Park Gardens, Rockford.
Sans Souci Amusement Park, Chicago, 6000 South Cottage Grove. (1899-1913)
aka: Sharpshooters' Park, Chicago, Belmont & Western.
Sharpshooters' Park, Chicago, Belmont & Western. (1879-1903)
aka: Schützen Park, (Schützenverein: Shooting Club), Chicago, Belmont & Western.
Sherwood Park Kiddieland, Loves Park. (1962-1967 )
aka: Kiddieland Park, Rockford. (1950-1962)
aka: Sherwood Park, Loves Park. (1967-1977)
Shireland Theme Park, Hampshire, Illinois, (1988 & one month in 1991).
Star-Lite Park, Moline. (????-????)*
State Street (Amusement) Park, Chicago, SW Corner of State & 22nd. (1883)
Storybook City USA, Medinah, (advertised as Addison). (1952-1961)
Storybook Park, Medinah, (advertised as Addison). (1952-1961)
Storyland (Amusement) Park, Elk Grove Village. (1957-1961)
Thunder Mountain Rapids, Crestwood. (1992-????)*
Trout Park, Elgin. (1909-1922)*
Twin Lakes Amusement Park, Paris. (ca.1954-ca.1983)
Vandalia Park, Vandalia. (????-????)*
Watchtower (Amusement) Park, Rock Island. (1882-1927)
aka: Black Hawk’s Park, Rock Island.
Water Chutes Park, Chicago. (1894-1907)
aka: Paul Boyton's Water Chutes (Amusement) Park, Chicago.
Webster Park, La Salle. (1908-????)*
West End Park, Champaign. (1893-????)
White City (Amusement) Park, Belleville. (1899-1919)
aka: Presters' Park, Belleville. (1899-1919)
White City (Amusement) Park, Brooklyn. (????-????)*
White City (Amusement) Park, Cairo. (????-????)*
White City (Amusement) Park, Centralia. (ca.1896-????)
White City Amusement Park, Chicago, 63rd & South Parkway (MLK Drive). (1905-1933)
[aka Animal Circus]
White City (Amusement) Park, Herrin. (1924-1957)
White City (Amusement) Park, Springfield. (1906-????)*
Whoopee Auto Coasters of Illinois. (1929-1930)
Wonderland (Amusement) Park, Danville (South). (1903-1909)
aka: Wonder Park, Danville (South).
Woodlawn Amusement Park, Chicago, Milwaukee & Devon Avenues. (1921)
Zoo Park, Springfield. (1910-????)*
*We are seeking information, photographs, ads, personal memories, etc., for any Illinois amusement park listed above. If you know of an amusement park that is missing from the list, please send details to LivingHistoryOfIllinois@yahoo.com
The parks in RED need special attention.
