Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom (Amusement Park) on Routes 83 and 38, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. (1975-1984)

Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom & Castle of Toys was a combination toy store and kiddie amusement park in the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst, Illinois. It was located at the intersection of Routes 83 and 38 (Roosevelt Road) which is in the suburb of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.

The Dispensa family operated a portable carnival business in the Chicago western suburbs before settling down to open a toy store, "Dispensa's Castle of Toys" in 1967. The kiddie amusement park, "Kiddie Kingdom," followed in 1975 when the Dispensa family opened a small amusement area next to the toy store when they decided to retire from the mobile carnival business.

They set up many of the carnival rides and offered family fun at a low cost. In the beginning, the tickets cost 6-rides for $1.

The Kiddie Kingdom featured scaled-down rides designed for children under 12 years old. "Kiddie Parks" were a new innovation during the baby-boom years of the 1950s and 1960s, and remained popular well into the 1970s. Kiddie Kingdom had, among other rides, an antique German carousel and a miniature train that circled the five-acre grounds.

The park was in operation until 1984 when along with Dispensa's Castle of Toys, they sold the land. There were no family members interested in taking over the businesses and the offer was quite good. At that time, the property was sold and the rides and attractions were auctioned off by Norton Auctioneers of Michigan Inc.

Click the article to read it.

The property was developed by the firm of Miglin-Beitler, and is now the home of the Oakbrook Terrace Tower. The only thing remaining from the Dispensa empire is a street leading to the Oakbrook Terrace Tower, which the developers kindly named "Castle Drive."

ADDITIONAL READING: Complete History of the Dispensa Carnivals, Castle of Toys and Kiddie Kingdom.

VISIT OUR KIDDIE KINGDOM SOUVENIR SHOP

Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D.

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TV COMMERCIALS

Dispensa's Castle of Toys TV Commercial circa 1970s

Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom TV Commercial 1981.

Despensa's Kiddie Kingdom Queen.

Souvenir and Snack Shop

Ice Cream Parlor

  
 
 

Log Cabin Inn, Pontiac, Illinois, on Route 4, later to become Route 66.

When Route 4, later to become Route 66 was re-positioned through Pontiac, Illinois in 1926, Joe and Victor "Babe" Seloti built a lunchroom and gas station and named it the Log Cabin Inn.

The Log Cabin was built of cedar telephone poles and seated 45 customers. The interior still has the original knotty pine walls.  In a small window lined building behind the restaurant, Joe would lure customers to watch with the aroma of his secret recipe beef and pork barbecue cooked on a big spit. Meanwhile "Babe" would be next door filling gas tanks and fixing flats.

In later years, Route 66 was made four lanes and relocated to the west side of the Log Cabin. the building was lifted up and turned around literally by horse power to face the new road. It was such an extraordinary event that hundreds from town came to watch.

When the "Talking Crow" arrived-no one remembers. An elderly judge presented Joe Seloti with a pet crow and Joe painstakingly taught the crow to talk. And talk he did! That crow could carry on a real conversation with a customer.  He was most chatty when Joe was cooking. The crow would demand something to eat and be very specific about it! Joe built a caged area near the BBQ spit behind the restaurant.

After a while, the "Talking Crow" became a popular roadside attraction. Customers would stop to get gas or a meal, hear the crow chattering away and go around back to investigate.

During the summer months, beer drinkers would gather at picnic tables in the back. The "Talking Crow" would join them and became quite fond of malt liquor! Once meeting the bird, tourists would come back on their return trip hoping to converse again with the extraordinary creature. After charming hundreds of local and traveling folk over the years, the crow eventually passed away. 

Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D.