In this day and age of advanced technology, virtual reality video games and sensory-overloading experiences at expensive and crowded theme parks, there’s something to be said for the simple amusement park rides of the past. Kiddie Park, located in San Antonio, was established in 1925 and has amused the children of Texas for generations. With its old-fashioned Ferris wheel and hand-carved Herschell-Spillman carousel, Kiddie Park is an icon in San Antonio and is still going strong, some 90 years later.
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Kiddie Park Has Delighted Children in the Texas Hill Country For Over 90 Years
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Blink and You’ll Miss This Vintage Park
Photo: Facebook/KiddieParkSanAntonio
Kiddie Park is located on Broadway Street in an unassuming, tree-lined part of town near ever-popular Brackenridge Park. When Kiddie Park was built in 1925, it was considered to be located way out, on the outskirts of San Antonio–two and a half miles from the Alamo. These days, if you blink, you’ll miss this vintage amusement park, nestled between bustling eateries, stores, and homes.
Featuring a Truly Antique Carousel
Photo: Facebook/KiddieParkSanAntonio
The owners of Kiddie Park, Rad and Ashley Weaver, recently set out to restore the park’s Herschell-Spillman carousel, which is said to have been constructed in 1918 and relocated to Kiddie Park in 1935 from a park in Miami. Over the years, the carousel has seen a fair bit of wear and tear, so a park employee has taken it upon himself to lovingly restore the carousel to its original glory. One of the many projects planned for the carousel was the replacement of the horses’ tattered and sometimes missing tails with real horse hair, just like when the carousel was built.
This IS Your Grandparents’ Amusement Park
Photo: Facebook/KiddieParkSanAntonio
If you’re hoping to show your kids the latest in high-tech thrill rides and maybe have their photo taken with a cartoon star, you’re in the wrong spot. Kiddie Park thrives on the quaint and quiet charm of a vintage amusement park and has remained relatively unchanged over the years. Not surprisingly, admission to Kiddie Park is free and guests pay per ride at this unique amusement park. While the park is best suited for those children ages 1 to 12, for many of the rides, parents are able to ride along (to offer moral support for first-time riders) free of charge, which is a rarity at most amusement parks.
Kiddie Park is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. With Kiddie Park’s close proximity to the San Antonio Zoo and Witte Museum, a visit to this park is a delightful and fanciful diversion when you’re visiting San Antonio with young children. To learn more about Kiddie Park, visit their website or follow them on Facebook.
