The carousel at Kiddieland made its final turn on Sunday, marking the end of the line for the Melrose Park venue, which has delighted Chicagoland families for 80 years.
Kiddieland, which was founded by local contractor Arthur Fritz and opened in 1929 with six ponies for kids to ride, closed its doors Sunday night.
The saddest part of the closing? It seems to have been spurred by a rift among the family members who own the park. As was widely reported today, half own the 17 acres the park is situated on and the lease, and the other half own the park itself.
Ongoing disputes led to the lease not being renewed. A mainstay of Chicago family fun brought down by a family feud. Read the Sun-Times article and see photos from Kiddieland’s last hurrah.
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