Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Little Amusement Park in Garden Grove

An OCThen reader going by the name "ex-kbf employee" posted the following memory of a little amusement park (possibly called Kiddie Land) in Garden Grove during the 1960s...

back in the 60's, in garden grove, there was a little "amusement" park, probably the size of a convenient store parking lot, behind, i believe was a mcmann's (spelling not correct) furniture store on garden grove bl. just past brookhurst, where now stands a korean shopping center. i'm almost positive the little amusement park was called,"kiddie land." anyone remember this? anyone have a pic to post? like all early childhood memories, it's a little fuzzy. i think there was a small admission price. that place was great! i only went once but i will remember it for ever, like a good dream. that's how some early childhood memories are, a bit fuzzy and seem like a dream.
If you have any information to provide about this, click on "Post a Comment" at the end of this article, and share it with us.

22 comments:

  1. I remember the place. I commented about it here.

    I think you're right about the name Kiddie Land. I wish I had a picture of the place too.

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  2. i was shocked to see my post as today's subject. thanks for taking the time to address this. i feel like i've made the big time having my paragraph being the subject on oc then. i'm a little embarrassed, if i knew this, i would have taken more time to make the paragraph sound more professional,lol. anyway, i lived in garden grove from '63-'76 and lived in orange co.,ca. from '63-'06 before moving to houston,tx. where i live now. yes, i use to work at knott's berry farm in the '80's and '99-'00, all in the main warehouse. my great-aunt lived right down the street from knott's (western ave) in the corner house on el ferrol, just a block away and my dad was a mailman for 30 some years in buena park, ending up at the post office caddy-corner from knott's on la palma ave., until he retired in '89. i love knott's, i remember i could hear the big "rio grande" train blow it's whistle and hear the seals "bark" from my great-aunts house when i was young. i miss california, just got too expense. thanks again steve, your site is on my favorites list as well as all the other blogs and websites that write about knott's and orange county. my brother-in-law is actually friends with outsidetheberm, if you're familiar with that blog. sorry about the lack of caps in my comment, i know that drives some ppl. nuts,lol.

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  3. Here ya go! This is a picture of me as a tike at that little amusement park. I seem to recall it being at Garden Grove Bvd. and Gilbert but I could be wrong. There was a Bob's Big Boy right next to it and the old bowling alley and movie theater further down as you went eastbound on GGBvd. I can remember the Saturday morning kiddie shows at that theater- they were the classic madhouse with popcorn flying in every direction. But back to the little amusement park- it had a little bitty ferris wheel with tiny little cages to sit in and a few other small rides-just right for little kids. I hope the picture I linked to comes through. So many great memories come flooding back- anybody remember the great big plastic slide that was on Beach Bvd on the east side just south of Chapman? They put in a car wash after the slide which was there for ages. It was the kind of slide you could go down with 6 or 7 people across and race and we rode on burlap bags. Great fun! I'll include a picture of a similar slide. It's one of those memories that seems so vague- I wonder if I remember it right at all and would love to find someone else who remembers it so I know I'm not totally daft. ;)


    kiddie park:
    [IMG]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f202/CamileC/m_958b3d228256714d581381ffe2df82dc.jpg[/IMG]

    example of a big plastic slide:
    [IMG]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f202/CamileC/Gaint20Slide_1_1.jpg[/IMG]

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  4. This was the only Kiddieland that was operating in Orange County it ran by the name of Gram paw Mack’s their location was Garden Grove Blvd and Belfast Ave. it sat on a dirt lot in a shopping center and took up an acre of land. This was the only operating Kiddieland in Orange County. This Kiddieland was open from the middle 1950s and closed in the early 1970’s.

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  5. that is darn cool! i am all about vintage and old things that took place. i want to get married at the stanley ranch museum...but they are not taking any reservations right now. i hope they do get that back again...this is my home town.

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  6. I also remember Kiddie Land in Garden Grove.I grew up in Westminster,and my dad would take me ,my sister and my brother all the time,but I remember it being on the corner of Garden Grove Blvd. and Magnolia .

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  7. Does anyone remember a toy store named Toy City in Westminster?I think it was on Westminster Blvd.

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    Replies
    1. I remember toy city. There was one in Garden grove too

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    2. Toy City was a small chain of toy stores in Orange County. The store you remember was on the south/west corner of westminster and brookhurst behind McDonalds next to Blinky's Pizza. The original location of this store was on GG Blvd in the GG Square near KiddieLand. My Gumby, Pokey, and MANY hotwheels were purchased there as a kid.

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  8. I also remember the big slide .Grew up in Westminster.

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    Replies
    1. I remember the big slide. My mom would drop us off for the day.

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  9. toy city was at brookhurst and westminster.s/w corner directly behind mcds. went there many times.you wont recognize it now.i believe it used to be a tg&y.

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  10. I had my fifth birthday at Kiddie Land. I will have to dig up the pictures and send them. Does anyone remember Indian Village Preschool in Huntington Beach? Would love to see pictures from there. Love and light to all...

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  11. I can help. I grew up behind Kiddie Land from 1962-1978. It was on Garden Grove Blvd, @ the corner of Galway. West of Brookhurst, East of Gilbert. S/E corner. I'm positive, I grew up on Galway between GG Blvd and Trask. No admission, just a ticket booth for rides. I was about 10 or 11 when It was closing & I bought the Hires, Pepsi,and Sprite signs from the old man. I still have them today displayed in my home and office. It started a love affair for old signs for me. Went there often with my brother Bob, and Mike, Pat and Kathleen from across the street. The theatres, and Bowling Alley, where on the same side of Garden Grove Blvd, along with a COOL burger/malt stand called "Zesto's". They were between Galway and Gilbert. Bruno ran Zesto's and made like 2 dozen varieties of malts. GREAT MEMORIES around this part of the street. Bob's Big Boy was just west of Gilbert, same side of the street. Toy City WAS at Brookhurst and Westminster Blvd, BUT...the original location of Toy City was right by Kiddie Land! All my Hot Wheels, Gi Joe's, Whee-los and Gumbys came from there. They moved to the westminster blvd location years later. I was at the Toy City the first day they opened the westminster location. Much bigger store, but a whole lot more peddling of the old Schwinn. - Steve Brozovich

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  12. The ONLY business that is the same today on that whole stretch of street is Vodi's Wheel Alignment. They still have this old huge sign in the shape of a bear. It's on the north side of Garden Grove Blvd, between Galway and Brookhurst. Can't miss the sign :)

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  13. YES!!! Kiddie Land... 1969-1973 as a kid begging to go. They had the boats, remember the bus that went in a cirle tethered to it's power cord? The little bumpy roller coaster and the mini Ferris Wheel. Great memories, thanks for bringing them back!

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  14. Wow, the memories are fuzzy but I have recollections of my mom taking me to Kiddie Land after my first trip to the dentist. And the car repair shop across the street with the bear sign.

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  15. I must have been between the ages of 3-5 when my mom took me to Kiddieland. There were boats and cars just the right size for little kids, as I recall. I also remember a train/trolley car and I have a faint memory of ringing the bell inside of it.

    There is a book about Garden Grove with an aerial picture of the park. I think the book can be found at Barnes and Noble.

    I also remember the Grove movie theater. It was a 1960s theater and I would go there with my parents.

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  17. I remember Kiddie Land Well. My sister and I would walk all the way from Brookhurst and Westminster Blvd. with our allowance($1.00) and have a great afternoon. 1960

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  18. The GROVE Theater, as well as The GEM Theater on Main Street in old downtown, each had Double Features and cartoons for the Saturday Matinees. Two movies and a short with popcorn, coke and candy for a Buck. Great Memories!

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  19. Does anyone remember playing "Spaceball?" on Brookhurst. I think around Lampson Ave? A 2 sided trampoline with a slanted back trampoline, divided by a net and a hoop hole in the center?

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