"The roller coaster was always my favorite," Nelson said. Though he spent much of his time working, Nelson, like any little boy who grew up in an amusement park, had one ride he favored above the rest. "I spent a lot of time in the park, but I didn't really have time to hang around. He got his first job at Joyland, and worked in a variety of positions at the park over the years he spent there. Roger Nelson grew up in and around Joyland, though his experiences were different than those of other park guests. Stanley and Margaret met in the park, when Stan was working in the ticket booth and Margaret manned the skeeball station. They did so until their retirement in the mid 1970s, when they sold the park to Stanley and Margaret Nelson, who had both worked in the park and were friends of the Ottaway family. When Lester Ottaway passed away in the 1950s, his sons continued to run the park as a family business. "When they built that roller coaster, that was a big deal. "It was considered the biggest amusement park in the southwest when it opened," said Roger Nelson, son of Stanley and Margaret Nelson, who would later own the park. T he park opened for business on June 12, 1949. Only the final touches remained before Joyland would officially open its gates. ![]() The building that housed the bumper cars was actually cut in half in order to be moved to the Hillside location and many new rides, including a brand new roller coaster were added.Īnticipation ran high in early June of 1949, as preparations had been made to open the new amusement park in Wichita. This is when Joyland moved to the location that most visitors will remember at 2801 S. When the Ottaways began considering the addition of a major attraction (the roller coaster), they started looking for a new location for Joyland that would allow for more growth in the future. In addition, the electric company wouldn't provide any service to the park because they didn't feel that it was a necessary use of power, so the park ran on a generator that had to be fired up manually every time the park was opened.ĭespite these challenges, the Ottaways persevered and continued to grow. Running the park in the 1940s proved to be a challenge, as anything that did not go towards the war was taxed at 20 percent. Over the next few years, the Ottaways accumulated more rides, adding a shooting range, a kiddie ride and a building for a bumper car ride. The Ottaways operated both Playland and the Central Avenue location for about a year before moving the Playland rides to Wichita to form the original Joyland amusement park. Located on Central, on the south side of the street and east of where the Yard Store stands today, this would become the first location for Joyland. A few years after Playand opened, Lester Ottaway purchased some land in Wichita were he would run the steam engine. During this time, Herb had also built a miniature steam train. Playland was small and featured only a few rides, including a Tilt-A-Whirl, a Ferris wheel, and a merry-go-round. Boeing had moved a large portion of production to Planeview during World War II, so the town was home to thousands of people looking for entertainment. Prior to opening Joyland, Herb operated a small park called Playland in Planeview, Kansas in the late 1930s to the early 1940s. ![]() J oyland was founded by Lester Ottaway and his sons Herb and Harold, but this was not the beginning of the family's amusement park endeavors. The flashing lights of the midway, the buzz of carnival games, the smell of fresh cotton candy, the music form Louie the Clown's organ, will never be experienced again. Younger generations will never experience Joyland, as the park has deteriorated to rubble and the owners have demolished and removed almost everything recognizable. Joyland closed permanently in 2006, but for those old enough to remember the park in all its glory, they will forever look back fondly on the memories made there. For many it was not only a part of Wichita's history, but a part of growing up a Wichitan. ![]() We owe it to the Nelsons to be good to it in return.įor more than five decades, Joyland was Wichita's only amusement park. Out of respect for the park's owners, the Nelson family, we ask that you look upon Joyland as a treasure to be remembered, not a target to be destroyed. Joyland was good to us for many years. Disclaimer: Since its closure, Joyland has been plagued by theft and vandalism.
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