North America’s Early Kiddie Amusement Parks
North America’s earliest kiddie parks emerged in the Adirondack Mountains during the 1950s. These imaginative attractions brought fairy tales, legends, and nursery rhymes to life through performers, animated figures, themed settings, and rides designed especially for children.
Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks features photographs and history from five of the region’s best-known kiddie parks:
- Storytown U.S.A.
- Enchanted Forest of the Adirondacks
- The Land of Make Believe
- Magic Forest
- Santa’s Workshop
Together, these parks show how the Adirondacks developed a distinctive family-amusement tradition built around child-sized fantasy worlds, themed attractions, and experiences created for young visitors.
