Kiddy-Land, Whereabouts Unknown, August 1958
Disneyland was a popular destination, no doubt about it. But for most of the country, you had to find other ways to have fun. There were plenty of frontier towns and fairy tale villages, kiddy parks, and even local drive-in restaurants. Enterprising owners added an attraction or two to bring in families and give the patrons something to look at.
Today's photos are from the summer of 1958... and I wish I knew where this was! There were slides in the same lot from Michigan and Illinois, but there were also a lot from Florida and other places. The name "Kiddy Land" is just too generic without more information to go on - but it wouldn't surprise me if one of my brilliant (and good-looking) readers will figure it out!
Anyway, Kiddy-Land Drive In was mostly a place to grab a snack. Just looking at that sign makes me hungry! A cherry snow cone would be mighty tasty right now. And if you have a buck, you can get half a fried chicken. Such a deal!
No nonsense architecture is the way to go. Unnecessary frills only distract the eye and make the patron forget to buy more food! As for the giant frog just visible in the upper left, the less said about it the better.
It might be a good idea to paint that popcorn cart. The streaks of rust don't inspire confidence. On the other hand, there is a sign in the window with the letter "A" prominently displayed... did that mean that the restaurant passed inspection with flying colors? 
Hey, there's a miniature train! It looks very much like the one we saw at Skyline Caverns. This one is smaller, but they both have that winged, silver emblem beneath the headlights. There are no passengers, but that little girl clearly wants to ride! 
I hope you've enjoyed your visit to Kiddy-Land!
16 comments:
The "A" sign in the window....too funny! I wonder what the rest of that sign says and what it was for back then.
The "A" is the rating from the health department regarding the sanitary conditions (generally inside) of the establishment. My parents owned a Dairy Queen for years and we always had an "A" (generally 95+ points to 100 for an "A"). After seeing this picture, I now wonder why we never put a train out in the parking lot considering I've been a railfan since I was three.
those are great
So that letter rating system has been around for quite a while then, huh? I thought it was only something they came up with in the last couple decades. I also thought it was just an L.A. county thing. I have never seen these signs in Orange County establishments....or outside the state of California. It's a good idea though. Does anyone ever get a "C"? Don't know if I've ever seen a "C" sign either.
pretty cool stuff...
love the miniature train. i hope the little girl got her ride
too bad we cant see any license plates, which might lend some insight as to where in the heck we are today lol!
Th addition of the train makes me think there was an attraction nearby, otherwise there would be little reason to add amusuments to what appears to be a mom-and-pop food stand.
Re: the Health Dept Inspection codes: Riverside Co. has been doing them since the 60's; LA County picked it up only in the 90's I think, maybe after 2000.
And yes, you can get a "C", and it's pretty serious. I think after you are awarded a "C" you have 7 days to get the restaurant to a passing grade or it will be closed down. I have only seen one "C" in my life. One or two "B"s, and they tended to be hidden behind something else, contrary to law.
We have lived in Texas, Maine, and now South Carolina. We've seen those signs on ALL restaurants by law in those states, and almost all health department web sites will list ALL the places and their ratings. It's great to check them out because you can see the history of failings and recoveries. Those that fail a lot are those we NEVER frequent.
Maybe someone knows about that Hardware store in the background. "Mato's" ???? From the styles I'd say that's definitely NOT the west coast. Nobody I knew ever dressed like that, even back then.
The hardware store looks like a "MAYO'S" to me. And in the first picture, the sign to the right of the Texaco sign looks like it says "KINGSTON (something) CENTER". Hope this helps.
Yes. That first photo has a sign in the distant middle right that maybe says Kingston Pines Center??? At first i was hoping it said Kingston shop center, but it doesn't. Oh, and i love all the asphalt, and especially the kitchenette tables, outdoors, which were most likely bought with S 'n' H Green Stamps.
You're so right Maj! We are brilliant and good looking. Ravishing, really. Unfortunately it seems none of us ventured foot nor eyeball in the vicinities of Kiddy-Land. I'd stop to look at the cute little train tho'. :)
we have had the restaurant rating system here in PA (at least in Allegheny County/Pittsburgh) for as long as i can remember. im currently 52, and i cant say that i remember about that far back, but it has been quite a long time to my recollection
I think that is Mayo's Garden Center in Knoxville, TN. And just up the road is Kingston Pike Shopping Center. From the google maps it seems the area has changed some though!
wow.. looks like its foundation is still there! With a combination of Bing, google maps, and google street view, it was located directly across the street from 4718 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN, where the Citgo station is now. Looks like the building was at the edge of the lot by the (real) train tracks, since there's still a foundation there that looks about the right size. On street view, the view of Mayo and the bridge railing even matches up, and with Bing you can circle around and see what's left of the foundation.
This was in Knoxville TN in an area called Bearden. It is at the corner of Kingston Pike and present day Newcome. Mayo is still there today, but since, Kiddy-land, that corner has been a gas-station and now a park commemorating the Everly Brothers ( who grew up near that corner).
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