Fairyland Park

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Fairyland Park

The Skyrocket roller coaster at Fairyland Park
Location	Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Coordinates	38°59′26.0″N 94°33′25.3″W / 38.990556°N 94.557028°W / 38.990556; -94.557028
Status	Defunct
Opened	1923
Closed	1977
Owner	The Brancato family (1923–1977)[1]
Attractions
Roller coasters	3 (at peak)

Fairyland Park was an amusement park, located at 7501 Prospect Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. It operated from 1923 to 1977, and closed due to lack of attendance and storm damage in late 1977.

Marcia Brancato Accurso's grandfather, Salvatore "Sam" Brancato, a Sicilian immigrant and blacksmith by trade, came to the United States in 1896. After settling in Kansas City, he went into the grocery business, then began buying real estate. He opened Fairyland Park in 1923.^[1] It remained in family ownership until its closing in 1977, one year after Brancato's passing in 1976. Admission to blacks was only to private groups and employees, until 1964. After protest marches, demonstrations, and arrests for blocking the entrance, general admission was desegregated. Admission cost to the park was kept low, 25 cents by 1971.^[2] A storm in late 1977, which by some accounts was "a wind storm" or "a tornado", caused extensive damage to the park. This, combined with the nearby park Worlds of Fun caused the venerable park to close.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Fairyland boasted 3 roller coasters, an 8 story Ferris wheel (which was bent in half during a tornado), a swimming pool (double Olympic size and closed in the late 1960s), bumper cars, a shooting range, and a petting zoo at one time. Brancato loved children smiling, and bought the Kiddeland park at 85th and Wornall, moving the rides to Fairyland. Fairyland and its owners tried several gimmicks throughout their later days trying to compete with the newer and more elaborate Worlds of Fun built in 1973. Summer Jams included REO, Dr. Hook, Blue Öyster Cult, Charlie Daniels, and many others in the final summers. In 1967, arson failed to burn the wooden rollercoaster, so the Brancato family commissioned the construction of a new roller coaster, The Wildcat, in 1967. The Wildcat was the park's biggest ride, and helped the park stay competitive. Other promotions included advertising saying "Where 'Fun' is Still Affordable", keeping admission at fifty cents while Worlds of Fun was at five dollars plus parking fee.