Electric Park, Kansas City facts for kids

Electric Park was the name of two fun amusement parks in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. A family of brothers named Joseph, Michael, and Ferdinand Heim built and ran these parks. The first park opened in 1899. The second, much bigger park opened in 1907. It stayed open until 1925.

Did you know that Walt Disney, the creator of Disneyland, said the second Electric Park in Kansas City was his main inspiration? He used many ideas from this park when he designed the first modern theme park, Disneyland!

The First Electric Park

The Heim brothers built the first Electric Park right next to their big brewery. This area was called East Bottoms. The park was surrounded by Montgall, Chestnut, Nicholson, and Rochester Avenues.

This first park was open from 1899 to 1906. It quickly became very popular! It was one of the world's first full-time amusement parks. It had a cool water ride called the Mystic Chute.

The park's beautiful grounds eventually became too small. It couldn't hold all the people who wanted to visit. So, at the end of 1906, some rides were taken apart. They were moved to a new, bigger spot further south.

After the park closed, much of the land was left empty. Later, in 1925, a part of the land became a neighborhood playground for the city.

The Second Electric Park

The second Electric Park in Kansas City opened on May 19, 1907. It was located at 46th Street and the Paseo. Like the first one, people could easily get there by trolley. This new park was one of the biggest amusement parks ever called Electric Park!

It had so many exciting things to do! Imagine:

• Live concerts and shows
• A beautiful Electric Fountain
• A big ballroom for dancing
• A huge swimming pool
• A German village
• Even an alligator farm!

There were also thrilling rides like the chutes, the Dips roller coaster, and a scenic railway. You could play penny parlors, go on boat tours, or visit the Temple of Mirth. There was a Flying Lady ride, a Double Whirl, and a Circle Swing.

For food, there were soda fountains and ice cream shops. You could play carnival games like knife racks and shooting galleries. There was a giant seesaw, boating, and a carousel. The park even had a 5-cent movie theater and places for fortune telling.

The park was famous for its lights. It had 100,000 light bulbs all over its buildings! People called it "Kansas City's Coney Island" because it was so bright and lively.

In 1911, the second Electric Park was incredibly popular. One million people visited that year! On average, about 8,000 paying customers came every day during the season.

Sadly, much of the second Electric Park burned down in a big fire in 1925. A young boy named Walter Cronkite, who later became a famous news reporter, saw the fire. He wrote:

Our hill overlooked, a half dozen blocks away, Electric Park...One night after closing it burned in a spectacular fire. The Ferris wheel seemed to turn as the flames climbed up its sides. The grease caught fire on the two parallel tracks of the Greyhound Racer roller coaster, and twin blazes raced up and down with the speed of the cars that once toured the Disorderly conduct tumultuous circuit...

—Walter Cronkite, A Reporter's Life (1996)

Even after the fire, the park kept some parts open. Its theater and aquarium stayed open for the rest of the year. In its final days, Electric Park opened a "Coin Carnival" to replace the parts that burned. Before it closed for good, the park even had its own Mardi Gras celebration. On September 1, 1925, a big fireworks show marked the park's very last closing ceremony.

Walt Disney and Electric Park

When Elias Disney moved his family to Kansas City in 1911, his nine-year-old son Walt and his younger sister Ruth often visited the second Electric Park. It was only about 15 blocks from their home!

The Kansas City park was inspired by the "White City" at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Walt's father, Elias, had even worked on building parts of that exposition.

Years later, Walt Disney used many ideas from the Kansas City Electric Park when he designed Disneyland. For example, Electric Park had a train that went around the whole park. Disneyland also has a train that circles the park! Electric Park also had daily fireworks at closing time, just like Disneyland does.

Unlike many other parks of its time, Electric Park was always kept very neat and clean. Its gardens were beautiful, and the landscaping made the rides look even better. Walt Disney insisted that Disneyland also be kept perfectly clean and beautiful.

Electric Park had a "Living Statuary" show. Young women would come out of a fountain onto a platform. They were lit up with different colored lights. Disneyland's entrances and other buildings also looked similar to some of Electric Park's structures, like its Monkey Cage Gazebo. In fact, many of the fun attractions Walt saw as a child at Electric Park had similar versions in Disneyland when he opened it decades later.

Images for kids

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  Electric Park, year unknown