Memphis Kiddie Park opened on May 28, 1952, along Memphis Avenue in Brooklyn, Ohio, the vision of Cleveland native Stuart Wintner after he read a trade article on the amusement industry in Billboard magazine. Built specifically for young children amid the postwar suburbs on Cleveland’s west side, the park debuted with nine mechanical rides sized for toddlers and grade-schoolers, including a train, a carousel, airplanes, boats, a Ferris wheel, and the now-famous Little Dipper roller coaster.
More than seventy years later, the park is still run by descendants of its founding families and still operates many of its original 1950s-era rides. Its centerpiece, the Little Dipper, was certified by American Coaster Enthusiasts in June 2000 as the oldest continuously operating steel roller coaster in North America, a distinction that has made the small family park a pilgrimage stop for coaster enthusiasts as well as a neighborhood tradition for generations of local families.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Brooklyn, Ohio
- Opened: May 28, 1952
- Founder: Stuart Wintner
- Operator: Wintner and Applegarth families
- Rides: 11 kiddie rides plus miniature golf
- Signature Attraction: Little Dipper – oldest operating steel roller coaster in North America (Allan Herschell Company)
- Miniature Golf: 18-hole course
The Ride Experience
Every ride at Memphis Kiddie Park was designed for small children, with most of the fleet dating back to the park’s 1952 opening and manufactured largely by the Allan Herschell Company. Riders can still climb aboard the original-style Merry-Go-Round, a miniature Ferris wheel, spinning Jeeps and airplanes, the Sky Fighters ride, a Tumble Bug-style Turtle Chase, and the Big Creek & Memphis Railway miniature train.
The star of the lineup remains the Little Dipper, a steel sit-down coaster with a simple oval layout, a single three-car train, and room for twelve riders per cycle. Its 1970s-replaced train was repainted in 2006, but the ride’s steel structure and gentle layout are largely unchanged since it opened alongside the rest of the park in 1952.
A Family-Run Cleveland Landmark
Unlike most kiddie parks of its era, which closed as regional giants like Cedar Point and the former Geauga Lake expanded, Memphis Kiddie Park has endured by staying small and staying in family hands. Stuart and Lanny Wintner, along with longtime manager Bill Applegarth and his wife Delores, kept the park intact through changing ownership generations, resisting the urge to modernize away its vintage character.
Today the park pairs its historic rides with an 18-hole miniature golf course and a concession stand that has served hot dogs, popcorn, and cotton candy since opening day, giving it the feel of a preserved slice of 1950s Americana in the middle of Cleveland’s inner-ring suburbs.
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Roller Coasters at Memphis Kiddie Park
Every Memphis Kiddie Park coaster ThrillZing has covered — stats, ride experience and history for each:
Memphis Kiddie Park FAQs
Why is the Little Dipper significant to roller coaster history?
The Little Dipper at Memphis Kiddie Park was certified by American Coaster Enthusiasts in June 2000 as the oldest continuously operating steel roller coaster in North America, having run since the park opened in 1952.
Who founded Memphis Kiddie Park?
Cleveland native Stuart Wintner designed and opened the park on May 28, 1952, and it remains operated by descendants of the Wintner and Applegarth families.
What rides does Memphis Kiddie Park have?
The park operates 11 rides built mainly for young children, including the Little Dipper coaster, a carousel, a miniature train, a Ferris wheel, spinning Jeeps and airplanes, and an 18-hole miniature golf course.
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