Joyland Amusement Park was an amusement park in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Joyland, on south Hillside, was designed for older kids while Kiddieland, on Harry, was made for little tykes. In 1950 he sold the restored instrument to the Ottaway family, who installed it in the park. “Had the plaintiff known, when it appeared to be missing, that the defendant was in possession of Louie the Clown, she would not have sold the Wurlitzer Organ and the large sign to him originally,” the judge wrote in the ruling. Their son, Roger Nelson, said on Monday that although he’s glad there’s some resolution to the organ case, which has dragged on for four years, the family is not sure what kind of shape the organ will be in when they eventually get it back. Wichita police say officers found the clown Tuesday at a home of 39-year-old Damian Mayes, who is serving a prison sentence for a 2010 conviction for aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated criminal sodomy. [citation needed], The Ottaway brothers retired from the amusement park business in the early 1970s and sold the park to Stanley and Margaret Nelson. Craig Thompson remembers a Noah’s Ark with animal cutouts you could climb, pony rides, little rail cars powered by hand cranks and gas-powered cars you could drive on a track with an overpass and underpass. He had announced the previous week that the Preservation Alliance had purchased a number of the park's marquee attractions, including the Whacky Shack building and a horse and buggy ride, and was negotiating to purchase the full-size train caboose that was stationed at the west end of Frontier Town. They didn’t expect us back, they thought it was a done deal, closed, forgotten case, but like I said, through social media and a lot of interest not only in Joyland but the clown in particular, kind of kept it alive,” said Det. Many of the Kiddieland rides were dispersed elsewhere. Even more recent studies show that could mean 36,000 missed cancer diagnoses in women and possibly even 5,000 deaths. The park was founded by Lester Ottaway and his sons Herbert and Harold to serve as the home for a miniature 12-inch (300 mm) gauge steam locomotive that Herb Ottaway[citation needed] had purchased in Fort Scott, back in 1933. The family decided to sue him in civil court. What This Footage Captured At This Abandoned Kansas Park Is Truly Grim. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Thank you! Just the sort of thing that made it “an awesome place for kids.”, © the active age is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. Mayes’ lawyer, Randall Price, did not return a call seeking comment. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. He had gone missing over a decade prior and was found in the home of Damian Mayes, a former park employee.
[citation needed] Its current whereabouts and conditions are unknown. Archives of former websites (containing numerous photos): Entrance in 2003, before the sign was removed in June 2014, "Ferris wheel accident in Wichita draws federal safety commission investigation", "Joyland's carousel to take a new turn at Botanica", "Missing Pieces Could Further Hurt Joyland", "Jabara Airport reopens after powerful winds cause widespread damage in Wichita", "Joyland roller coaster damaged by spring storms", "Joyland Amusement Park comes to a sad end", https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article216362490.html, "Joyland owners put the abandoned amusement park up for sale", "Joyland Amusement Park Auction - Property Information Packet (PDF)", http://www.kake.com/story/39441237/joyland-property-sold-at-auction, "Kochs donate $1 million toward next phase of Botanica's carousel project", "Your wait to ride the restored Joyland carousel at Botanica is over, but expect a line", https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=JMunwLkh0Yc, Archive of former joylandwichita.org website, Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joyland_Amusement_Park_(Wichita,_Kansas)&oldid=973685774, Buildings and structures in Wichita, Kansas, Defunct amusement parks in the United States, Demolished buildings and structures in Kansas, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 August 2020, at 16:56.

Mayes had previously worked for the park taking care of both Louie and the organ, a Wurlitzer Style 160 “Mammoth” Military Band organ that was built in 1901 and measures 8 feet by 20 feet and is 10 feet tall. The Nelsons closed the park for good in 2006. Louis The Clown at Joyland Wichita, KS. Though there are a few Whacky Shacks still in use across the country today, this classic two-story dark ride was the last known project of Tracy's, as he died in August 1974, just a few months after its completion. The administration offices have also been destroyed. He opened and ran … Originally called simply "Roller Coaster" but for a time renamed "Nightmare", it had a 2,600 ft (790 m) track span, 80 ft (24 m) drop and 50 mph (80 km/h) top speed. It carries serial number 1 from the factory. Lang said a phone tip led to the discovery. It was sold during the winter by the four Consolver brothers, George, J L., B. G. (Tex), and N. C., who started it in 1945. Mayes helped restore the clown in 1994. The ruling is the latest chapter in a saga that started when Louie the Clown — a life-sized paper-and-wood, partly-mechanical mannequin that Joyland … 6. Mayes pleaded no contest to one count of felony theft in October 2016, just before he was scheduled to go on trial on three charges connected to the case. In 1948, Jess Gibbs of Parsons, purchased it and began the painstaking work of restoration. Two other groups made attempts to operate and buy Joyland, but they were unsuccessful. It was one of 33 coasters remaining of the 44 designated as an ACE Coaster Classic. Saved by Barb Lisiecki. Copyright 2020 Nexstar Inc. All rights reserved. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. By 1934, Herb Ottaway, who worked as a race car builder, had fully refurbished and restored the steam locomotive and cars and began transporting the miniature train to county fairs in western Kansas and eastern Colorado. “I have memories of going down the big slide over and over, said Cindy Nold. [7], In the middle of June 2014, the iconic parking lot sign and marquee was sold to the Historic Preservation Alliance of Wichita and Sedgwick County. He’s in prison on child sex crimes. There were arcade games and Flanagan says you could win a trinket and be thrilled all day.
[1] It was once the largest theme park in central Kansas and featured a wooden roller coaster and 24 other rides. You can even watch KSN News live for free! Gregory and Tina Dunnegan bought the Joyland property at auction for $198,000 in November 2018, and in July 2019, the Wichita City Council authorized plans to redevelop the Joyland site and add an event center, a paintball gun range and one or more restaurants.