Wonderland Amusement Park - Amarillo, TX
Posted by: 
condor1
N 35° 14.433 W 101° 49.927
14S E 242287 N 3903396
Located on the northern side of Amarillo just to the north of Thompson Park, the Wonderland Amusement Park has been a fixture in town for over 50 years.
Waymark Code: WM7TCT
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 11/30/2009
Views: 10
More than 50 years ago, Paul Roads had a dream. If he built an amusement park, the children would come. But where to build it? His vision took him not to a cornfield, but to an ugly, barren hill. In their search for the perfect site, Paul and wife Alethea traveled from San Angelo to a bleak stretch of land in Amarillo's Thompson Park.
With the promise of transplanted trees and grading to level the area, Mark Miles, then the city's Parks and Recreation director, convinced the Roads to give Amarillo a try. They did, and just a few months later, Kiddie Land was born. With three children's rides and a makeshift ticket booth made out of a box from one of the rides, Kiddie Land was an instant hit. However, it was not profitable enough to support the family. During the next 10 years, Roads continued to work a "day job" and spent nights and weekends at the park. Finally, he reached a crossroads and had to choose between the park and his day job. He chose the park and has never regretted the decision.
With the addition of rides with wide appeal for all ages, a name change was in order. The Roads chose Wonderland, inspired by Alice in "Through The Looking Glass." Although the Wonderland of today bears little resemblance to the Kiddie Land of 50 years ago, many of the seeds of today's park were sown then.
Today, the third generation carries on the family legacy at Wonderland Park. The Borchardts' daughters Kristen, Keira and Paige have all worked part-time at the park, but their eldest, Rebecca, has made the park her career. A CPA, Rebecca has succeeded her grandmother as comptroller.
Address
2601 Dumas Dr
Amarillo, TX 79107-2069
Phone: (806) 383-4712