 | Disappearing PlacesAn archive and collective map of places that no longer exist, at least not as they once did. |
War Memorial Amusement Park
Posted On Sunday April 15, 2007 By Matt
I’m not sure it was actually called War Memorial Amusement Park but it was between War Memorial Stadium and the Little Rock Zoo. It was a great place with all the typical rides and attractions an amusement park would have, bumper cars, a Tilt-A-Whirl, a carosel, a haunted mansion, and last but not least Old Loveable Sally. Sally was probably the creepiest thing that has ever existed. She is pictured here behind us. She was this giant freaky doll thing that would talk and laugh. Sally may have been old, but lovable??? I don’t think so.
Anyway, this was a place I spent many happy days while growing up. My favorite ride was this car race ride. I don’t remember the name. It was all on a track so you weren’t actually steering but you did have control of the gas. I loved racing around that track. I also remember my mom once got so dizzy from the Tilt-A-Whirl that she threw up on it. She loved the carosel there so much. As few as four of these track type carosels still exist today. When the park closed sometime in the early 90’s the carosel was put on the National Register of Historic Places and a group called Friends of the Carosel has been trying to raise funds to restore it and return it to operation ever since.
I’m not sure what ever happened to Old Loveable Sally. Maybe she was thrown away or maybe she continues to creep kids out to this day at some other amusement park.
Tags: amusement, birthday, childhood, park, parties, rides, sally
This Location: Zoo Drive Little Rock, AR
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Last year in August, my wife and I were registering at Greer’s Ferry campsite, and the couple behind us in line asked us where we were from. When we told him North Little Rock, the man said, “I used to live and work in Little Rock at the old amusement park at the zoo”. It seems his Father owned some of the rides there, and he worked for his Dad.
I asked him about “Laughing Sally”, and he said his Dad sold her to a collector in Chicago.
— Pcbrown Monday September 17, 2007 #
Thanks for the info on Sally. It’s good to know she didn’t end up in a landfill, creepy as she was.
— Matt Tuesday September 18, 2007 #
According to the owner of Loca Luna on the bottom of Cantrell hill – he has Sally in the foyer as you walk into the restaurant. It’s a popular polaroid scavenger hunt destination.
— BudChad Friday September 28, 2007 #
Interesting, next time I’m in town, probably next month, I’ll stop by Loca Luna and see if Sally is there.
— Matt Friday September 28, 2007 #
Nope. Loca Luna has an exact replica. It would be interesting to find out where this person in Chicago is and what happened to our old lovable Sally! She scared me to death to… but I’d love to see her again. BTW – thanks for the awesome pic of her.
— BeffyChelle33 Friday March 28, 2008 #