Carthage's Kiddieland to open for the summer this weekend

John Hacker, The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·2 min read

May 23—CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage's Kiddieland opens for the summer on Saturday.

Hours are the same every year, 2-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, as long as weather permits, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. It also will be open from 2-5 p.m. Thursday, July 4.

Kiddieland is in Carthage's Municipal Park, 1822 Richard Webster Drive.

Bill Barksdale, president of the Carthage Kiwanis Club, which operates Kiddieland, said damage from vandalism in March has been repaired, and debris from April and May storms is being cleaned up and damage repaired.

"A tree fell on the train tracks on the east side of the loop, but it only dropped debris on the tracks and didn't damage them," Barksdale said Thursday. "All that has been cleaned up, and a new fence is being delivered today for installation by a volunteer on Friday. We've passed all our inspections, and we're ready to go this summer."

Barksdale said volunteers will be more stringent in enforcing size limits on some rides. He said children under the age of 3 won't be allowed on the tub ride and that adults can stand on the carousel to help a child sit on a horse, but the horses aren't made for adults to ride.

The kiddie cars and airplane ride also have size limitations, but people of all ages can still ride the train.

All tickets for rides are still 50 cents each, and the proceeds from the rides will be distributed to local nonprofits and charities.

People can come out Sunday and meet the Ivan Hager Scholarship Award winner, Hannah Hill, who will be volunteering for about 20 hours this summer at Kiddieland. Hager was a longtime Carthage Kiwanis Club member who gave countless hours over the years to maintain Kiddieland until his death in 2018.

Barksdale said the club also gives out the Bob Harris Scholarship, named for a longtime member who died in 2013 who in his will paid for major upgrades to Kiddieland, including the shelters built over each ride in 2016.

Kiddieland may close in inclement weather; monitor the park's Facebook page "Kiddieland-Carthage Kiwanis" for updates.

The train is the original ride at Kiddieland, installed 73 years ago. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Kiwanis added the kiddiecars, the airplane ride and the tub ride. The carousel was purchased by the club in 2011 for $15,000, restored by Carthage resident Ed Hardesty, and went into service in 2012.