SPOTLIGHT: Speedway, Jr.

NOTE: Sorry I missed posting the new questions for Lagoon Trivia Sunday. I just got back from a trip to Walt Disney World with my family. Looks like I missed the big opening of Wicked too. The next round of Lagoon Trivia could pop up at any random time so check back regularly. In the meantime, here's a post I was working on before I left, but didn't have time to finish until now.

Speedway, Jr. has been a major staple in Kiddie Land for quite a while now. It has undergone many changes through the years, but has never ceased to provide children with an opportunity to "drive" a car like their parents. Today, the so-called Speedway is more of a scenic sunday drive. Still, this is not far from the original Auto Kiddies ride which opened here around the late 1950s or early '60s. Landscaping tied in with the overall theme of Mother Gooseland. The Hickory Dickory Clock was featured prominently in front near the service station. In the background of this picture you can also see the garden of Mary Mary (who was quite contrary). Some remember a small hill not far from this ride with the Wishing Well on top which was also linked to the story of Jack and Jill.

Over the years cars have been replaced and track has been changed and changed again. Its surroundings have also been updated and improved. The references to nursery rhymes were reduced dramatically when the area changed to a more generic Kiddie Land in 1985. Originally bordered by the pool on the east, it's now neighbored by the Serpentine Slides of Lagoon-A-Beach. Eventually the rides on the north side were moved around so much that they began to move onto part of the Speedway's ground, squeezing it into a somewhat tighter area. The service station still remains even though the fuel pumps have been changed out for slightly newer ones.

Read more about Auto Kiddies and Speedway, Jr. at The Farmington Star.