Little Kids Form Long Lines At Bartlesville Kiddie Park

For 68 years the Kiddie Park in Bartlesville has given children a theme park experience; and despite vandalism and broken machines, the park has held strong.

Friday was opening night at the park where generations have families have come since it opened in 1947.

With so much community support, the park is expected to entertain more generations to come.

The Kiddie Park has all the fixings of what childhood is all about - family, friends and fun.

To say 7-year-old Daegan Coberley was excited about the park opening would be an understatement.

“I'm super hyper,” he said. “Because I can fly planes.”

The park is typically only open during the spring and summer season, and each year when the gates open May 1, Shelly Coberley, with her five kids in tow, make sure they are there.

“We come here because it's really expensive to go to the fair, and it's hard for the kids when they aren't tall enough to ride rides. And we can come here, and all five of our kids can ride everything and it's so cheap that we don't have to tell them no," Coberley said.

It's that family tradition that has kept the park alive all this time, according to longtime employee, Elaine Lea.

“If it wasn't for the community we wouldn't still be here. We've been through floods, vandalism, major repairs on the big rides we have, and if it wasn't for the community, and the business and the people in the community we wouldn't be here," she said.

Lea said since the park is non-profit, the repairs and general upkeep often falls onto the citizens.

Even with continued spurts of vandalism and machine breakdowns, Lea said the community always steps up to help keep this community place riding along.

The Kiddie Park is geared toward children under 12 years old, and, for the rest of the month the park will be open on Fridays and Saturdays.

More days will be added during the summer months.

You can find a full calendar online.