Thanks for bringing back great memories. I visited Dispensa's a lot as a young child. I still have a large horse stuffed animal that my Mom & Grandma bought for me in the Castle of Toys in about 1978!

Glad you did this Wish is was still there!

My pappy Roy Menk was a conductor for the train, my cousins boys rode the same train at a farm in the suburbs. Talk about family history!! I remember meeting Cookie the clown, and ringmaster Ned, as well as the Cabbage Patch Kid craze at the castle of toys. Amazing times, those.

I really enjoyed the pics. brings back memories and remembered all the rides when I was a kid. Thanks so much!

My parents never took me there. Though i remember driving by it and would have really like to have gone. I had to settle on coloring stones from my driveway instead:(

Although I was only 5 when they closed, some of my earliest happy memories were my times here. I grew up in Hillside, and remember stopping here frequently after long days of shopping at the malls with my folks. I still dream of the Storybook Land ride from time to time, and have always carried a strong resentment to the eyesore of a building that went up in its place. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

My great Grandfather Santo Dispensa's brother settled in Chicago sometime after the turn of the century. I know he visited Chicago in the 30's I believe. They came from a small town just outside of Palermo. I feel we must be kin. Wish I had been able to visit the store and park. Small number of Dispensa's live in the Galveston Texas area.

I always felt like a princess going in to the store. It didn't bother me one bit once I got inside and it was "just a store"! I miss this place!!!

I believe I may be a distant relative of the owners, but when I was little I was convinced that I MUST be a princess because there was a whole castle of toys with my name on it!! I still haven't gotten over the disappointment of discovering that it truly wasn't my castle. I was too young to remember many details, but I was really sad when I heard they closed. Thank you for sharing, and I would also love to see more photos!

I used to love going to the toy store when I was kid. This is an awesome site. very nice. Brought back some memories

I LOVED DISPENSA'S KIDDIE KINGDOM. This site has really brought back great memories of my family and friends. James

Thanks for the site! Brought back memories of my father taking me there. Remember looking into the mote and wondering why there wasn't any water in it. Thanks again!

Oh My God!!! Thank you for this site! Where did you find all these photos? I grew up in Forest Park and have great memories of the Dispena's. I live in NYC now and love that I can look back at this. THANKS!!!!

HELLO: OH MY GOD I AM REALLY GLAD TO SEE THIS COOL WEBSITE! MY FATHER HAROLD WAS GOOD FRIENDS WITH NICK DISPENSA EVEN BEFORE THE CASTLE OF TOYS WAS BUILT.HE BUILT US A GRAND LIONEL 4X8 FOOT TRAIN BOARD FOR THE CHRISTMAS OF 1965,I STILL HAVE ALL OF THE ORIGINAL LIONEL TRAINS INCLUDING THE 2037 STEAM LOCOMOTIVE & TENDER & ALL OF THE ASSOCIATED FREIGHT CARS.I STILL CAN REMEMBER THE DISPENSA & SONS' CARNIVAL IN THE BERKELEY SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER GRAND OPENING A LONG TIME AGO. WHAT A FLASHBACK! I STILL HAVE A BLACK & WHITE PHOTO OF MYSELF AS A 5 YEAR OLD KID LOOKING AT A DISPENSA'S TOY CATALOG FOR 1965,I WAS IN MY GLORY!I GUESS THAT YOU MUST BE A RELATIVE OR A DISPENSA FAMILY MEMBER,SOMEDAY I WOULD LIKE TO MEET YOU.YOU CAN EDIT THIS EMAIL AS YOU SEE FIT,THIS WAS A REALLY GREAT & MEMORABLE TIME OF MY LIFE THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET! BEST REGARDS,DAVE GLOECKLE BERKELEY,ILLINOIS

What a fantastic website! My grandparents lived in the neighborhood next to Kiddie Kingdom. The only thing separating the house from the parking lot was a wire fence, which incidentally had a hole large enough for us to pass through. I remember sitting on their back porch staring at the toy soldiers silently protecting the toy store...waiting in anticipation for my father to give the signal that we were once again headed over. When it was time to go I could barely contain myself from diving through the fence and running across the parking lot. I didn't because such action would be met with a swift and severe spanking to the rear end. I still remember the day when the property and the land my grandparents had owned was purchased. At the time I couldn't understand why my grandparents had to move, and understood less why anyone would bulldoze Kiddie Kingdom. On moving day I remember feeling a great void as I looked over the lot, and where the toy soldiers stood, in their place was rubble and nothing else. That was a sad day, but this site has brought back so many wonderful memories I cannot thank you enough.

I grew up in OakBrook which is now where the OakBrook bank and container store are now within walking distance of Dispensa's and Kiddie Kingdom and practically lived there. I would go in with my brother and we would steel toys and never said anything since my aunt worked there. I have alot of fond memories there.

What a great website with a lot of nostalgia for me. I grew up in Downers Grove. I live across the country now and am coming back for the summer with our children. I wish they could have those same experiences but at least they can see pictures.

I was good friends with Johnny and Dolores and this was a wonderful trip and also a bit sad. I do miss them both. Thanks for all the hard work in putting this together.

My best friend and I used to cross Route 83 by ourselves to go to Kiddie Kingdom. I really miss those times and all the fun there. I really wish there was another Kiddie Kingdom for me to go to now.

My first job was at Kiddy Kingdom!! Worked in the concession stand. I was only 15 and worked many hours and very hard. A good friend Lori helped me get the job and worked there with me. Lots of good memories!

Just found this site. Wow! Brings back lots of memories. I remember having birthday parties at Kiddie Kingdom as a kid.

Great page! I was very young and remember this park as the best place in the world. I have pictures of riding the fire truck on the merry-go-round. The banging of the carts in the story building used to scare me alot and my dad had to have the ferris wheel stopped right after it started because my sister was crying she got so scared of being high.

Wow. GREAT page. Lots of memories....lived in Lombard/Villa Park growing up, and this was one of the best things ever as a kid. Thanks for all the efforts.

Simply the best toy store ever..I lived in Addison from 1976-1982..a sad day when I moved...was back in the area in 1992 only to discover a big heart break when I was told the Castle was no more..thank you for this site..could you post more of the inside as that is where my greatest memories lay.

Bring it back!!! we need more places like this!! People need to get back to the basics of life. I miss this place so much. I spent every weekend and I mean every weekend of my childhood here with my parents and grandparents.

I use to love going to this park as a kid. It's sad to see so many of this type of family spot fall into just memories. Great job on setting up this site, it made me feel really good to see the pictures. Patrick Starworldsarcade.com

Now 37 it is almost hard to believe this was the BEST PLACE in the world as a kid! I will never forget every Thanksgiving Day night, my grandparents would let me sleep over and the next morning-time to shop for my birthday!!!!!! So Cool to see the pictures and share with my children (which really do not understand) and my wife who is not from this area originally. Seems that it really is the little things that makes memories!

GREAT site! Never visited the park but have fond memories of the castle and the commercials. Congrats on getting this up! Any Facebook page yet? I'll also info the amusement park sites of this as well. Best Wishes!

I lived in Villa Park and less than 10 minutes away from the place. We moved away in '79, and then I drove past the place where it used to be in the early '90s and wondered what happenned, and why it was gone. Now my questions have been answered. Thanks for the memories!

I remember trying to make my "acting" debut on your commercial day where you invited everyone to come to the Castle and enjoy the rides while a camera filmed in the hopes of pulling off a commercial for the Castle. I remember how excited I was at the thought and when the commercial was complete and on the T.V., I watched it intently each and every time trying to find myself on a ride. Thank you for everything. what a happy place!

You did a great job on the new video page. We looked at all of them and it brought back some wonderful memories. Keep up the good work!

I worked at the Kiddie Kingdom one summer in the games department. Lots of memories of the duck pond, the shooting gallery, etc. and made lots of friends while working there.

BRINGS BACK OLD TIMES I ALWAYS LIKED GOING HERE AND TO THE TOY STORE AS A KID WHAT KID DIDN'T LIKE GOING TO A TOY STORE ABOUT 1 MILE FROM YOUR HOUSE ANY CHANCE YOU HAVE OLD THINGS ON THE BOWLING ALLEY OR THE ROLLER RINK?

I remember this place when I was a little kid growing up in south Elmhurst. We went there alot with my parents and friends. It was so much fun and exciting to see the rides and the lights and smell the popcorn and hear the screaming and laughter. The castle seemed so big in those days. It was like you could get lost inside of it. We were all younger and more innocent then. It's gone now but the memories will remain forever.

It was a rare treat the few times our parents took us to Kiddie Kingdom. We shopped a lot at Sears in Oakbrook Center and upon exiting that store you could see Kiddie Kingdom / Castle of Toys just over the hill. It was like dangling a treat just out of our reach every time we saw it. It didn't make any difference to us what time of day it was...if we saw the property we always asked, "Mom, can we go to Kiddie Kingdom?!" Sadly the answer was usually no :-( Thanks for keeping the memories alive!

My mom was so excited to forward me this site. As the oldest of my siblings, I was the only one that remembered the fun times we had there! Thanks for sharing.

WOW - so many memories and great images. It's great to see some of these items again. From toy trains in the castle to the mint chocolate chip ice cream in the parlor. Time to dig out my photos and more memories!

I always loved Dispensa's and as an adult, I've frequently asked my mom, 'What was that cool amusement park you and dad used to take me to?" When she told me the name -- I looked up Dispensa's and found a photo of a postcard online, but that was years ago. I remember my favorite ride -- Storybook Land -- and was wondering if you had any pictures on the INTERIOR of the ride?

My grandparents lived in the condos behind Kiddie Kingdom and we could always see the ferris wheel lit up at night. They used to take us there when we'd have overnights at their house. My sister drove by there yesterday, and although it's gone we had fun reminiscing! Thanks for the memories.

I went to grade school with Nick and thought it was very cool that someone I "knew" was part of the Castle! Just remembered the place during a conversation tonight, and thought I'd try to look it up. Thanks for the site!