Chicago’s Riverview Park was established by William Schmidt in 1904, on the grounds of his private skeet shooting range along the Chicago River. It grew quickly into a major local amusement park, attracting millions of visitors a year in the 1940s and 1950s. Gradually, Riverview’s reputation shifted from family fun to sketchy carnival, while the land value skyrocketed. It was sold in 1967 and closed permanently. This is a somewhat amateur attempt to document Riverview the year it shuttered its doors. Dozens of rides and attractions are labeled, including the semi-famous Bob’s roller coaster. Apparently designed and self-published by someone with the surname Kipnis in 1977 (artist’s signature available in the lower left).
