Worlds of Fun

Colorful map of a Kansas City amusement park issued its first season in operation.

Kansas City was experiencing a surge in development and modernization in the late 1960’s. Major construction projects such as the Kansas City International Airport, Kemper Arena, the Truman Sports Complex were either in progress or recently completed. Meanwhile, Six Flags opened their first park in 1961, and a company called Mid-America Enterprises sought to replicate their success and capitalize on the newly expanded city.

Worlds of Fun opened for business in 1973, and was organized into five separate sections based around continental themes. The largely stereotypical representations found within each can be seen on the map; both in the illustrations and in the names of the individually labeled attractions. Worlds of Fun continues to operate today, though the attractions have changed significantly and the park introduced Snoopy World shortly after it was purchased by the Cedar Fair company in 1995.