I made a quick stop at the McDonalds in West St Paul, a place I used to visit when I was younger. Often my mom and dad would take me to the playland here. It was just a simple playground with McDonalds characters as parts of the rides. The best part of it was the tram that would take you from the bottom of the hill to the top of the hill where the playground was located. Looking back at what they used to do for the kids was amazing. No one today would ever do anything like this at a fast food restaurant. All that remains in the path up the hill, which is located near the current drive through road, plus the artwork on the cement wall.
3 comments:
Our Twin Cities is full of wonderful murals. Since I haven't been prowling around for photos for awhile, I've missed this one. Your nostalgic comments are great!
I like these. I am glad to see them instead of graffiti.
I grew up in West St. Paul, and even at 22 yrs. old, this is one of the main memories of my childhood that I miss the most... This McDonald's had the *best* original McDonaldland playground & I still remember it to this day. There was a merry-go-round Grimace that had a platform that you stood on and it moved back and forth, so you had to keep your balance. There was also a giant tree with a face or possibly the Hamburglar with his arms outstretched that was a swingset and held swings on it's branches/arms. There was a train and the train cars had a small table with a bench on each side where you could eat... I visited this place again not too long ago, and just walking up the hill brought back memories. Unfortunately, not much of the original McDonaldland remains. I stood on the metal joint in the ground where the Grimace used to be. There is a plastic, generic playground now. I wish they would keep nostalgic things like the McDonaldland around. I'm thankful that the mural is still there... it helps people remember and never forget :oD And yes, my mom told me that there was a train/tram that would take people up the hill...
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