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From the Archive: Riverview Park

Daniel Hautzinger
Riverview Park.
Riverview Park. Image: From WTTW's 'Chicago Stories'

From 1904-1967, Riverview Park at Western and Belmont delighted Chicagoans with roller coasters, rides, cotton candy, and fun houses. People flocked to be dropped from a tower in a parachute (one couple even got married in midair), ride one of the 27 roller coasters the park hosted over its 64 years, or enjoy the world's largest carousel. In this episode of Chicago Stories from 2000, amuse yourself with the sights and sounds of the beloved park – and also learn about its troubled, darker side, in which racial stereotypes were exploited for fun.