A forever-missed attraction from San Antonio’s past, Playland Park was a staple in the city and took pride in being the first amusement park in Texas.

Playland Park remains a fond memory for many longtime San Antonio residents. UTSA Special Collections Jimmy Johnson, the builder and owner of Playland Park, is seen in this undated file photo.

His family took the carousel back to San Antonio, where it sat in storage on the Playland Park property until it was put up for auction in 1988. As Gaida tells it, each horse was sold individually.

One was Ed Gaida, remembered here Sept. 7, an authority on street features and Playland Park. The other was Patsy Pittman Light (1931-2024), whom we lost Nov. 30. As author of two books on the art ...