Dodge Park Playland
Dodge Park Playland was an amusement park formerly located at Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States.
A theme park inside Council Bluffs
Check the season before you go
Most theme parks this far north close for the winter. Check the park’s calendar for opening days. When to go ↓
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 14°, with about 27" of snow a year. When to go ↓
You can stay in Council Bluffs
Dodge Park Playland is inside Council Bluffs, which has 33 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Sep and Oct
May, June, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 65–84°. When to go ↓
An airport 3 miles away
Eppley Airfield (OMA) has airline service, about 3 miles from Dodge Park Playland.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Council Bluffs. Green months are the mild ones.
Dodge Park Playland
Dodge Park Playland was an amusement park formerly located at Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States. It was in operation from 1948 to 1970. In its heyday as an amusement park, through the 1960's, it spanned the street in Council Bluffs that began from the old bridge in Omaha across the Missouri river. It had a large wooden roller coaster, food stands, games of chance, rides like "bumper cars" and "tilt-a-whirl", as well as children's rides. The park eventually had to give up the land on the south side of the street to make room for road and bridge changes. [1,2,3,4]. It was also known as Playland Speedway and aerial images exist of the park and track. [5].
- Type
- Theme park
- Opened
- 1948
- Owner
- Abe and Louis Slusky
- Wikipedia readers
- 1.1K a year
Where to stay near Dodge Park Playland
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Council Bluffs (33) and Omaha (104).
- 1Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
- 2Joslyn Art Museum
- 3USS Hazard
- 4Pottawattamie County Jail
- 5Strategic Air and Space Museum
- 6Fort Atkinson
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Dodge Park Playland | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council Bluffs | in town | — | 33 24 hotels · 3 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 RV parks | 62,680 | $172K | D |
| Omaha | 7 mi west | 10 min | 104 91 hotels · 4 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 488,797 | $246K | — |
| Bellevue | 8 mi south | 10 min | 17 9 hotels · 4 motels · 2 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 64,863 | $247K | B− |
| Carter Lake | 2 mi north | 5 min | 5 5 hotels | 3,670 | $169K | D |
| La Vista | 10 mi southwest | 15 min | 5 5 hotels | 16,543 | $261K | B |
| Gretna | 17 mi southwest | 25 min | 9 7 hotels · 2 motels | 9,207 | $342K | — |
| Offutt AFB | 10 mi south | 15 min | 3 2 hotels · 1 campground | 6,074 | — | — |
| Papillion | 12 mi southwest | 20 min | 3 1 hotel · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 25,127 | $311K | B+ |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Dodge Park Playland
Other well-known places within 52 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
13 mi Zoo & aquariumOmaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
51 mi Stadium & arenaMemorial Stadium
37 mi Park & preserveLoess Hills
22 mi MuseumJoslyn Art Museum
3in town MuseumUSS Hazard
44 mi MuseumPottawattamie County Jail
527 mi MuseumStrategic Air and Space Museum
614 mi LandmarkFort AtkinsonPhoto credits
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium: OmahaZoo, Public domain · Memorial Stadium: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Loess Hills: Bill Whittaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Joslyn Art Museum: akasped, CC BY 2.0 · USS Hazard: Dave Aldworth / Oldfarm at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Pottawattamie County Jail: Smallbones, CC0 · Strategic Air and Space Museum: User Kandykornhead on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Fort Atkinson: Unknown, Public domain
Visiting Dodge Park Playland
Is Dodge Park Playland open in winter?
Most theme parks this far north close for the winter. Check the park’s calendar for opening days.
Is Dodge Park Playland in Council Bluffs?
Yes. It’s inside Council Bluffs, IA.
When is the best time to visit Dodge Park Playland?
May, June, September and October, with highs of 65–84°.
How far is Dodge Park Playland from Lincoln?
About 50 miles southwest of Lincoln, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Dodge Park Playland?
Eppley Airfield (OMA), about 3 miles away.
Where should I stay near Dodge Park Playland?
Omaha (7 mi, 104 places to stay), Council Bluffs (in town, 33 places to stay) and Bellevue (8 mi, 17 places to stay).
Tips from people in Council Bluffs
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Council Bluffs’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.