Dispensa's Castle of Toys was a toy store near the Oakbrook Center shopping center, in DuPage County, Illinois. The store opened to the public in 1967. Kiddie Kingdom amusement park opened in 1975. Kiddie Kingdom closed its doors for good in 1984.
The store received a fair amount of attention due to its unique shape, as a stereotyped castle. It was a staple of Chicago television advertising, particularly during the Christmas season.
Its jingle featured a woman singing this song, with a child's voice interposing spoken comments:
- Dispensa's Castle of Toys
- (It's a toy store!)
- Dispensa's Castle of Toys
- (It's a castle!)
- Dispensa's Castle of Toys
- (It's toy-mendous!)
- Come to Dispensa's Castle of Toys
- Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois
Despite the visual attempt to rhyme, the last line was pronounced the proper way, "Ill-i-noy", rather than the colloquial "Ill-i-noise".
The site of the toy store and "Kiddie Kingdom" is now occupied by an office building called the Oakbrook Terrace Tower.
Famous quotes containing the words castle and/or toys:
“He that is born to be hanged shall never be drowned.”
—14th-century French proverb, first recorded in English in A. Barclay, Gringore’s Castle of Labour (1506)
“Man hath still either toys or care:
But hath no root, nor to one place is tied,
But ever restless and irregular,
About this earth doth run and ride.
He knows he hath a home, but scarce knows where;
He says it is so far,
That he has quite forgot how to go there.”
—Henry Vaughan (1622–1695)