Euclid Beach Park facts for kids
Euclid Beach post card, circa 1915, featuring the roller coaster Derby Racer (later renamed the Racing Coaster)
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| Location | Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°34′48″N 81°34′12″W / 41.580°N 81.570°W |
| Status | Closed |
| Opened | 1895 |
| Closed | September 28, 1969 |
| General manager | Jonson McBronson |
Euclid Beach Park was a popular amusement park located right on the southern shore of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio. It was a favorite spot for families and friends to have fun for many years.
The park first opened in 1895. Early on, it had vaudeville shows, concerts, and some rides. In 1901, the Humphrey family took over the park's management. They wanted to make it a very family-friendly place. Their famous slogan was "one fare, free gate and no beer," meaning you paid one price to get in, the gate was free, and no alcohol was allowed. They even had rules about what people could wear!
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Awesome Rides and Attractions
Euclid Beach Park was built next to a beach on Lake Erie, which was a big part of its charm. Over the years, many exciting rides and attractions were added.
The Euclid Beach Carousel
One of the most loved rides was the beautiful carousel. The first carousel arrived in 1905. It was later replaced in 1910 by a new one with 58 horses and two fancy chariots. These chariots had cool carvings of a Greek god and cherubs.
After the park closed, this special carousel was sold and moved to Maine. But people in Cleveland missed it! So, groups like the Euclid Beach Park Nuts worked hard to bring it back home. In 2014, after a lot of restoration work, the carousel reopened at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland. Now, new generations can enjoy this historic ride!
Thrilling Roller Coasters
Euclid Beach Park was home to seven different roller coasters during its history. All of them were made of wood.
- The first coaster was the Switchback Railway, which opened in 1896.
- The Figure Eight and the Scenic Railway followed.
- In 1909, the New Velvet Coaster (later called Aero Dips) opened. It ran for many years until 1965.
- The Racing Coaster (originally Derby Racer) opened in 1913. It was unique because its single track formed a special loop, making trains start on one side and return on the other! This coaster was a park favorite until the very end in 1969.
- The Thriller coaster, built in 1924, was another exciting "out and back" style ride.
The Flying Turns Coaster
The Flying Turns was a very special type of roller coaster. It was designed by a British aviator named John Norman Bartlett. Instead of riding on a track, the cars were like toboggans that slid down a wooden chute, twisting and turning like a bobsled course!
The Flying Turns at Euclid Beach Park was the second one ever built and was the tallest. Riders loved it because the three-car trains allowed couples to sit close. This unique ride was even mentioned in the Beach Boys' song "Amusement Parks U.S.A."!
Changes and Challenges
For many years, Euclid Beach Park had rules that limited when African American visitors could enter or how they could interact with other park-goers. This was part of the park's attempt to control the atmosphere.
In 1946, several groups, including the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), protested these unfair rules. They tried to visit the park as mixed-race groups but were asked to leave. There were even clashes between park police and city police during these protests. After one serious incident, the park closed a week early that year. These protests helped bring attention to the need for equal access for everyone.
Park's End and Lasting Legacy
By the 1960s, Euclid Beach Park faced money problems. To try and stay open, they even tore down their oldest roller coaster, the Aero Dips, and sold another ride. But it wasn't enough. Euclid Beach Park closed its gates for good in September 1969. It was one of many older amusement parks that closed around that time.
Even though the park is gone, some of its spirit lives on:
- The Great American Racing Derby ride, which looked like a horse race, still operates today as Cedar Downs Racing Derby at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.
- Laffing Sal, a funny (and maybe a little spooky!) robotic figure from the Surprise House attraction, can still be seen at events in Cleveland.
Many of the park's buildings were sadly destroyed by fires after it closed. But if you visit the old site today, you can still see some cool remnants:
- Parts of the original shoreline walkway.
- A concrete pier built using a special process by the Humphrey family.
- Remains of the Antique Cars loading platform and parts of other ride supports.
- An empty, circular cement pool that used to be a swing ride.
Perhaps the most famous remaining piece is the beautiful arched main gate. This archway is now a protected Cleveland landmark. It was damaged in 2007 but was rebuilt and rededicated, standing as a reminder of the park's fun history.
Today, part of the old park site is a state park, and another part has a trailer park. The Humphrey family still sells the famous popcorn and taffy that were so popular at the park!
Euclid Beach Park has also been featured in pop culture:
- The 2007 documentary "Welcome Back Riders" showed the park's history.
- The 1960s TV show Route 66 filmed an episode at Euclid Beach Park in 1962.
Even a local ice cream shop, Weber's, has a connection! Its founder, Nathan Weber, learned about making ice cream at the park's Dairy Whip stand in 1929. Today, Weber's still uses the same machines built in 1931 to make their ice cream, keeping a taste of Euclid Beach alive.
Images for kids
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Euclid Beach post card, circa 1915, featuring the roller coaster Derby Racer (later renamed the Racing Coaster)
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Euclid Beach and the bath house, circa 1905
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A picture of Euclid Beach Park taken some time between 1895 and 1910
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Euclid Beach Park Gateway Arch
- Euclid Beach Park at the Roller Coaster DataBase
