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Early in the twentieth century, Ohio had over 50 amusement parks dotting its landscape.  The Great Depression of the early 1930s threatened the financial health of many parks.  The arrival of television diminished the role of these amusement parks as an entertainment venue, and the automobile enabled the public to go to those parks that could afford improvements.  Many of the parks fell in the sixties and seventies, and few remain today.  If you have additional histories on these parks, or others that I have omitted from this list, please drop me an email.

There are several great books on these parks.  For an overview, find a copy of Ohio's Amusement Parks in Vintage Postcards by David and Diane Francis.  Where I have found a book on a specific park, I have included a link to Amazon, but as many of these are out-of-print, you may need to check the various book dealers (see my link to the left) or various auction sites.
Brady Lake Park - Kent, OH Olentangy Park - Columbus, OH
Cedar Point - Sandusky, OH Puritas Springs Park - Cleveland, OH
Chippewa Lake Park - Chippewa Lake, OH Riverside Park - Findlay, OH
Euclid Beach Park - Cleveland, OH Rock Spring Park - Chester, WV
Geauga Lake - Aurora, OH Silver Lake Park - Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Idora Park - Youngstown, OH Springfield Lake Park - Akron, OH
Indianola Park - Columbus, OH Spring Grove Park - Springfield, OH
Kennywood Park - Pittsburgh, PA Stanton Park - Steubenville, OH
Luna Park - Cleveland, OH Summit Beach Park - Akron, OH
Luna Park - Mansfield, OH Waldameer Park - Erie, PA
Luna Park - Pittsburgh, PA West View Park - Pittsburgh, PA
Luna Park - Scranton, PA White City - Cleveland, OH
Mother Gooseland - Canton, OH White City - Toledo, OH
Meyers Lake Park - Canton, OH Woodland Beach Park - Ashtabula, OH

 

You may also wish to check out the following websites for more information... 

  • Defunct Amusement Parks of Ohio:  A few pictures and stories of the best known parks.

  • John Miller Website:  This gentleman created many of the best coasters in the beginning days of the amusement park, and the creator of this website has done a fantastic job telling his story.