13th Annual, Remembering the Sights and Sounds of Euclid Beach Park

There is the line from the movie “Field of Dreams”, “If you build it he will come”. I believe if someone would rebuild Euclid Beach Park exactly how it appeared in the 60’s people will come, especially after seeing thousands of people attending the 13th annual “Remembering the Sights and Sounds of Euclid Beach Park” on the temperature (94) record breaking Sunday, September 24. Folks came out on the hot and sunny day to walk where Cleveland’s most beloved amusement park operated for 74 seasons and possibly to rekindle a memory or two or three or more for the old park surly gave anyone who visited many good and fond memories. To help with memories of the rides, Euclid Beach Park Now has produced photo posters of the individual rides and attractions with a descriptive paragraph or two. These were set out as close as possible to where the ride or attraction once stood in Cleveland Metroparks, Euclid Beach Park, which covers what was the eastern part of the amusement park. For rides and attractions that once occupied the western part or what is now the parking lot, a cluster of photo posters were set up to lead attendees from the parking area to the picnic pavilion. There one could purchase T-shirts and sweatshirts paying homage to Euclid Beach Park. A new design offered this year had a graphic of the “Over the Falls” which began as the “Mill Chute” at Euclid Beach Park in 1921. Euclid Beach Park Now also had some products, DVD’s of the park and CD’s of the old band organs and copies of the book they published with Arcadia publishing. The two surviving authors of “Euclid Beach Park is closed for the season” were present; Lee Bush and Dick Hershey to greet people and sign copies of the book. Laughing Sal was also in the pavilion to greet attendees. Walking tours were available on the hour led by a Euclid Beach Park historian, talking about the rides and their location and presenting a history of the park.

The Collinwood Nottingham Historical Society was present with an informational booth. Cleveland’s Euclid Beach Park Carousel Society also had a stand. Event attendees could video record their Euclid Beach Park memories which will appear on a website. At the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel a chariot sits off to the side for a photo opportunity. A tablet is at this chariot with instructions so visitors can record their Euclid Beach Park or carousel memories.

A car show was also held, “The Cars We Drove to Euclid Beach Park.” Well over 100 antique cars, restricted to the years 1895 to 1969, the years the amusement park was open, were on exhibit. They were in and around the circular drive and had to extend to the South part of the parking lot along the fence line and then the Eastern part on the grassy section between the parking lot and walkway to the lake.

Two cars, of sort, were available for rides through out the day that was from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, the Thriller Car and Rocket Ship Car. They took riders East on Lake Shore Blvd., to The Arch and between the two high rise apartments where the bridge for the old Turnpike Car ride still stands. Free pony rides were available for children and the Cleveland Fire Department's Smoke House was nearby.