Amusement (not "Theme") Park Memories (Cincinnati, Reading: buying, to live)

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by NightBazaar

As a kid, our favorite amusement park was Coney Island. Never used the pool that I can recall, but we sure had fun on the rides.

Another fun spot was a medium-sized place called Riverside Amusement Park in Louisville Kentucky. As I recall, it was fairly close to the horse race track.

The pool at Coney Island was really great. I do not believe that I have ever seen a pool that was that large. It was really pretty cool.

I was in Louisville a couple weeks ago and saw some amusement rides near the Fairgrounds (and close to the Churchill Downs). It was mostly older looking rides.

[NightBazaar]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

I was in Louisville a couple weeks ago and saw some amusement rides near the Fairgrounds (and close to the Churchill Downs). It was mostly older looking rides.

The rides would indeed be pretty old. It seemed old when I went there, which was in the mid-50s. I tried finding info about it on the Internet, but came up empty. I assumed it may have been demolished long ago. It would be nice to think it's been preserved as a historical landmark if nothing else. It was that good.

It had a great house of mirrors. Behind one of pane of glass was a wallet with money exposed to tempt people. Of course, it was completely surrounded by mirrors with no way to get to it. LOL!

There was also a building, about 3-stories or so in height, that contained several giant wooden slides, one with humps, and the other (usually closed) a near shear drop. Elsewhere around that building was a rolling barrel, a trail with shifting planks and spinning discs, some kind of a thing with several large carpet-covered poles that would roll as you sat down on them, until you reached the last one and ended in a short wooden slide. There was also a large spinning wood disc slightly cone shaped. People would get on hold hands and try to keep from sliding off it. I can't remember what all was in that building, but it seemed there was quite a variety of things to do.

The park had a nice wood-framed roller coaster that would creak like the timbers would snap at any time, a fine classic carousel, and a good number of other rides, walk-through fun houses, and a dark ride. I seem to recall lots of trees throughout the park that made it cool and shady in the summer.

[sandasene]

Kissel Bros.:
Southwest Ohio Amusement Park Historical Society (http://www.soaphs.com/kissell.htm - broken link)

[NightBazaar]

Originally Posted by sandasene

Kissel Bros.:
Southwest Ohio Amusement Park Historical Society (http://www.soaphs.com/kissell.htm - broken link)

Nice link! That kinda looks like it might be the one I remember. I wish there were more pics of it. Thanks for posting it.


It got me to digging around. Nothing about the park in Louisville, but I did come across an old movie about Coney Island.

ITPS Historical Archives (http://www.interthemepark.com/about/coneyisland.htm - broken link)

[mike1003]

Originally Posted by NightBazaar

It got me to digging around. Nothing about the park in Louisville, but I did come across an old movie about Coney Island.

ITPS Historical Archives (http://www.interthemepark.com/about/coneyisland.htm - broken link)

What memories.

[mike1003]

Originally Posted by sandasene

Kissel Bros.:
Southwest Ohio Amusement Park Historical Society (http://www.soaphs.com/kissell.htm - broken link)

I forgot all about Medowbrook. Thanks for the memory jog.

[art kissel]

im a grandson of ralph kissel if theres anything you would like to know about or bussiness please reply to [email]akissel2@yahoo.com[/email]

[blockhead]

Re Coney Island Pool. It was segregated racially until the 1960s. I remember well when that occurred, as it had a big impact nationally (with echoes still to this day, in the recent fiasco with the black summer camp kids using a country club pool, in Philadelphia, I believe). Here is an article about the desegregation at Coney Island:

Coney Island segregation ended 40 years ago

BTW, the pool and Moonlight Gardens were both big parts of my childhood--both before and after desegregation.

[Ryan6838]

I worked there for three summers and it was a great time. Im 22 so Ive only seen the new coney but loved to look at the pictures of old coney in the office and think of what a cool park it must have been. Working there was like hanging out with family or friends not a job. Low pay but loved my time there. Some of the best times of my life.

[kjbrill]

I would like to start some remembrances of Cincy area amusement parks.

In my era of youth, there was of course Coney Island and LeSourdsville Lake (later Americana). What I remember about both is they had a dance pavilion in the later days of the touring Big Bands. Coney Island of course had Moonlight Garden, perhaps the best of its kind in the country. I don't remember the name of the smaller pavilion at LeSourdsville, but certainly remember a very young Woody Herman and his Thundering Herd.

My parents used to speak highly of Chester Park from their days. I don't suppose there is anyone old enough in this forum to remember it.

But my parents said the ultimate experience was to take the streetcar from Norwood downtown to the public landing, board the Island Queen steamboat for the trip to Coney Island, spend the evening at Moonlight Garden, and then board the boat for the return trip down the river. And they managed to do this in the midst of the Depression. Sorry to say, the last Island Queen burnt before I ever had the experience.

I have been told when Walt Disney was contemplating Disneyland in Anaheim, he sent a team of people to observe Coney Island in Cincy as an example of how an amusement park should be run. I just remember how clean it always seemed to be, and the extensive flower beds, etc. which just made it a pleasure to be there.

Another pleasant recollection of Coney was how they used to cater to company picnics. The picnic pavilions, bingo games, tug-of-war, horseshoes, softball games, draft beer and food, ride tickets for the kids, Sunlight Pool for the older ones, those were extremely pleasant days to remember.

I happen to live about 1-1/2 miles from Kings Island. It is a nice enough place, but strictly big business. Haven't been there for 20 years. Can't understand their marketing tactics. Let the grandparents in free, and you will more than recoup the difference on what they spend on the grandkids. But tell me I have to pay an admission to sit on a bench and spend more money - no thanks.

Those of you who have specific recollections to relate, please join in.