Research, “Field Trips,” and More

Interesting facts & information I come across through personal research, plus photos and other details from my visits to historically significant places in the region.

Amusement Preservation Museum 2026 Open House (Featured Image)

An Expanse Of Amusement Nostalgia – 2026 Amusement Preservation Museum Open House

Kevin F. Smith

The past couple of months have been busy ones for me, and one exciting reason for that was my second annual display at the Amusement Preservation Museum’s Open House. Both the museum’s collection and my own have grown exponentially in recent years, and as a result, my display alone had a footprint of over 300 square feet (three times the space I used at my main event two years ago)! This year’s turnout for the Open House also grew, with Troy Parsh (the museum’s founder) estimating that we matched last year’s attendance in just the first day of this event!

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5 photos merged together: November 2025 photos of the former locations of 4 amusement parks (High Bridge Glens and Caves, Brady Lake Park, Riverview Park, and Summit Beach Park), plus an original Summit Beach Park souvenir photographed at the original location at sunset in 2025.

(Re)visiting Four Summit & Portage County Amusement Parks – November 2025

Kevin F. Smith

This past fall, I spent a day exploring the former sites of four historic amusement parks in Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, and Kent, including some of the earliest parks in the region. As you can see from my photos and descriptions below, some of these places presently have more remaining historical elements than others, but I thoroughly enjoyed visiting each of them and learning about their pasts!

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2 photos merged together: The giant greeting card that Kevin made for the 130th anniversary of Euclid Beach Park's opening and the 90th birthday of Laughing Sal, and a selection of Kevin's Euclid Beach Park memorabilia collection on display

Reflections on the 20th Annual “Remembering The Sights & Sounds of Euclid Beach Park” event

Kevin F. Smith

As is tradition, the annual “Remembering The Sights & Sounds of Euclid Beach Park” event was recently held on the final Sunday of September, which once marked the end of the amusement park’s season. This was the first major public event organized by Euclid Beach Park Now since I stepped into the role of Vice President of the organization, as well as the largest display to date of my personal memorabilia collection! The weather was fantastic, and attendance was great for the main event as well as the vintage car show.

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2 photos merged together: Kevin standing in front of his display at the 2025 Amusement Preservation Museum Open House, and the museum's sign listing examples of amusement parks featured in their collection

Highlights of My Experience Displaying at the 2025 Amusement Preservation Museum Open House

Kevin F. Smith

This past weekend (June 7 & 8), I participated in the Amusement Preservation Museum’s 2025 Open House as a guest exhibitor. This was, by far, my largest display to date, and to paraphrase one visitor, the most impressive amusement park memorabilia display he had ever seen! Despite the weather being (unfortunately, yet also appropriately) as inconsistent as a roller coaster’s elevation, an estimated 200 guests came to see the museum’s extensive collection of ride cars and other artifacts, as well as my display!

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Kevin on the Euclid Beach Grand Carousel at the Cleveland History Center. Both Kevin and the pictured carousel horse are wearing party hats.

Happy 115th Birthday to the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel!

Kevin F. Smith

I spent most of today at the Cleveland History Center, celebrating the anniversary of the carousel’s debut at Euclid Beach Park in 1910! There was a steady flow of riders throughout the day for the occasion, and while I was not officially scheduled to participate in the event, I came prepared with several vintage items from my personal collection that have direct connections to the carousel! (Please see the photos below for more detailed descriptions.)

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Visiting TWO Former Kiddie Park Locations!

Visiting TWO Former Kiddie Park Locations!

Kevin F. Smith

I took a couple of trips this past month to the locations where two of Northeast Ohio’s classic kiddie parks once operated! Westlake Kiddie Park and Kiddie Playland are among the parks I hear about least often, but they were undoubtedly fun for youngsters who lived nearby in the 1950s and 60s! Here’s what I’ve recently learned about these two parks, and seen at their original locations:

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Surviving Euclid Beach Park Campground Structures

Surviving Euclid Beach Park Campground Structures

Kevin F. Smith

During a recent visit to Euclid Beach, I took a walk into the nearby Wildwood Park (both properties are part of the Cleveland Metroparks’ Euclid Creek Reservation today) to get a look through the fence at the 3 concrete cottages from the original Euclid Beach Park campground which still stand on the present-day trailer park property (currently under redevelopment). The cottages are not in good condition, but I’m cautiously optimistic that they could possibly be restored or at least preserved. I’ve heard it suggested that one or more of these buildings should eventually become a small museum about Euclid Beach Park’s history, and while I’m not currently aware of any official decisions or plans for the cottages, I personally think that a permanent historical display there would be wonderful!

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