Idora Park Experience has remnants of the Youngstown amusement park

When I was a young enthusiast some of my new friends hipped me to a park in Youngstown that had a couple of great vintage rides. Home movies of the place encouraged me to take that lengthy road trip.

Wildcat remains the second scariest ride I've ever taken. The ride wasn't big but the hills were so steep it was impossible to stay in your seat. The exit from the fan turn was enough to break a rib if you weren't careful. Videos don't do it justice.
Jack Rabbit was so old fashioned, it was originally a side friction coaster, and it had milder thrills but was tons of fun.

I made two/three trips to Idora before the fire that brought about the eventual death of the park. I'd like to visit this pop up museum. Not so much for the fire hydrants and screws, but to see some of those ride vehicles again. We'll see.

It's amazing to me how many small regional parks once existed. Those fortunate enough to have experienced them, I'm envious. most of these parks could have been seen as a bit seedy, fell into disrepair, had no room for growth, declining local populations and fluctuating economy's, ownership changes and struggles. I get why most are gone. But man I wish I had unlimited reasouces and a time machine. Cheers to the folks in Youngstown for offering a taste of their cherished amusement past.

And actually, those parks weren't regional, they were local. At one time in my town of Columbus there were nine amusement parks. And many were popular when a visit by trolley to the end of the line was a day trip.

In my early days of enthusiasm there was an older woman in the club who, when young, had been a dancer on the vaudeville circuit. Her travels allowed her to visit parks and ride roller coasters in other cities, something most people never did. She had some great stories about parks and rides that were long gone.