Cuyahoga County Fair near Cleveland features historic artifacts from Ohio theme parks

(kai'-uh-ho'-guh) if you're not local. :)

It's amazing how much of this stuff has managed to stick around the area. Now if they could just stop drunk senior citizens from driving into the Euclid Beach arch...

We have a Laughing Sal here in MD. Used to be on the Ocean City boardwalk, now she's in the boardwalk museum.

Nice to see the old stuff still around.

Speaking of which, Jeff, has there been any word on wether the arch would be fixed or if it would need to be torn down?

Arch has been or is in the process of being fixed.

And for the record, a 30 year old woman ran into it, but Jeff's post was funnier.

The arch has already been completely repaired. I drive by it almost everyday and it's looking good as new!

Great to hear. When it happened, there were talks that it may need to be removed.

I find it quite interesting that they are bringing the car from the flying turns back for the event. Euclid Beach had alot of things that were apparently stored away or so it seems. It is also funny that i was reading the book on Cleveland Amusement Park memories by Diane Francis and her husband, might be worth going up to get some food and checking out some of the memorabilia.

Why would anyone be interested in an exhibit about amusement park history?

(edited to remove the old wink)

*** This post was edited by Mamoosh 8/6/2007 11:25:04 PM ***

Yeah, those winks are getting old, Moosh.

I used to see laughing sal at one of the Marc's stores now she got removed and two parots now on her spot

Euclid Beach was a beautiful park I saw it on a videotape. It seems Cleveland didn't care if the park got demolished and went bankrupt.

Laughing Sal moved (ironicly) just down the street from the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds into the brand spankin' new Marc's on Bagley Road in Berea. Soooo... for one week, there are two working Laughing Sals roughly 4 miles apart on the same road in the same city.

I don't recall Euclid Beach going bankrupt. It closed for 'other' reasons. (EBP had quite a history)

I drove to Cleveland on Wednesday to visit this amazing exhibit, and it was even more than I had hoped for. Joe and John are great guys, and were there to guide visitors and reporters through the exhibit and swap stories with the folks that remember.

These "Euclid Beach Boys" are already well known in the area for their Rocket Ship Car and Thriller Car (restored ride cars that are fitted to road worthy vehicles- available for parties, parades, etc) and the Rocket Ship Car was included in the exhibit. Laffing Sal was there, of course, as well as cars from Chippewa's Coaster and Wild Mouse, Euclid Beach Park's Thriller, Dodgem and Flying Turns, Cedar Point's Turnpike and Pirate Ride, and Edgewater's dark ride. There were also carousel figures and tons of old signs, articles, turnstiles, ticket hoppers, photographs and a 14 minute video loop. The enticing thing is this is only a small portion of what the guys have amassed through salvage, donations and auctions, with several warehouses, attics and basements full of even more great stuff. Other parks are represented in their collection, too, with most being from the northern Ohio area.

This exhibit was commissioned and selected by the fair and I was told that it was the first time they had displayed this many items in a museum style setting. Time and money constraints aside, something like this seems ripe for expansion with a tour through Ohio Historical Society venues.

The place was busy all day with visitors from baby boomer age to the elderly, all fortunate enough to have visited these parks, and each with a story or rememberance to share. I was lucky to be one of them. Thanks to Coasterbuzz for making me aware. The fair runs through the 12th, those in the area should try to make it if they can. Also check out www.euclidbeachpark.com and www.rocketshipcar.com for more info.

http://rollercoasterfreak.com/Other_Trips_or_Events/2007_Cuyahoga_County_Fair/index.htm