Can you believe this land was once the location of a zoo?! The Avon Amusement Park opened on July 3rd, 1897. People traveled via the new trolley line from other cities, including Niles and Youngstown. Those who visited the park paid 10 cents to enter, and they were offered a variety of attractions including areas for swimming, dancing, and boating.
The Avon Amusement Park obtained more attractions including a theater casino, a baseball field, picnic grounds, Japanese gardens, and more. In 1904, a Toboggan Slide was added to the Avon Amusement Park, as well as a zoo. The zoo included elephants, camels, birds, monkeys, swans, pelicans, and many more animals. People could ride the elephants and camels through a safari ride in the park. In 1905, the park welcomed a skating and roller rink.
Poor management paired with excessive rainfall during some of the summer seasons contributed to the downfall the park. Despite efforts to stay financially afloat, the Park closed after the 1908 season. Avon Amusement Park was sold in 1911 to the Avon Oak Park Company, eventually reopening the park in 1920. State fire marshals closed the ballroom in 1949, and John Rodomosky, John Pierko, and Chuck Zubyk purchased the land. Rodomosky and Pierko remodeled the once skating rink into the present day Avon Oaks Ballroom in 1951.
For more information check out this website where Bud Macek outlines the Avon Amusement Park's history in detail: http://www.cityofgirard.com/avon.html