LUNA PARK, often billed as "Cleveland's Fairyland of Pleasure," was created by Fred Ingersoll, a well-known builder of amusement facilities—a number of which also were called Luna Park. Cleveland’s version was the 34th such project undertaken by the Ingersoll Constr. Co. of Pittsburgh. It comprised a 35-acre site on what is now the northeast corner of Woodhill Rd. and Woodland Ave. Construction began in 1904 and the park opened on 18 May 1905.
Visitors would arrive at the Woodland/Woodhill intersection and ascended a steep staircase to reach the main gates. They then would encounter the midway, a mélange of architectural styles including Italian Renaissance, Egyptian, Gothic, and Japanese. Thousands of incandescent lamps illuminated the area. A giant pool—the endpoint of a Shoot-the-Chutes ride—marked the center of the park.
Luna Park was extremely popular when, in 1910, Ingersoll sold it to MATTHEW BRAMLEY, a paving contractor and original investor. Bramley subsequently installed many new rides, including a carousel, a Ferris wheel, two roller coasters, a funhouse, and a roller rink. The park also sported a 20,000-seat stadium where the city’s first professional FOOTBALL teams—the Cleveland Bulldogs and the Cleveland Panthers—played in the 1920s. Vaudeville shows, plays, and operas also were staged at an onsite dance hall.
Unlike its competitor EUCLID BEACH, which was launched in 1894, Luna Park thrived on the availability of beer. Thus a key source of revenue evaporated when the Volstead Act (Prohibition) went into effect in 1920. Despite Matthew Bramley's ongoing innovations, attendance continued to fall and the park was razed in 1931. The last vestige, a roller rink, burned on 12 Dec. 1938. The Woodhill Homes public housing project (see PUBLIC HOUSING) was constructed on the site. A multi-family replacement development—Woodhill Homes—began in 2023.
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Updated by Christopher Roy 13 February 2025
