A First Year Tour of Cleveland’s Luna Park (page 2 of 3)
Directly ahead is the lagoon. The Scenitorium is on the left in the picture; the Japanese Exposition is on the right. Directly behind the lagoon, you can see the Band shell. Behind the Band Shell is the Chutes ride.
Walking down the right side of the lagoon you would pass a series of buildings forming the Japanese Exposition. The entire structure was of elaborate oriental design and illuminated with Japanese lanterns. Here a dozen Geisha girls performed dances, a tea garden served refreshments, and a wide variety of oriental curios were sold by Japanese ladies dressed in authentic costumes.
Walking down the left side of the lagoon you would first see the metal spire of Harry Traver’s Great Aerial Swing circle swing ride. The cars on the ride were in the shape of fanciful balloon gondolas (after the Great War, the cars would be changed to look like fighter biplanes, and the ride renamed the Airplane Swing).
Next to the circle swing, and surrounded by a plaster mountain, was the popular fun house Chateau Alphonse, which incorporated a stall selling cold drinks.
Beside the fun house was the Old Shoe giant slide in the shape of a shoe. Painted on the wall of the building next to the shoe were scenes from nursery rhymes such as the cow jumping over the moon.
The building to the right of the slide was known as the EDISONIA. This was an early version of what is now commonly called the "penny arcade." Inside were machines, where among other things, people could listen to phonograph recordings or view kinetoscope movies. Beside the EDISONIA were the park offices.
In the picture below, we are looking at the same buildings as the above pictures, taken at a distance. From left to right we see the Scenetorium, the Aerial Swing, the fun house Chateau Alphonse, and the Old Shoe.
