Indianola Park was an amusement park that operated in Columbus, Ohio's University District from 1905 to 1937. The park was created by Charles Miles and Frederick Ingersoll, and peaked in popularity in the 1910s, entertaining crowds of up to 10 thousand with the numerous roller coasters and rides, with up to 5 thousand in the massive pool alone. The park was also the home field for the Columbus Panhandles for half of a decade. In the 1920s, new owners bought and remodeled the park, and it did well until it closed its doors at the end of the Great Depression.Currently, the land, which extends from 18th Avenue to Norwich Avenue and 4th Street to Big Four Street, is occupied by the now defunct Indianola Junior High School and the Indianola Shopping Center, which is owned by Xenos Christian Fellowship, and includes Suzi-Cue Pool Hall, Soussy Market, 4th Street Studio, and King's Pizza.LocationThe entrance to Indianola Park was at N 4th Street and E 19th Avenue. The park itself covered approximately 30acre and extended north from E 18th Avenue north to E Norwich Avenue, and east from N 4th Street to Big Four Street and the railroad tracks.HistoryMiles' visionIndianola Park was established by dentist-turned-developer Charles Miles, who was president of the Summit Land Company, which developed residential neighborhoods in the former farmland across High Street from The Ohio State University. He was inspired to go into the amusement park business, because he saw how well Coney Island's new Luna Park was doing, and he had experience using recreations to draw buyers. The park was designed by amusement park impresario Frederick Ingersoll, who also designed the Luna Parks in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, and the gates were opened to the public on June 8, 1905.
