Glen Echo Park (Rem.)
Glen Echo, MD
Photo courtesy Kate Durall

Here's an old amusement park where quite a bit of the old scenery is still hanging around. Glen Echo Park in Maryland has some great Art Deco buildings, neon signs, and reminders of the days when this was one of the Washington area's favorite amusement parks. 11-08

The place actually got its start way back in 1891 as a National Chautauqua Assembly, with lectures, music, and educational programs taking place on the grounds. That didn't last long, and before too many years had passed, Glen Echo was turning into something a little more fun. By the early 1900s, amusement rides were appearing, and the park eventually became a popular summertime destination filled with rides, dancing, swimming, and plenty of midway activity.

Popcorn at Glen Echo Park
Glen Echo, MD
Photo courtesy Kate Durall

One of the best survivors is the beautiful 1921 Dentzel Carousel. The hand-carved animals still make their way around to the sounds of a band organ, giving visitors a chance to experience at least one ride from the old amusement park days. Nearby, the 1933 Spanish Ballroom is another great survivor and still hosts dances.

Take a walk around and you'll find plenty of other reminders too. Check out that great old POPCORN sign. The concession stand has become the Popcorn Gallery, but thankfully the vintage sign still hangs outside. The old Arcade Building also survives and is home to Adventure Theatre, a children's theater founded in 1951.

Glen Echo's amusement park finally closed in 1968, but unlike so many old parks, the whole place wasn't simply bulldozed and forgotten. Today the grounds are filled with artists, theaters, galleries, classes, and other cultural programs.

Adventure Theatre
Glen Echo, MD
Photo courtesy Kate Durall

No roller coasters anymore, but with the carousel still turning, the old neon glowing, and all those vintage buildings scattered around the grounds, there's still plenty here to keep the camera busy.

(Left) The Adventure Theatre is a children's theater founded in 1951. The theatre is located in the arcade building in Glen Echo Park. More information about the Adventure Theatre is here. 11-08

UPDATE: Glen Echo Park remains open as an arts and cultural center, with its historic carousel, Spanish Ballroom, Adventure Theatre, Popcorn Gallery, and other old amusement park structures still in use. 08-26

Lakeside Amusement Park
Lakeside, CO
Photo courtesy Mark Hackett

Colorado may be a little far west for Roadside Peek East, but Lakeside Amusement Park  earns honorary membership without much argument. Sitting just outside Denver, Lakeside has been around since 1908, and for anyone who likes old amusement parks, neon and Art Deco architecture, this place is quite a sight.

The park originally opened as White City, one of the many amusement parks around the country inspired by the grand White City of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Things really started getting interesting in 1935 when Ben Krasner purchased Lakeside and architect Richard L. Crowther helped give the park the Streamline Moderne and Art Deco look that still makes it so unusual today. Curved buildings, little ticket booths, geometric decorations and neon signs seem to pop up everywhere along the midway.

Wild Chipmunk Sign, Lakeside Park
Lakeside, CO
Photo courtesy Mark Hackett

And then the sun goes down.

That's when Lakeside really comes alive. Neon outlines buildings and ride entrances, old signs glow along the midway, and the 150-foot Tower of Jewels rises above it all. There aren't many amusement parks left where simply walking around after dark can be as entertaining as getting on the rides. Lakeside sometimes feels more like a surviving piece of an old postcard than a modern amusement park.

There are plenty of old rides here too. The Cyclone wooden roller coaster dates back to 1940, while the little Lakeside train makes its way around Lake Rhoda, carrying passengers on a trip that has been part of the park experience in one form or another since the early days. Add the old midway buildings and ticket booths and there are plenty of reasons to keep the camera handy.

Autoskooter, Lakeside Park
Lakeside, CO
Photo courtesy Mark Hackett

Lakeside also has something else that's getting harder to find. It hasn't been polished into a modern theme park. Some paint may be faded and a few corners show their age, but that's part of what makes wandering around here so much fun. You can still imagine generations of Denver families walking these same midways on warm summer evenings.

One roadside traveler once described Lakeside as "easily America's art deco and neon capital." That's quite a claim, but after spending an evening beneath all those glowing signs, you might have a hard time coming up with a better candidate.

UPDATE: Lakeside remains open during the summer months, more than a century after its 1908 debut. The old Cyclone has been closed to riders since 2022, although recent track work and testing have offered some hope that the wooden coaster may eventually rumble around its track again. Meanwhile, the neon, Art Deco buildings and wonderfully old-fashioned midway are still there. 08-26