A look back at Greater Dallas’ old playground

Decades before the opening day of Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington in 1961, there was already a well-known little amusement park right here in Oak Cliff.

Lake Cliff Amusement Park, surrounding the freshwater lake, opened on June 16, 1906. The resort sat up on the hill overlooking the Dallas skyline, packing in a slew of attractions in just over 4 acres. Promoters shared that they imagined the space to be clean and high-class in every way a 20th century enterprise could be.

One of those promoters had a hand in the founding of Oak Cliff, Charles A. Mangold. He served as the managing director of the Lake Cliff Co. and was hard to miss among the attractions as he was a “tireless worker and as energetic as a locomotive.”

The amusement park described many of the attractions to be “the most,” “the latest” or “the largest and loftiest.”

Two years into operations, the best hit its worst. The Trinity River flood of April 1908 led the river to crest 52.6 feet, killing five people and leaving 4,000 people homeless. With the flood, the streetcars were submerged, making it difficult for those outside of Oak Cliff to return to the amusement park.

Bad luck struck again when a fire broke out in March 1913, destroying the skating rink, the Shoot-The-Chutes ride and grand entrance gate. This led to Mangold selling the park to the City in 1914 for $55,000 (the equivalent of about $1.8 million today).

With that money, the Casino theater was moved to Fifth and Crawford Streets and was renamed the James P. Simpson Studio. It later burned to the ground in 1929.

Throughout the ’30s, beautification efforts added rose bushes and gardens, paired with the pergolas, a pavilion, the pineapple fountain and retaining walls to the 44.5-acre community park, which remain today.

With the introduction of Fair Park as the site of the World’s Fair in 1936, the ’40s of Lake Cliff pivoted to a sports focus.

Expansions were made to include seven tennis courts, a pair of softball diamonds, a single baseball diamond, a handball court and volleyball court all circled by a paved perimeter path. A decade later, the City included a pool and to go with the bathhouse built in 1921, but the pool closed in 1958.

Maintenance for the park in the 21st century includes a 2007 bond project to renovate the pergolas, pavilion and vintage playground equipment using $1 million. Additionally, Friends of Lake Cliff Park updated the rose gardens based on the ones added in 1934.

In September 2014, Lake Cliff Park celebrated its centennial since the City’s purchase.

Twelve years later, there are no released plans for the future of Lake Cliff, but there have been murmurs of changes to come. Maybe folks can try to bring back “The Greatest Amusement Park in the Southwest.”

The Attractions

Based on a pamphlet produced in 1906 for the park’s opening year, here’s a list of the “Epitome of Lake Cliff’s Attractions” available prior to closure:

Mystic River — A weird and wondrous journey through whirlpools, maelstroms and quiet rivers with realistic features of the world’s wonder places. A beautiful view of the Trinity River, the Lagoons of the Gnomes, Venice at Night, the Royal al Gorge, Old Plantation, Palace of the Doges, beautiful electrical displays and Canals of Stygian Blackness — the most realistic attraction ever seen in the South.

Shoot-The-Chutes — Over 125,000 people have ridden these chutes during the season of 1906 without an accident. All of the newest improvements, gentlemanly attendants, a laugh provoker from start to finish. Pictured right.

Open Air Circus — The management of Lake Cliff Park offers daily to its patrons a series of sensational acrobatic feats and serial exhibitions by the world’s most famous artists.

Roller Coaster — A wild ride up hill and down dale; through forest and glade, valley and mountain top, giving a bird’s eye view of Lake Cliff and the skyline of the City of Dallas together with a reproduction in perspective of world-famous scenery. Opens to the public with the opening of the 1907 season.

Casino — The theatre had a seating capacity of 2,500.

Natatorium — The largest bathing pavilion in any inland town in the South. Seventy dressing rooms. Water gauged from 18 inches to 30 feet in depth.

Carousel — The delight of the children and the older folks as well.

Tennis Courts — The largest and most complete tennis courts in the country. Six complete courts. The place where all the state tournaments are held.

Restaurant —

Lake Cliff’s Restaurant was described to have everything from oysters to crackers and cheese and coffee; the established eatery was said to have everything one could find in a first-class restaurant.

Baseball Grounds — A completely equipped diamond, set apart for the use of city leagues and amateur ball games.

Skating Rink — The skating rink accommodated 2,000 skaters on the floor and seating accommodations for 2,500. Three sessions, with military band music, were available daily.

Trolley Cars — A novel and highly entertaining world trip in palace cars through the world’s historic scenes.

Penny Vaudeville — An amusing, interesting and instructive amusement parlor. The latest machines and the latest pictures.

Casino Band and Orchestra — The management of Lake Cliff and its patrons are extremely fortunate in having the Casino Band and Orchestra, a musical organization second to none in this country, the individual members of which have for years met with the unqualified approval of all who enjoy first-class concert music. Its repertoire is practically unlimited and its instrumentation complete. These band concerts are free to all.

Circle Swing — This wonderful steel swing, with its myriads of electric lights, is the largest one South of Chicago. It takes you for a sky-scraping tour and gives you the real sensation of a “trip in a balloon.”

Japanese Village — A revelation and perfect unabridged realization of the Kingdom of the Mikado and the Chrysanthemum. Now in course of construction and open to the public with the season of 1907.

Boating — A beautiful lake of 30 acres, equipped with 50 steel boats and launches. The delight of all ages.

Ferris Wheel — A source of never-ending delight to the little folks.