Ramona Park

Ramona Park was an amusement park located in the city of East Grand Rapids, Michigan between 1897 and 1955.

The amusement park, owned and operated by the Grand Rapids Street Railway Company, was a destination spot for thousands of families. The park was bordered by Wealthy Street, Lovett Avenue and Lakeside Drive, along the shores of Reeds Lake.

The Jack Rabbit Derby Racer was a double wooden-track roller coaster with an 80 percent drop, and it stood out as the most popular ride at the park. The Ramona Theatre Pavilion sat majestically on the West Side of the Park on Lakeside Drive, up from the boat landing and overlooking Reeds Lake. It was an extremely popular summertime venue that could seat 1,700 people. Popular plays, musicals, Vaudevillian and burlesque acts, silent films, talkies and favorite local and national entertainers, such as Will Rogers, appeared at the theatre during its heyday.

The Point Paulo resort was also located along the shores of Reeds Lake in the early 1900s. Several stars of Vaudeville called Reeds Lake and the Ramona Theatre their favorite stop on the theatre circuit. Guests at the resort included the Marx Brothers, Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny, George Burns, Will Rogers, Morton Downey, and Walter Winchell, along with Buster Keaton, Fanny Brice, and many others.

References

[http://www.eastgr.org/?t=11&c=10 City of East Grand Rapids Website]

ee also

East Grand Rapids Public Schools

East Grand Rapids High School

Reeds Lake

East Grand Rapids

External links

* [http://www.eastgr.org/?t=7&c=6 City of East Grand Rapids Geography/History]
* [http://www.pointpaulo.com Point Paulo]