Luna/Casino Park
The good old summertime in Mansfield at the turn of the century meant thrills on the Luna Park "figure eight" roller coaster, located on the site now occupied by the present day Coliseum in North Lake Park.

Eighty eight years ago the Mansfield merchants and tradesmen had a very good image with area people and one of the reasons was the Merchants' Outing or picnic held at Luna and Casino Parks. This was one of the big family events of the year and drew thousands of Mansfielders and people from surrounding communities to participate in the events of the day.

The Merchants' Outing in 1908 was held on Wednesday, Aug. 5th with the publicity starting in early July. Children and young adults looked forward to the day since they had the opportunity of participating in many contests and win prizes.

The event was truly a family affair with overflowing picnic baskets, free lemonade, band concerts, a balloon ascension, and a show at the Casino.

Throughout the weeks preceding the Outing, Mansfield merchants prepared for the big morning sale which kicked off the day's activities. Most stores closed by 9 a.m. (they opened between 7 and 8 a.m. in those days), although a few remained open until noon. Sale merchandise was sorted out and the newspaper carried outing day ads.

About 9 a.m. on the big day the Mansfield City Band formed at the Public Square and led the parade of picnickers and merchants down Main to Fourth St. where all the electric street cars that could be mustered were waiting to take the first load out West Fourth St. to Luna and Casino Parks. The street cars shuttled back and forth all day to handle the crowds who were heading to and from the parks.

The Mansfield band played at the embarkation point while the Pavonia Band went directly to the park, possibly they came into Mansfield on the Erie Railroad, to meet the incoming throngs.

  Amusement parks were not very accessible to Mansfielders until in the 1880's when the Mansfield Power Co., extended the city's streetcar lines out West Fourth Street to the North Lake Park area and established an amusement center which was named Luna Park.
Casino/Dance hall
With the old White Maple dance hall, the "figure eight," the Casino playhouse and other concessions, Luna Park (name changed later to Casino) became Mansfield's funland.

  Luna Park continued to be a popular amusement spot for Mansfielders until the interurban electric lines gave easy access to Seccaium Park (between Galion and Bucyrus) and Chippewa Lake on the old Cleveland-Southwestern electric line.
Little information is available as to the exact date the old "figure eight" was razed but in the mid 1920's Rupert Cox erected the present Coliseum on the site. In the 1930'2 another roller coaster was in use near the present swimming pool but it was razed a number of years ago when it became obsolete and dangerously deteriorated.