But that wasn’t always true. Sure, King’s Island and Cedar Point get all the love these days, but before they came onto the scene, Ohio had already been home to the largest amusement park in the United States.

Olentangy Park came from humble beginnings. Robert M. Turner opened a park called the Villa in the 1880s and in 1896, the Columbus Street and Railroad Company bought the site. Picnic grounds and some areas for gambling were added to the property and it was renamed Olentangy Park.

Once the Dusenbury brothers got their hands on the park in 1899, Olentangy Park was transformed into a family-friendly amusement park. The impressive amusement park had an extravagant theater on site. Patrons could sit in one of over 2,000 luxurious opera seats and the theatre was lit by nearly 2,000 electric lights.

As the years went on, the park was expanded to include boating facilities, a Loop-the-Loop ride, bowling alleys, Ferris wheels, and more. In its heyday, the park was the largest amusement park in the country, attracting 40,000 visitors in one day.

Olentangy Park was 100 acres, and in addition to the rides, it also had large picnic areas, playgrounds, a zoo, a swimming pool, a Japanese village, and more.

Olentangy Park remained a popular attraction well into the 20th century, but the Great Depression of the 1930s brought an end to the amusement park. A few years later, Leslie L. LeVeque, of Hotel LeVeque fame, purchased the Olentangy Park site and cleared the site for construction.

Olentangy Village, which is still standing at the same location, opened in 1939 with apartments renting for $30 to $50 per month.

Although Olentangy Park was demolished, one of the most iconic rides from the amusement park still exists. If you’ve ever hopped on the gorgeous, grand carousel at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, then you’ve ridden one of the signature rides from Olentangy Park.

It’s always bittersweet to look back at these incredible places that used to make up our city. But I’m glad that if we can’t go hop on a roller coast in Clintonville, at least we can still look back on these postcards and remind ourselves to stop tearing all the cool stuff down.

Want to see more like this? Check out The Lost Amusement Parks Of Columbus.

The post Lost History Of Columbus: Olentangy Amusement Park appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

Then, in February 1977, it caught fire.

On a bitterly cold night with temperatures hovering around 9 degrees, a blaze broke out in the basement of K’s Down Under Bar at 6 West Gay Street. What started below street level quickly spread to nearby buildings, including the Lerner Shops at 75 North High Street, the Mary Jane Shoe Store, Donna’s Continental Wigs, and Kings Discount Drugs.

By the time firefighters gained control, the four alarm fire had destroyed a quarter of a city block and caused an estimated $2 to $2.5 million in damage.

And then the city froze.

As crews battled the flames, water poured across brick facades and storefront windows. In the single digit temperatures, it turned to thick sheets of ice. Ladders, fire escapes, awnings, and entire building fronts became encased. Photographs from that night show firefighters dwarfed by walls of flame and ice, their coats stiff in the cold, steam rising into the dark sky above High Street.

One image captures two firefighters standing in front of a building glazed in ice, the words “Asst. Chief” visible across the back of one jacket. Another shows fire trucks lined along Gay and High, hoses stretched across streets that look more like a skating rink than a downtown intersection.

The blaze began with a reported gas leak and moved quickly through the interconnected structures.

Fighting a fire is always dangerous, and that was certainly true half a century ago in freezing temperatures. Equipment stiffens. Streets turn slick. Visibility drops as steam mixes with smoke. And while it certainly led to some cinematic images to remember the fire by, the conditions were grueling at the time.

The fire marked one of the most dramatic chapters in that long story.

The corner of Gay and High had already seen nearly a century of change by 1977. In the early 1900s, it was lined with prominent commercial buildings and busy sidewalks. Parades marched past the Citizens Bank building. Streetcars rattled through the intersection. Postcards from the era show a city proud of its architecture and its energy.

READ MORE: The Past (and Present) Life of Gay & High Streets In Photos

In the years that followed, downtown Columbus experienced waves of demolition and redevelopment. Some historic structures were lost but thankfully, the High and Gay Streets Historic District would eventually earn a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014, recognizing the architectural and cultural importance of the area.

The post The 1977 Downtown Fire That Froze A Columbus City Block appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

Let’s raise a glass to some of Columbus’ most iconic watering holes of the past.

Charles H. Hayes Saloon

This place had that classic early 1900s saloon charm—polished wood, dim lighting, and an air of importance. Located at 1405 Livingston Avenue, the Charles H. Hayes Saloon was where locals gathered to sip on Hoster’s beer, a Columbus-brewed favorite. This snapshot from around 1910 captures four sharply dressed men, clearly aware they were living in the golden age of saloons.

Der Munich

A true hidden gem, Der Munich was a basement beer hall that screamed old-world charm. Located at 26 W Gay Street, this German Rathskeller had stone walls, cozy round tables, and an atmosphere perfect for late-night pints and deep conversations. If these walls could talk, they’d probably have some wild stories.

Stadt Lindenau

At the corner of Thurman Avenue and South 4th Street, Stadt Lindenau started as a bustling saloon owned by Ernst Seufer of Hoster Brewing. Over the years, it transformed into Barrick’s Pharmacy and later, a confectionary. This photo from 1905-06 captures two young men casually leaning against a streetlight, as if frozen in time.

Boyd’s Cafe

Boyd’s Cafe wasn’t just a bar—it was an experience. With its grand wooden saloon doors, intricate stained glass, and an epic, sprawling bar, this Italian Village hotspot at 692 N. High Street was the definition of vintage elegance. Imagine the countless toasts, first dates, and bar fights this place witnessed.

M. Trope Saloon

Mendel Trope’s grocery store and the adjacent saloon at 344 East Mound Street offered the best of both worlds—grab your groceries and a drink all in one stop. Owned by John Baltz and Charles Amend, this 1909 snapshot captures everyday life in a time when bars and businesses seamlessly coexisted.

First and Last Chance Saloon

Two men and a woman stand proudly in front of the First and Last Chance Saloon, and honestly? They look like they could walk into a modern-day restaurant opening and fit right in. This place, owned by Salvatore Presutti, eventually paved the way for Columbus staples like TAT Restaurant and Presutti’s Villa.

Kings Rose Garden Restaurant

Kings Rose Garden had all the vintage dive bar essentials: a classic 7Up sign, a shuffleboard table, and a vibe that said, “Come in, stay awhile.” This corner of East Beck and Mohawk Streets has housed plenty of legendary spots over the years, including Lindey’s, proving that great bars never truly fade—they just evolve.

Jai Lai

Jai Lai was *the* place to be if you wanted a little luxury with your nightlife. Founded in 1933 by Jasper E. Wottring, this spot was known for its plush seating, liquor-lined walls, and even taxidermy decor (because why not?). It went through ownership changes and eventually closed, but its legacy still looms large in Columbus’ bar history.

The post The Historic Columbus Bars Worth Time-Traveling For appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

A Jewel in Columbus

The Bernhardt Collection

One of the most captivating aspects of the Hotel Fort Hayes was its collection of art and furniture from the estate of Sarah Bernhardt, the renowned French stage actress. The hotel proudly displayed 40 of her treasured pieces, including intricate vases, statues, paintings, and carvings. These items, valued at $100,000 at the time (a cool $1.6 million today), added an unparalleled elegance to the hotel’s ambiance.

Luxurious Living

The hotel’s 303 rooms were designed to offer maximum comfort and convenience. Each room featured telephone service and a private bath, which was quite a luxury in the 1920s. Guests could also enjoy the English grill room for a quick lunch, or visit the bakery run by a Viennese chef for some delectable pastries.

The Famous Crystal Room

Perfectly Positioned

Situated at 33 W Spring Street, the Hotel Fort Hayes boasted an enviable location. It was just a short walk from Union Station, the city’s railroad hub, making it incredibly convenient for travelers. The nearby business district, shops, and theaters meant that guests had easy access to everything they needed during their stay.

The End of an Era

In a cruel twist of fate (for those of us who are always rooting for historic buildings), about 15 years after the hotel was demolished, a Marriott hotel was constructed on nearly the same spot.

The post Lost History Of Columbus: Hotel Fort Hayes appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

Did you know that Columbus, Ohio was once home to four different amusement parks? The parks of yore had swimming pools that could hold 5,000 people at the same time, state-of-the-art thrill rides that made people squeal with glee, men and women jitterbugging in dance pavilions for hours, roller coasters, and so much more.

Can’t imagine it? Well, you can read about the amusement parks of Columbus’ past and see the pictures below.

Minerva Amusement Park

Minerva Amusement Park opened in the summer of 1895 and was the first amusement park in Franklin County. The park had a zoological garden, an ornithological museum, the Scenic Railway roller coaster, and even a water slide. Minerva Amusement Park’s original dance hall burned down in 1896, and a casino took its place. Weirdly, the casino wasn’t a place to gamble, but a place to enjoy vaudeville acts, orchestral performances, and other high-class entertainment.

The park was forced to close its gates in 1902 because Minerva Amusement Park could not compete with the popularity of Olentangy Park. The new park was much closer to downtown and was easier for the general public to get to. The Village of Minerva Park pays tribute to Franklin County’s first amusement park by taking its name.

Olentangy Park

Speaking of Olentangy Park… the amusement park was first opened in 1899. It was run by the Dusenbury Brothers who wanted their park to be a family-friendly place to visit. Olentangy Park was a sight to be seen and featured a beautiful theater, a Loop-the-Loop ride, a Shoot-the-Chutes ride, Ferris wheels, and many other thrills in the 44 years it was open. In its heyday, Olentangy Park was the largest amusement park in the country.

Daily visitors started to dwindle during the Great Depression. Many amusement parks across the nation were forced shut down and Olentangy Park was no exception. The park finally closed in 1938 and its rides were sold to various other parks. Today, the Olentangy Village apartment complex is located where the amusement park stood. Though Olentangy Park may be long gone, you can still ride its whimsical carousel at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

Indianola Park

Opened in 1905, Indianola Park was in the heart of the University District. It stretched from 18th Avenue to Norwich Avenue and 4th Street to Big Four Street–a total of 30 acres. Not only did this amusement park have numerous rides and coasters, but it also boasted a huge swimming pool, a dance hall, and later, a stage for touring music groups to perform. The park was extremely popular and it wasn’t uncommon for thousands of Columbusites to go for a dip in the pool in a single day.

The park was closed in 1937 due to hard financial times, yet another victim of the Great Depression. 11 years later the property got a second chance at life and the Indianola Park Shopping Center was built.

Norwood Amusement Park

This popular destination in Bexley, at the corner of Alum Creek Drive and E. Livingston Ave., had over 20 attractions. Norwood had multiple kids’ rides, a small Ferris wheel, a swimming pool, and other rotating exhibits.

The park was open until the late 1950s and was the last remaining amusement park in the Columbus area. Norwood was reportedly torn down to make way for the I-70 ramp off of Alum Creek Drive. Today, the space where the park once stood is known as Pump House Park.

The post The Lost Amusement Parks Of Columbus appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

He served as the secretary of the Columbus branch of the U.S. Sanitary Commission during the Civil War and even invested in streetcar businesses. But through all of his ventures, his love of art remained consistent.

The mansion belonging to Francis Sessions was built in 1840.

The brick mansion sported a flat roof with an impressive cupola on top. The home also had a large adjoining glass conservatory.

When Sessions died in 1892, he left the house and funds to form an art gallery and continue the Columbus Art School he had founded in 1879, which would go on to become the Columbus College of Art & Design.

The house served as an art gallery and actee as the home of CCAD until 1928 when the building was demolished.

Thankfully, this beautiful home wasn’t demolished to become a parking lot.

Just a few years after its demolition, the site became home to the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts which opened on January 22, 1931.

The building continues to house beautiful works of art as the Columbus Museum of Art.

If the historic homes and buildings of Columbus are of interest to you, I highly suggest that you check out A Historical Guidebook to Old Columbus: Finding the Past in the Present in Ohio’s Capital City. This fantastic book takes a look at our city through a historic lens and if you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to put it down.

Featured image via CML.

The post Lost Mansions Of Columbus: The Francis Sessions House appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

In the late 19th century, stunning, palatial homes were all the rage for the ultrawealthy here in Columbus. But not all of these incredible buildings have managed to survive into 2021. Buildings in Columbus get torn down for all sorts of reasons, and the large, impressive homes of yesteryear are no exception.

Doctor Samuel Brubaker Hartman was one of the richest men in Columbus. Hartman lived in a massive home on the corner of South Washington Ave. and East Town Streets. The home was completed in November 1904, although Hartman had already been living there for nearly a decade at that point.

Samuel Brubaker Hartman was an American physician, surgeon, and eventually, multi-millionaire quack. Hartman ran a massive grift with “miracle cure” tonic called Peruna. Hartman was one of the most successful patent medicine manufacturers of the 19th century and produced numerous publications through his own company, most of which promoted his medicine Pe-ru-na.

Pe-ru-na was a cash cow for Hartman and sales didn’t start to fall until 1906 when the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 forced the doctor to disclose that his amazing tonic was 27-30% alcohol.

The home was opulent, showcasing Hartman’s wealth. Visitors to the home were required to wear slippers and a worker called Thomas Giller said that he once visited to make a twenty minute electrical repair and was forced to wait for two hours because Mrs. hartman sent away to Lazarus for a pair of slippers and waited to have them delivered.

White marble was used extensively in the renovations and when the project was completed, the home was reported to be the only $100,000 house located in Columbus at that time. The home boasted 18 rooms with white marble trimming and frescoes on the dining room ceiling.

During World War II it served as the regional headquarters of the U. S. War Production Board. This imposing manor was demolished in 1963 and now all you’ll find at 513 East Town Street is a vacant lot.

If the historic homes and buildings of Columbus are of interest to you, I highly suggest that you check out A Historical Guidebook to Old Columbus: Finding the Past in the Present in Ohio’s Capital City. This fantastic book takes a look at our city through a historic lens and if you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to put it down.

The post Lost Mansions Of Columbus: The Samuel Brubaker Hartman Mansion appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

Designed by renowned local architect Frank L. Packard, the Armory and Gymnasium at the Ohio State University opened in 1898. The building was designed to look like a medieval castle and it was imposing.

The Armory was a multipurpose facility used for military science, men’s and women’s physical education, men’s basketball, and even social events.

The building was constructed for $115,000. It never had an official name, but it was known as the Gymnasium and Armory, the Naval Armory, The Military Department Building, and many more throughout the years.

The first department to call the building home was the OSU men’s basketball team. During World War I, the building was taken over by the military. The basketball team moved to the Coliseum at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in 1920 and the building became home to the Department of Military Science. Over the years, the “castle” hosted campus dances, commencement ceremonies, and intramural sports.

The building was a fixture on campus for nearly 60 years, before it was demolished in 1959 after a fire the previous year. The land where the Armory once stood sat empty for years, until becoming home to the Wexner Center for the Arts.

If the historic homes and buildings of Columbus are of interest to you, I highly suggest that you check out A Historical Guidebook to Old Columbus: Finding the Past in the Present in Ohio’s Capital City. This fantastic book takes a look at our city through a historic lens and if you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to put it down.

The post Lost History Of Columbus: The Armory And Gymnasium At OSU appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

]]> https://www.columbusnavigator.com/frisbie-mansion-columbus/ Thu, 06 Nov 2025 05:31:40 +0000 https://www.columbusnavigator.com/?p=56438 The mansion was incredibly impressive, even at a time when Broad Street was littered with mansions and grand houses.

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]]> In the late 1800s, one of the most beautiful private residences in Columbus was built.

Designed by Architect H. A. Linwaite, the sprawling mansion was constructed for Mary L. Frisbie, the widow of a prominent hardware merchant.

Located at 750 E Broad Street, the home was truly stunning. Designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, the main home had over 12,000 square feet of living space. Even the carriage house at the back of the property was larger than most homes today, coming in at 5,700 square feet.

With stone quarried from Marble Cliff, the estate towered over Broad Street. Although Mrs. Frisbie had commissioned the home, she didn’t live in it long. She eventually sold the home to Frederick W. Schumacher.

Schumacher immigrated to the united states in 1873 and made his money as the head of advertising for the Peruna Drug Company. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because the Peruna Drug Company belonged to Samual Hartman whose own beautiful Columbus mansion has since been demolished.

Schumacher was a patron of the arts in Columbus, acting as the president of the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts from 1904 to `923 and founder of the Schumacher Gallery at Capital University.

When Mr. Schumacher passed away in 1957, The Frisbie Mansion was demolished shortly after in 1961 to make way for a shopping center. Unfortunately, the shopping center fell through and the lot remained empty until a medical building was constructed on the site in the mid-1980s.

That building was eventually torn down and now the site is home to a new apartment building named The Frisbie.

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]]> https://www.columbusnavigator.com/the-chittenden-hotel-columbus/ Mon, 03 Nov 2025 05:52:10 +0000 https://www.columbusnavigator.com/?p=56816 There were actually three versions of the hotel in the late 1800s, two of which were destroyed in fires.

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]]> Located on the corner of Spring and High, The Chittenden Hotel was actually a series of hotels built at the end of the 19th century.

The Chittenden was the passion project of Columbus businessman Henry Treat Chittenden. One of the most successful businessmen in Columbus at the time, Chittenden was known for his ownership of the Columbus Railway Company.

The First Hotel

In the late 1880s, Chittenden converted the Parker Building into the first Chittenden hotel, adding two floors to the five-story building. The hotel opened in 1889, but it was destroyed by a fire in 1890.

The Second Hotel

A more lavish version of the hotel was built in 1892, including the Henrietta Theatre next door on Spring St. In 1893, a fire swept through the entire block, causing over $300,000 in damages and destroying the second Chittenden Hotel.

The Third Hotel

They say “third time’s a charm” and that seemed to be true for the Chittenden Hotel. The third and final iteration of the hotel was built in 1895 and constructed with more fire-resistant materials including stone, steel, concrete, and brick.

The new version of the hotel was extravagant, with Moorish-inspired arches, towers, and eaves. Throughout the hotel, the influence of North African architecture was apparent. The dining room at the hotel had a stunning domed ceiling with potted palms dotted throughout.

The hotel remained in the Chittenden family long past Henry’s death in 1909. The hotel was eventually sold in 1950 before closing in 1972 and being demolished in 1973.

After the ashes

Now, the William Green Building towers over the city where the Chittenden Hotel once stood. The building is a 33-story skyscraper that was constructed between 1987 to 1990 and it’s one of the tallest buildings in the city.

If you enjoy reading about the Lost History of Columbus, you can read about more of our demolished history at the links below.

Lost History Of Columbus: The Christopher Inn

Lost History Of Columbus: Union Station

Lost History Of Columbus: The Armory And Gymnasium At The Ohio State University

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