Welcome Back to Euclid Beach Park

Euclid Beach Park had four Lunch Stands. The smallest was the Main Lunch Stand located between the Aero Dips and Penny Arcade, The Lake Lunch Stand was located near the lake “bluff” at the west end of the park property. The Colonnade Lunch Stand was just inside the Colonnade Building and the Boulevard Stand was located at the streetcar entrance to the park on Lake Shore Boulevard. The Lake Lunch building was probably the oldest building at Euclid Beach Park, existing from 1895 before the Humphrey’s owned the park. It was part of the German Gardens area of the park where beer, wine and liquor were sold. This building housed a bowling alley and when the Humphrey’s bought the park in 1901 they took up the bowling alley maple-wood flooring and used this wood to build benches and table tops for the new Lunch Building. (Note 1) In later years the Lake Lunch facility was only opened for the bigger picnics. The food at these stands was relatively similar. Ham and cheese sandwiches, steamed hot dogs, pies, coffee, milk, and soft drinks were served. In later years, hamburgers and fries were served only at the Main Lunch location. The Boulevard Stand was the only one open year round and served hot dogs, popcorn, popcorn balls, candy kisses, peanuts in the shell, and hot coffee.

I fondly remember how much my mother enjoyed walking over to Euclid Beach Park in the evening to watch my two younger brothers and younger sister roller skate to the music of the Gavioli Organ. There was an area at the east end of the Main Lunch which had benches and metal “chicken-wire” type screening for watching the skating sessions. She would buy a cup of coffee, smoke a cigarette, and enjoy the evening with her other lady friends.

In the early 1900’s home cooked meals were served at Castle Inn located at the extreme east end of the park overlooking the lake. It later became the home of the Humphrey’s for many years and stands empty now, awaiting the wrecker’s ball. A cafeteria was also operated on the top floor of the Bath House Building during the early 1900’s and in 1031 operation of the facility was taken over by a Cleveland restaurateur and was named Crosby’s-On-The-Lake. This remained as probably the best restaurant location in the Greater Cleveland Area because of its wonderful views of the lake, bathing beach, and pier. The interior of the restaurant was light and airy with open wood truss ceiling supports and wooden columns. The food here was typical restaurant fare: beef, pork, veal, chicken, salads, vegetables, potatoes, pies, cakes, ice cream, coffee, tea, and soft drinks. The restaurant was later called Dwight’s Restaurant. It was always a comfortable, roomy place to eat and relax while escaping the bustling, noisy amusement park just outside its doors. 

Reprint of an article that appeared in The Arch, Euclid Beach Park Nuts’ quarterly newsletter: Volume 14, Issue 2, Winter 2003. Authored by Doris Humphrey Mackley.

Doris Humphrey Mackley (1910-2002). Her Grandfather, Dudley S. Humphrey II founded the Humphrey Popcorn Company in 1893 and in 1901 the company became owner and operator of Euclid Beach Park. Doris and her brother Dudley Humphrey III assumed important roles in the operation of the park in 1959 with the passing of their father, Harvey.

Note: The organization’s name was changed in 2009 from Euclid Beach Park Nuts to Euclid Beach Park Now when becoming a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.

Crosby’s Restaurant and Cafeteria offers meals of the very best quality. The dining room is large and pleasantly decorated in summer colorings; it faces the lake. In the section called the Pheasant Dining Room, Mr. Crosby served full-course dinners at very reasonable prices --- lobster, Lake Erie whitefish, chicken, and very fine steaks. The waitresses are all attractively dressed to match the color scheme of the dining room. Several of them go around to the tables with hot rolls and popovers. Everything is very nicely done. Frequently people have family parties or bridge parties here and they always express their approval of how well everything was handled for them.

Note 1: The Humphrey’s agreed to lease and manage the park in 1901. They did not own the park until March 15, 1902. When they took over management in 1901 the German Garden was eliminated as reported in the book “Euclid Beach Park is closed for the season”. They converted the building to a bowling alley, year unknown. An early Euclid Beach Park postcard with photo of the bowling alley states: “Bowling Alleys, Euclid Beach, Was Beer Garden under previous Management, Cleveland, Ohio.” They would later take up the maple-wood flooring.