Did You Know About The lost Amusement Park In Kalamazoo?

Just when you think you know everything about where you live it turns out you don't.  We get these nuggets all the time from sites like Vanished Kalamazoo and gaze in wide wonder at what once was.  Turns out there were more than a few amusement parks constructed in Michigan after the turn of the last century and one of them was right here in Kalamazoo.

According to an article I saw in The Free Press, there was also an amusement park in West Michigan at Silver Beach in St. Joseph.  But the one of special interest to us was Oakwood Park built in 1907 with a roller coaster  named "Dizzy Figure 8".  In fact, a man by the name of George C. Lawrence and his family LIVED in the roller coaster for 6 years!!!  During the peak years 1911-1915 15,000 people visited the park each day.  There are many more cool things about Oakwood Park and you can check them out along with some pictures by clicking HERE.