Do you remember grabbing a lobster sandwich at the pier or a sundae in Playhouse Square? Miss rocking out at the hottest Cleveland venues that have been snuffed out? We’ve got you covered with this nostalgia-fueled trip to the past.
Do you remember grabbing a lobster sandwich at the pier or a sundae in Playhouse Square? Miss rocking out at the hottest Cleveland venues that have been snuffed out? We’ve got you covered with this nostalgia-fueled trip to the past.
by Brittany Rees
CATCH AN INDIANS OR BROWNS GAME AT THE MUNICIPAL STADIUM
Though the Indians and Browns still play in Cleveland, it just isn’t the same as when they were at the Municipal Stadium’s field. The spot became a piece of history for sports fans and music fans alike. In 1966, it was host to the Beatles, and for several years after, the arena hosted the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and the Beach Boys. In 1995, the year it called it quits, the stadium even hosted the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)VISIT GEAUGA LAKE
Anyone who grew up in the Cleveland area above the age of 10 remembers Geauga Lake theme park. The Aurora attraction stood for nearly 120 years before it was closed for good in 2007. The owners of Geauga Lake opted for a water park instead, building Wildwater Kingdom adjacent to the old stomping ground. Though the coasters and concession booths still stand, abandoned, they may not for long. The city of Aurora is currently considering a plan to revamp the space. (Photo courtesy of Flickr user Patrick McGarvey)WATCH THE CAVS AT THE COLISEUM
It’s hard to imagine the Cleveland Cavaliers having any other home than the Q. But for 20 years, that was the case. The Richfield Coliseum hosted the Cavs from 1974 until its closing in 1994. During that time, the arena also hosted dozens of concerts and other sporting events. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)CHOW DOWN AT CAPTAIN FRANK’S
Back in the day, grabbing seafood at the pier was a summer staple. Captain Frank’s Seafood House was just the place to do it. Serving up lobster salad and shellfish baskets, the hotspot was open for decades until its decline in the 1980s. Today, Clevelanders look back fondly and remember those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. (Photo courtesy of Instagram user @jaykool44108)PARTY HARD AT THE CLEVELAND ARENA
It’s well-known Cleveland plays a huge role in rock history. We’re home to the hall of fame and have played host to every great act out there. More than that, Cleveland was the home of the very first rock concert. The Moondog Coronation Ball threw down in 1952 inside the Cleveland Arena, shocking the world and changing history forever. After that, the Cleveland Arena continued to operate until 1977, hosting several smaller sports teams and festivals.(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)EAT A SUNDAE AT BOUKAIR’S
One of the last few vestiges of a simpler time, the old-fashioned ice cream shop Boukair’s stuck around until the 1980s. Known for serving up heaping sundaes with cryptic yet enticing names (“The Temple of Love,” for instance), Playhouse Square’s Boukair’s was a hotspot for Clevelanders to cool down. (Photo courtesy of Cleveland Summertime Memories’ Facebook page)DO YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING AT HIGBEE’S
Department stores at Christmastime have a charm like no other. Twinkling lights reflecting off tile floors and bouncing against chandeliers, the whole store glows with pale yellow light. Until 1987, Cleveland had its own consumerist winter wonderland in Higbee’s department store. The shopping destination and set for A Christmas Story was bought by Dilliards is the 1980s. Since, the building has been repurposed into a new consumerist wonderland with the JACK Cleveland Casino. (Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project)GULP DOWN A GHOULARDI AT BIG BOY
Big Boyd still exist, but until the 1990s, Manners Big Boy was its own sub-franchise, customized to its own liking. It wasn’t tied to the big corporate bigwigs that run the restaurant today. That meant Clevelanders could suck down the delicious and terrifying Big Ghoulardi. Until its absorption by the bigger Big Boy, Manners served up this enigmatic beverage. (Photo courtesy of Cleveland Summertime Memories’ Facebook page)SPY A ROCK STAR AT SWINGOS
The Swingos family in Cleveland started several successful businesses that were all known for hosting musicians and celebrities. Swingos restaurants hosted Frank Sinatra and the Rolling Stones, while the Swingos Celebrity Inn was even mentioned in the film Almost Famous as “the most famous hotel in the world.” Despite the notoriety as a rocker hotspot, the establishments have all since closed. Swingos Celebrity Inn closed its doors in 1984, while the two restaurants served their last meals in 2009. (Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Scene Archive)SEE A SHOW AT FRONT ROW THEATRE
Every popular act from the 1970s and 80s blew through the Front Row Theatre in its time. From disco divas to soulful crooners, the theater was the classiest joint for an impressive date. After decades of success, the theater was absorbed by Playhouse Square in 1993. Now all we have left are the songs in our hearts and the ticket stubs in our scrapbooks. (Photo courtesy of Facebook user Scott Valentine)STROLL AROUND THE PARMATOWN MALL
Sure, plenty of shopping centers are still active in the area. But the Parmatown Mall was especially nostalgic to locals. Holding on for decades, the mall finally was repurposed in 2014. Now, the city of Parma is turning the space into the Shoppes at Parma and an assisted living facility. (Photo courtesy of Cleveland Memory Project)LAUGH OUT LOUD AT THE ROXY
Since the invention of the television, live entertainment hasn’t been nearly as popular as it used to be. In the early 21st century, a Clevelander’s best chance for entertainment was to get out of the house and visit the Roxy Theater. The burlesque stage featured dancers, comedians and vaudevillian performers until its closure in 1977. Heck, even Abbott and Costello dealt out a few laughs in the joint. (Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project and the Cleveland Press)RIDE THE DERBY RACER AT EUCLID BEACH PARK
Euclid Beach Park was Cleveland’s hippest attraction for the first half of the 20st century. Much like Geauga Lake, it was a coaster-driven amusement park modeled after New York’s Coney Island. After 60 years, however, the park called it quits and in 1969, shut its gates for good. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)SKATE AT THE CLEVELAND ROLLERCADE
The long-gone Cleveland Rollercade wasn’t just the best place to roll around. It was also host to polo matches, prize fights and livestock shows. The kitschy dive lived a short life from 1929 to 1968 when it was torn down. However, that didn’t stop it from capturing the hearts of locals before it was snuffed out. (Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project)CATCH A RIDE ON THE DETROIT-SUPERIOR UNDERGROUND SUBWAY
This bad boy has been closed for decades now, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of Clevelanders’ hearts just yet. The Detroit-Superior Subway ran under the Veterans Memorial Bridge and took Clevelanders wherever they needed to go for cheap. After streetcars became a more popular means of getting around, the subway fell into disuse. In 1955, it was closed for good, except for some tours. (Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project)WALK IN THE EASTER PARADE
For decades, thousands of kids and parents marched around Tower City for the annual Easter parade. Dating back to the 1920s, the event drew huge crowds to meet with the Easter bunny and celebrate the holiday. As the years went on, crowds diminished. It’s last run in 1997 drew its biggest march in decades, going out with a poof of bunny fur. (Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project)
