The vision of lakefront recreation areas dates back to 1865. William Gordon, a wealthy Cleveland philanthropist, began purchasing lakefront property in the 1860s to be used for recreation. Upon his death in 1893, Mr. Gordon’s 119-acre estate was bequeathed to the City of Cleveland. Following a fire in 1927 which burned the park’s dance hall, the original Gordon Park fell into disrepair and neglect. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) acquired the property in 1977, established the Cleveland Lakefront State Park office at this location in 1978, and transformed Gordon Park into a modern haven for anglers, boaters and picnickers. The park’s fishing platforms and piers are adjacent to the Cleveland Illuminating Company’s warm water discharge, which improves winter catches of steelhead and salmon. Gordon Park also offers six boat launch ramps.

In its heyday at the turn of the century, Euclid Beach was a premier amusement park. Local entrepreneurs acquired 75 acres of wooded parkland and sand beach to create a special place for wholesome family entertainment. The lakefront park, which opened in 1895, was convenient to the city and served by the trolley lines. For generations of Ohioans, a trip to Euclid Beach was the highlight of the summer. As the trolley lines gave way to automobile traffic, however, patrons drove on to other recreational opportunities and business at Euclid Beach slowed to a trickle. By the summer of 1970, the park was closed for good and the grand old facilities began to crumble. In 1985, ODNR created Euclid Beach State Park on the easternmost 16 acres of the old amusement park. Old lampposts, park benches and the grand entrance gate are vestiges of the old Euclid Beach amusement park preserved alongside modern park facilities. Today’s Euclid Beach offers a 650-foot sand swimming beach and shaded picnic areas along with a playground and scenic observation pier.

In 1894, the City of Cleveland embarked on its own efforts to provide public recreation areas on Lake Erie with the purchase of 117 lakefront acres.. Two parks, Perkins Beach and Edgewater Park, were created. Edgewater became the focus of activities with the addition of a public bathhouse, pavilion and bandshell. Today’s Edgewater Park consists of 131 acres divided into "upper" and "lower" sections connected by a paved fitness path. The antique pavilion was renovated in 1982 and may be reserved by park guests for outdoor gatherings. Upper Edgewater also offers a playground area. The view of the city skyline and Lake Erie from Upper Edgewater’s scenic bluff is said to be the best in all of Cleveland. Lower Edgewater features ten very popular boat launch ramps, fishing platforms and a wheelchair-accessible fishing pier. Anglers may catch perch, panfish, white bass, rock bass and sheephead here. Lower Edgewater also offers a large swimming beach with two picnic shelters and a concession stand.

The Wildwood Park area had been a farm far from metropolitan Cleveland in the 1800s. In the 1920s, the area served as a popular resort offering private getaways in rustic cabins, as well as vibrant night life at the dance hall. Today, the park offers expanded recreational facilities including a six-ramp boat launch, picnic shelter and playground. Rock breakwalls give anglers access to Lake Erie’s summer walleye fishery. Another water resource at Wildwood is Euclid Creek, which is popular with canoeists as well as anglers, who may catch coho salmon in the spring.

The Villa Angela park area has most recently been developed for public recreation. From 1878 to 1990, the area served as the campus of the Villa Angela Academy, originally a young women’s boarding school and later a high school administered by the Ursuline Nuns of Cleveland. Villa Angela satisfies contemporary desires for natural areas along with facilities to promote fitness and nature appreciation. The area boasts a diversity of trees as well as coastal plant species, and scenic overlooks offering breathtaking views. A seasonal naturalist is on duty during the summer months to lead recreational activities and educational programs. The boardwalk trail, bathhouse and fishing pier framing the 1,000-foot swimming beach are wheelchair accessible. For bicyclists, walkers, runners and in-line skaters, a one-mile paved fitness path winds its way through the park, connecting Villa Angela with Euclid Beach on the west and with Wildwood on the east.

The Cleveland Lakefront State Park areas build community and improve the quality of life. They are a place for young people accustomed to the urban environment to discover the wonders of the natural world. They provide free access to the lake while preserving the natural character of the lakeshore. Today we enjoy the legacy of an earlier generation’s wisdom in setting aside natural areas and placing them in the public trust. We continue the legacy as we build even better parks for the future.

Staff Profile

Brooke Fischbach, secretary at Cleveland Lakefront State Park, knows the park from all angles. After all, it used to be her beat. Brooke was hired as a park ranger at Cleveland Lakefront in September 1979 and completed the ODNR Division of Park and Recreation’s 9th Ranger Academy that December. As a park ranger, Brooke used her sociology background, diplomatic and communications skills as well as her law enforcement training. She patrolled the park, offered assistance and information to visitors, represented the park at career days and travel shows, and visited classrooms. Brooke enjoyed seven years as a ranger, keeping the peace and promoting the park as the Edgewater, Euclid Beach, Wildwood and Villa Angela areas blossomed.

Since the birth of her first child, Brooke has served as the park secretary. Today, she assists the park management staff with budgets, reports, paperwork and computer issues. With the park’s steadily growing attendance, which topped 13 million last year, Brooke continues to face exciting challenges both on the front lines and behind the scenes. In their free time, Brooke and her family like to watch the boat traffic at Wildwood and Villa Angela—areas that were barely developed 18 years ago. Through her career, Brooke has welcomed change; and change is the one aspect of Cleveland Lakefront that has remained the same.