A Historic Look at Meyers Lake in Canton

Taking a historic look at Meyers Lake gives us a chance to see Canton, Ohio through a different lens. Located in the heart of Stark County, Meyers Lake Amusement Park was opened in 1880 after the actual lake had been a hub for economic action for years. At it’s peak, the area around Meyers Lake included the park as well as a hotel, casino and boat club. President McKinley and his wife attended numerous events there.

Prior to it’s time as a destination, historic Meyers Lake in Canton served as an American Indian encampment and a spot to fish and harvest ice. That all changed in 1815 when Andrew Meyer bought the land surround the lake and in 1869 when the Eclipse Boat Club was built. Shortly after, the Lake Park Hotel went up. By the 1880’s the amusement park was booming drawing visitors from all over. Featuring a 20 foot roller coaster, a roller skating rink, dance halls, bowling alleys and billiard clubs . Meyers Lake was sold in the 1920’s when the Sinclair family purchased it. The Midnight Ballroom was build in 1926. Meyers Lake powered on for almost another 50 years, shutting down operations in 1974.

There is a Facebook group celebrating the historic Meyers Lake in Canton and it has thousands of members. It’s safe to say that people miss the park and the simpler times. Although modern amusement parks are filled with excitement and flash, many people pine for times gone by and the memory of walking down the midway and big bands in the ballroom. Unfortunately, 5 years after the park had closed, a fire tore through the beautiful ballroom, destroying much of the history. If you’re looking for more old school Canton stuff, you might want to check out Belden Village in 1985 or Closed Restaurants in Stark County.