An Ohio couple spent 30 years scouring the country for pieces of an amusement park that closed in 1984; after donating the collection, an $11.5 million museum is being built to give it a permanent home
Work on the outside of a new $11.5 million museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Idora Park amusement complex has been completed in downtown Youngstown. The Mahoning Valley Historical Society (MVHS) said contractor Boak & Sons has finished replacing the roof of the four-storey building at 250 E. Federal St., along with major repairs to its windows and exterior masonry. The work clears the way for the next stage of the project, which will focus on designing the museum’s interior. The building will eventually house tens of thousands of items collected over three decades by Canfield residents Jim and Toni Amey. The couple spent 30 years travelling across the United States to save rides, roller coaster cars, signs and other parts of the park. Idora Park closed permanently in 1984 after a major fire. In 2024, the Ameys formally gave their entire collection to the historical society, making it the foundation of the planned museum.As reported by Guy D’Astolfo for Business Journal Daily, MVHS bought the Federal Street building in 2023 for $1.9 million. Fundraising has so far brought in $4.04 million towards the overall project, including $1 million from the Ohio state capital budget and the Strategic Community Investment Fund. During a briefing at the building, Jim Amey reflected on how the project had grown from a personal hobby into a major regional effort. “It’s overwhelming,” Jim said. “We never thought this would happen. We just started collecting trinkets at the beginning, and now this is a real sense of pride. This is big-time for us.” Toni Amey said that while their main collecting work has slowed, the couple still directs newly offered items to the historical society so that the collection stays together. “People are still contacting us,” Jim said. “We encourage them to donate it to the MVHS, but we will take it if they want us to.”
Interior design phase begins
With the roof and exterior work complete, Virginia-based design firm The Design Minds has been hired to plan the museum’s interior through the rest of the year. The first and second floors in the eastern section of the building will contain the main public exhibition spaces. The third floor will be used for archive storage, while the fourth floor will continue to be occupied by existing commercial tenants. MVHS Executive Director Bill Lawson said designers are also collecting stories from people across the Mahoning Valley. These oral histories will help shape how the museum presents its collection. “They’re talking to people in the community to learn what this place meant to them,” Lawson said. The building’s exterior will also include features inspired by Idora Park. Plans include architectural details designed to resemble the shape of a roller coaster, as well as restored neon signs and original park structures. “We will want people to know what is going on inside here,” Lawson said. “It’s a museum with a great deal of cultural experience, and we want them to see it.”
Preserving Youngstown’s cultural history
Idora Park opened in 1899 as an attraction connected to the local electric trolley system. For much of the 20th century, it became an important place for recreation among industrial workers and families across the Mahoning Valley. “Aside from the fun and recreation that went on here, there was great social and cultural significance,” Lawson said. “There was a dance hall, a convocation center, a ballroom and a baseball diamond. It was one of those places in the 20th century where people of diverse backgrounds who lived in their own enclaves came together. They walked down the midway and took it all in, and those are the stories that we’re going to pull out.” The park’s closure remains an emotional memory for many local residents. MVHS Board of Directors President Stacey Adger remembered seeing smoke rising from the park during the April 1984 fire that destroyed the famous Wildcat roller coaster and main arcade. “My family’s visits usually centered around employee-family day,” Adger said. “Those were the days we usually got to go.” “Fast forward by 42 years and I’m pleased to be part of this exciting opportunity to share the love of this Youngstown treasure to future generations,” she added.State Representative Lauren McNally, who helped secure state funding with state Senator Michael Rulli, said the project could also support the downtown economy. “A big part of my job is advocating for organizations that make the Mahoning Valley a better place to live, and a project like this makes that job easy,” McNally said. “This renovation is more than just a beautiful building. It will be a place where the community gets to tell its story and invest in its future.” The historical society plans to begin interior construction once it reaches its remaining fundraising targets.
