The Tumble Bug Trail & Exploring the Abandoned Chippewa Lake Amusement Park

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For exactly 100 years, Chippewa Lake Amusement Park was one of northeastern Ohio's most beloved summer destinations, entertaining generations of visitors from 1878 until its closure in 1978. Originally established as a lakeside pleasure resort, the property eventually evolved into a sprawling amusement park featuring wooden roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, carousel, Tumble Bug ride, and a grand ballroom that hosted legendary performers such as Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and Lawrence Welk. At its peak, thousands of visitors flocked to the park for swimming, boating, carnival rides, and company picnics. However, declining attendance and increasing competition from larger amusement parks eventually brought its century-long run to an end. In the decades that followed, the abandoned rides and buildings slowly deteriorated as nature reclaimed the property, creating an eerie landscape that became a favorite destination for urban explorers.

Today, visitors can discover several fascinating remnants of the amusement park near the Tumble Bug Trailhead, alongside the Chippewa Lake Historical Society museum. Housed in a former residence at the corner of Lake Road and Longacre Lane, the museum preserves photographs, memorabilia, and artifacts documenting the park's colorful history.

Outside, an original Tumble Bug car, a roller coaster car, and a historic ticket booth offer a glimpse into the property's past.

The surviving artifacts provide a tangible connection to the generations of Ohio families who once spent their summers along the shores of Chippewa Lake. Officially opened on July 3, 2026, the museum is a worthwhile stop before exploring the nearby trail.

Opened in 2026, the Tumble Bug Trail marks the first phase of the Medina County Park District's effort to transform the former amusement park into a public recreational destination. Currently measuring just 0.5 miles, the accessible gravel loop winds through open grassy areas, young trees, and surrounding woodland. The peaceful setting offers a striking contrast to the bustling amusement park that once occupied the property.

Named after the park's popular Tumble Bug ride, the trail begins near a newly constructed picnic shelter, parking area, and restrooms. Although relatively short, the loop is only the beginning of a much larger vision for the property. Future plans call for extending the trail toward the original Tumble Bug ride location and eventually opening additional sections of the former amusement park, including the area surrounding its abandoned Ferris wheel.

For those fascinated by abandoned places and forgotten history, however, some of Chippewa Lake's most intriguing relics remain beyond the boundaries of the newly developed trail. The original amusement park grounds are still gated off and closed to the public, with unauthorized entry carrying the risk of trespassing citations. However, those who are willing to risk it, will find access to the abandoned park at a gravel lot at the corner of Main Dr and Big Injun Trail. A short walk leads to many of the park's most famous attractions.

Chippewa Park abandoned amusement park entrance

Among the surviving structures is the rusting framework of the park's original Tumble Bug ride, a once-popular attraction manufactured by the Traver Engineering Company. Installed in 1927, the ride carried passengers around a circular, undulating steel track in a series of connected, bug-shaped cars. As the train traveled over successive hills, riders experienced a bouncing, rolling sensation similar to a miniature roller coaster. Its unusual motion and distinctive appearance made it a longtime favorite among parkgoers.

The Tumble Bug originally featured four colorful passenger cars, each equipped with a bench seat and a central wheel for riders to hold onto. Small light bulbs fitted into the cars' eyes and noses gave them a quirky, insect-like appearance.

Another remarkable survivor is the park's historic Ferris wheel, whose towering steel skeleton still rises above the surrounding vegetation. The original wheel was a No. 16 Big Eli model manufactured by the Eli Bridge Company of Illinois, but it was replaced in 1946 by the structure that remains today.

Interestingly, the ride was reportedly modified to spin faster during the 1940s, earning it the nickname "Fastest Ferris Wheel in the World!" Although its passenger gondolas have long since disappeared, the rusting circular framework remains one of the most recognizable symbols of Chippewa Lake's abandoned past.

Near the Ferris wheel stand the remnants of another unusual attraction known as the Flying Cages, or Swingin' Gym. Popular during the 1960s and 1970s, the ride featured four individual metal cages suspended from a steel framework. Unlike most amusement park attractions, the Flying Cages operated entirely through human effort. Riders stood inside the cages and shifted their weight back and forth, gradually building enough momentum to swing completely upside down in a full 360-degree rotation. The experience required strength, coordination, and a healthy dose of courage, and similar rides eventually disappeared from amusement parks amid growing safety concerns.

Perhaps the most recognizable relics of the abandoned amusement park are two Tumble Bug cars located a short distance from the Ferris wheel. With trees growing through their rusting frames, the deteriorating cars offer a stark reminder of how completely nature has reclaimed the once-thriving park.

Scattered throughout the surrounding woods are additional remnants of the park's infrastructure, including rusting electrical equipment, deteriorating utility structures, and other artifacts slowly disappearing beneath decades of vegetation.

Hopefully, future funding will allow the Medina County Park District to expand the Tumble Bug Trail and provide safe, legal access to more of these remarkable historic attractions. Preserving the surviving structures while opening the grounds to visitors would give future generations an opportunity to experience an important chapter of northeastern Ohio's recreational history. Until then, the historical society museum and newly opened Tumble Bug Trail provide an accessible introduction to a place that once entertained Ohio families for an entire century.