Idora Park Lives Again: Museum Exterior Complete

Exterior work on a new $11.5 million museum dedicated to Idora Park's history has been finalized in downtown Youngstown. Contractor Boak & Sons has completed significant repairs to the roof, windows, and exterior masonry of the four-storey building at 250 E. Federal St. This milestone clears the path for the next phase: designing the museum's interior.

The building will ultimately house tens of thousands of items amassed by Jim and Toni Amey over 30 years. The couple traveled nationwide to salvage rides, roller coaster cars, and signs from Idora Park before its permanent closure in 1984 following a major fire. The Amey's entire collection was formally transferred to the Mahoning Valley Historical Society (MVHS) in 2024, forming the core of the planned museum.

Mahoning Valley Historical Society purchased the Federal Street building in 2023 for $1.9 million. Fundraising has garnered $4.04 million to date, including substantial contributions from the Ohio state capital budget and the Strategic Community Investment Fund. Design firm The Design Minds is now tasked with planning the museum's interior, which will feature public exhibition spaces on the first and second floors, archive storage on the third, and existing commercial tenants on the fourth.

Architectural details on the building's exterior will evoke Idora Park's spirit, with designs resembling roller coaster shapes, restored neon signs, and original park structures. The museum aims to capture the social and cultural significance Idora Park held for Mahoning Valley residents throughout the 20th century, serving as a gathering place for diverse communities.