Temescal’s own amusement park
on February 20, 2012
One of Temescal’s oldest subdivisions was once of the state’s grandest amusement parks. On the blocks of what are now Spanish stucco-styled homes bordered by Shattuck and Telegraph Avenues to the east and west and between 56th and 58th Streets, Oakland’s Idora Park at one time brought thousands of visitors from near and far for its myriad attractions. Built in 1903 by railroad baron and borax king Rodney Ingersoll, the park was open about 30 weeks a year and boasted rides, roller coasters, an opera house, a musical ampitheater, a zoo, an ostrich farm, and what was purported to be the world’s largest indoor roller skating rink. Idora Park provided entertainment to locals and tourists alike, until the rise of the automobile and the beginning of the Great Depression forced it to close its doors in 1929.
Local historian Ray Raineri takes us on a journey back through time to what Idora Park was like at the height of its attraction.
2 Comments
Oakland North welcomes comments from our readers, but we ask users to keep all discussion civil and on-topic. Comments post automatically without review from our staff, but we reserve the right to delete material that is libelous, a personal attack, or spam. We request that commenters consistently use the same login name. Comments from the same user posted under multiple aliases may be deleted. Oakland North assumes no liability for comments posted to the site and no endorsement is implied; commenters are solely responsible for their own content.
Oakland North
Oakland North is an online news service produced by students at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and covering Oakland, California. Our goals are to improve local coverage, innovate with digital media, and listen to you–about the issues that concern you and the reporting you’d like to see in your community. Please send news tips to: oaklandnorthstaff@gmail.com.
My great Uncle Bertrand York, I believe, managed Idora Park.
Was there a zoo next to idora park?