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Fair Park burns......

Remember when they built the big roller coaster (Skyliner) at Fair Park? Paris After Dark, the Mad Mouse, Tilt-a-Whirl, bumper cars, hand cars, the Cyclone, pink & blue cotton candy, and an actual organ grinder with a little monkey that took money.�Vietti Chili labels or RC Cola caps could get you a whole afternoon of rides. Fair Park also had a miniature golf course which held a tournament every labor day with the winner going to a national event. Remember the "serious" railroad crossing guards at the State Fair with their loud whistles and waving signs? The monkeys driving Speedway Cars was a popular feature at the Fair. As was the Wall of Death where motorcycles circled inside a wooden bowl. Soda bottle caps were especially coveted since scraping out the cork liner could reveal a prize. Prior to Fair Park there was the Wee One Amusement Park in Green Hills (where the donut shop is now) that opened in 1950 and Tot Haven Amusement Park (out by the old drive-in) on Gallatin Road.

In 1952 Fair Park opened, a year-round amusement park opens featuring a Ferris wheel and playground areas for children at the TN State Fairgrounds. A new roller coaster (Skyliner) is added in 1965, drawing more kids back to the park and creating many memories for folks who grew up then.

Fair Park was on the grounds of the Tennessee State Fair. Click the image above to go to their website...

Constructed in 1904 to house the growing sport of harness racing, the Tennessee State Fairgrounds (then Cumberland Park) soon began hosting auto races and an annual State Fair. The Fairgrounds has nine buildings offering more than 156,000 square feet of exhibit space. Home of the annual Tennessee State Fair, the facilities include a 7,800-square-foot show arena, the 5,500-square-foot annex and two livestock barns. The complex also houses a restaurant and catering/food concession facilities.

As to Cumberland Park there is a historical note in Nashville Timeline of History that in 1910 the first night time airplane flight took off from Cumberland Park. So for now unknown exact WHEN Cumberland Park ceased to exist. 1904...1910? So we have 2 parks and a 'fair' that were known to exist here. Cumberland Park (prior to annual fair) and Fair Park in later decades. The annual fair continues to this day.

CREDITS: Most of the above came from some photocopies sent by a person claiming to live in Nashville. I don't know the real source but if somebody wants to make a claim shout !!! Again...nobody here makes one penny from this website. I see on some of papers Tennessean.Com so somebody might snoop their direction for more information on the area.