Summit Park was an amusement park in Oriskany, New York, at the turn of the century (1900) that attracted people from all over. The park was built a little at a time. It had a dance hall, resturant, and a fountian with a Native American statue on it. There were two cups at the fountian and anyone who wanted a drink had to drink from the same cups. For rides and attractions they had a merry-go-round, a roller coaster, boat rides on the Oriskany Creek, an observation deck, and a natural amphitheater where acts were performed for entertainment. To get to the park, there was a trolley ride up Oklahoma Avenue. And to return, they would have to take the trolley back out of the park, which explians the 5 cent cost to get out of the park. LIST OF ATTRACTIONS



Dance Hall
Roller Coaster
The Whip
An Amphitheater
Shooting gallery
Observation Tower
Baseball Field
Trian Ride
Japanese Shop
Penny Arcade
Boat Rides
Merry-Go-Round




In its time, Summit Park was a place to go for entertianment and relaxation. There was never any alcohol allowed in the park. People went to the park because it was inexpensive, and it was a fun place to go. It had some of the major new attractions at that time like the roller coaster. It became the "cool" place to go for old and young alike. The attractions and socilization kept the attention of the young and the beauty of the land and relaxing strolls for the older crowd. The park closed down in 1927. This closure was caused by the fact that cars were becoming popular so people could travel further. The people who used to go to Summit Park were traveling to Sylvan Beach on the shores of Oneida Lake for their entertainment.

After it closed, the roller coaster was blown down during a wind storm, and the hand carved merry-go-round was sold to an amusement park on Florida. The park reopened in the 1950's, but it was never the attraction it had been in the early 1900's. It had a picnic area and a huge swimming pool. Basicly, it became a laid back picnic park. Today, there is nothing left on the site of Summit Park. All that remains are a few wooden stairs that were used to go down to the Oriskany Creek for the boat rides. In its time Summit Park had a great impact on the population and economy of the community of Oriskany. Now, it is an important part of Oriskany's history.