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Retiring into curator lifestyle
CANFIELD
From a single light socket to a building full of Idora Park artifacts, Jim and Toni Amey are following their dreams in retirement to share their beloved collectibles with the community, bringing people together.
“You have people who come here and talk about a certain piece and then others will overhear, find out they lived near each other and end up with two women in their 80s, crying,” Jim said. “It’s really something.”
Idora Park holds a special place in Jim’s heart – he worked there in 1976, leaving for the military that same year.
Jim said coming back from living in Virginia 17 years later was a harsh reality.
“I knew it was gone, but reality hit me when we walked through there,” he said.
Toni said Jim was just heartbroken to see the few remnants of his childhood.
“In his mind, it was still the Idora Park in 1976 and to me the stories he told me,” she said. “I envisioned the stories from when he was 18 years old and here we are saying, ‘What happened?’ To walk in and see the devastation was just terrible. That’s when the American dream hit us in the back of the head.”
According to the Mahoning Valley Historical Society’s records, a fire destroyed Idora’s Lost River ride, part of the Wildcat ride, the park office and some game booths April 26, 1984. Despite the destruction, Idora still opened for the 1984 season, but the damage from the fire also wrecked the park’s success.
“The loss of major attractions proved to be a fatal blow, and the owners announced that the 1984 season would be the last,” records say.
Records also say that Sept. 3, 1984, was the last day the park was open to the public before rides and games were sold at an auction or left as unwanted scrap.
The Ameys’ collection started with Jim picking up just a small light socket from Idora, to attending estate sales.
Over time, the collection of Idora Park artifacts was the driving force behind retirement, Toni said.
“We were always talking about what’s next and couldn’t make a decision about retirement until we decided what to do with the collection,” she said. “Finally, we decided there’s really only one thing we can do – we have to share it.”
The Ameys said it’s their dream to eventually have a public museum opened and dedicated to Idora Park in the area where people can visit.
“I feel like it’s what I’m supposed to do,” Jim said.
“It should’ve been done already. These things should’ve been gathered together. It was on my mind and eventually forced me to do it.”
He does all of the restorations – which he taught himself – to bring the picture of Idora back to the best of his abilities.
“Otherwise they don’t know what it was like,” he said.
The Idora Park Experience Museum, 4450 S. Turner Road, Canfield, will open for the fifth time from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
This year, the Ameys added a new feature – a ninja hunt for kids.
“Each time we went to go get some kind of artifact, there was always something just so ridiculous that happened. So, after some time, Jim started to blame it on the ninjas – Knuck and Buck,” Toni said.
Knuck and Buck will be causing chaos throughout the experience and for a small charge that has not been determined yet, adults and children can write down their dastardly deeds to win a prize.
The money from this event will be donated to the Mahoning Valley Historical Society.
For each event, the Ameys have picked a charity to donate to for the popular egging competition.
Donations go to the Mahoning Valley Historical Society after museum goers purchase an egg to throw at “the little fire hydrant that didn’t.”
The fire hydrant that did not work during the Idora Park fire helped let the flames get out of control and burn down the South Side amusement park so adored by residents throughout the Mahoning Valley.
He compared his experience with the museum to a psychology lesson he learned while he was a student at Youngstown State University.
“They taught me about these birds, their legs itch, and that’s why they have to build nests, and that’s what I feel like. I have to get out there and work inside the building. I can’t just sit here,” Jim said.
“Now, I work harder than I ever did.”