Electric Park was originally a trolley park at the end of three streetcar lines ( the Myrtle , Fort-East , and the Crosstown ) ; public transportation to Electric Park to nearby Belle Isle gradually shifted toward the use of buses , even after the completion of new streetcar tracks after the construction of a new MacArthur Bridge in the early 1920s ( the new tracks were never used ) . The park 's main entrance was dominated by a large windmill across the street from the entrance to the park 's boardwalk , which had a sign stating : " The Boardwalk : Just for Fun . " Rides and attractions in the densely packed Electric Park include a roller coaster ( one was called the Derby Racer ; another featured a sign that said " Trip Thru the Clouds - Detroit 's Greatest Ride " ; others that appeared in the park were the Big Dipper , the Bobs , and the Dare Devil ) , Ferris wheel , an interactive simulation of the Johnstown Flood , a Shoot-the-Chutes around which the rest of the park is configured , a Whip ride , aerial swings , various other mechanical rides , live entertainment ( including acrobats and aerialists ) performing in front of a bank of bleacher seats that dominated one side of the park ) , a riverfront pier , a coliseum , picnic facilities , and the '' ' Palais de Danse ' '' ballroom built ( in 1912 ) over the edge of the water of the Detroit River . Another dance hall , '' ' Palace Gardens ' '' , was destroyed in a May 1911 blaze ; the Coliseum and the pier and boardwalk ( site of the park 's concession stands ) burned down ten years later . Before the fire , the Pier Ballroom and the Ramona were popular places for dancing ; afterwards , the nearby '' ' Merry Gardens Ballroom ' '' kept drawing crowds even after the demise of the park
Johnstown Flood
Johnstown Flood
Electric Park, Detroit