White City (Indianapolis)
| Location | Broad Ripple Park, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA |
|---|---|
| Opened | May 26, 1906 |
| Closed | June 26, 1908 |
| Status | Closed |
White City (also known as White City Amusement Park) was an amusement park in Indianapolis, Indiana's Broad Ripple Park that was in operation from May 26, 1906 until June 26, 1908. The trolley park was constructed and owned by the Broad Ripple Transit Company. Similar to nearby rivals Riverside Amusement Park and Wonderland, White City was inspired by an exhibit in the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Although the park's grand opening was immensely successful, White City's existence was the briefest of the three, having been open for two and one-half seasons before burning to the ground. Throughout the park's existence, advertisements touted White City as "the amusement park that satisfied."
White City arose during the national wave of increasing interest in amusement parks. The third of three major Indianapolis amusement parks to be opened in the space of three years, White City was incorporated October 4, 1905. Officers of the corporation included Leon Bailey of New York City and Indianapolis residents Raymond Van Camp, Robert Light (president of the Broad Ripple Rapid Transit Company), Milton Huey, and John W. Bowles. Light suggested the northern Indianapolis site for White City as he realized that placing the park at the end of the streetcar line would virtually guarantee a profit for his railway company. Park manager W. C. Tabb started to construct a boardwalk through and around a grove of tall trees and connecting various rides and exhibits.
In the months prior to its grand opening, the park had already become a favorite destination as thousands of people visited the site to watch the construction process. On May 26, 1906, White City officially opened its six iron entrance gates to the public for the first time. Park management increased local interest on Opening Day by hiring an airship (the White Eagle, owned by Horace Wild) to hover "thousands of feet over the park" as its occupants dropped money orders redeemable at the office of the Indianapolis Star.
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