Casino at Mozart Park
Amusement parks with gambling games were not just limited to Wheeling Park and the West Virginia State Fair. South Wheeling residents could quench their thirst and hunger, enjoy cool breezes, as well as do a little gambling in Mozart Park. With his beer not being sold at Wheeling Park, wealthy brewer Henry Schmulbach dreamed of opening a recreational facility of his own. He purchased a hilltop area overlooking South Wheeling from farmer John Frazier. Schmulbach officially opened Mozart Park for business on October 25, 1893. Mozart Park's attractions included a dancing pavilion with a capacity of 5,000 people, a casino, a bowling alley, a restaurant building, an outdoor stage, and a one-third mile long bicycle track. Plans for a zoo were scrapped after park patrons killed and ate a caged bear that was on display. Mozart Park was the site of summer outings by "labor organizations, German singing societies, fraternal, religious, and civic groups." Vaudeville shows, operas, concerts, July 4th fireworks, and balloon launchings provided ample entertainment. The crowds loved these spectacles as well as the Schmulbach Beer that was readily available. The Lutheran tradition of "German Sunday" ensured that "amusement and beer drinking" could even be enjoyed on the Sabbath. To make the journey from South Wheeling up the steep hill to Mozart Park easier than walking on foot, Schmulbach spent over $100,000 to build an incline railway, much like the ones found in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. The 610 foot incline, which was completed in 1894, had the capacity of carrying 1,200 people an hour. The fare was 10 cents a ride. The incline ran from 1893 to 1907. After 1907, the Mozart Street Car Line provided transportation to the park.
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