Lakeside Amusement Park was situated on the land now part of today’s VA Medical Center. It evolved from the 1887 40-foot high cyclorama depicting the Battle of Gettysburg, to a full-fledged amusement park with a roller coaster, a water ride called Shooting the Chutes, a merry-go-round, a fun-house, other amusements, and its memorable dance hall named the Crystal Room later becoming the Lakeside Palladium. Lakeside Park opened in the summer of 1890 at Gettysburg and Lakeview Avenues, delighting visitors until it closed in 1967. In 1930, the Park was annexed by the City of Dayton.

The ponds are on the grounds of the medical center.