In 1914, the Central Improvement Association of Cleveland Heights developed plans to transform an overgrown gully around the Doan Brook into a public park, and in 1915 acquired 22 acres surrounding the ravine through a bond issue. During the 1930s, Works Progress Administration (WPA) laborers cleared out the ravine, removing trees and quarrying sandstone from the creek. The park’s elongated, irregular form follows the north side of the winding Superior Road for just over half a mile, from Taylor Road at the east to Lee Road at the west. The northern edge is carved into stepped, angular forms by abutting residential lots, with dense vegetative edges screening the park from view. Curving pedestrian paths descend through the surrounding forested hills into the park’s gently concave lawn, offering visitors tranquility in the city. Due to its novel topography, a hill leading down into the ravine from Taylor Road has been a popular winter destination for sledding since the park’s opening.
In 1934 local high school drama teacher Dina Evans produced an outdoor community play at the foot of the sledding hill. To attract attention for the production, she dubbed the area “Cain Park” in honor of Cleveland Heights’ then-mayor, Frank Cain. The play’s success sparked further park development. In 1938, the city and the WPA, with funding from philanthropists including John Rockefeller, constructed a 3,000-seat amphitheater northwest of the park’s center. In 1944, an indoor theater was constructed for children’s productions. In 1989, Cain Park underwent a $5 million renovation that included the construction of a roof for the amphitheater, and new seating for both theaters. Pedestrian paths offer connectivity between the theaters and the ample active recreation amenities in the park’s east end, including tennis courts, a basketball court, a playground, and a skateboard park. The Friends of Cain Park was founded in 1991 to support the park’s arts programming.
