OLMSTED TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Swings-N-Things, a go-to family fun destination in Olmsted Township, has new owners, and they say the fun isn't going anywhere.
Gabriela and Dustin House bought the beloved family fun center this month, making it a family project of their own.
"Yeah, it seems like a good way to kind of get our creativity out there, and really something that seemed fun, and we were excited about," Gabriela House said.
The park has drawn families for generations, offering mini golf, batting cages, go-karts, arcade games, food and more.
"My 5-year-old nephew who loves to play mini golf, but he also likes to do the arcades," one visitor said.
"We come out here all the time, maybe once a month or something, and it's always fun," another visitor said.
For longtime visitors, the park carries deep roots.
"How long have you been coming to Swings-N-Things?" I asked one guest.
"Generations. Really? Yes," Dianne Williams said.
The new owners say they have no plans to shut down the park or change what people already love, including the homemade ice cream.
"The ice cream is definitely going to stay the same because we know that people really like it," Gabriela said.
But they do plan to give the park the attention it needs.
"Essentially every attraction, in a way, needs its own sort of upgrade," Dustin said.
"Yeah, that's the whole point was to take an amazing park that everybody loved and just give it that hug, that facelift, and make it even better and add new features," Dustin said.
Longtime visitors say they welcome the changes.
"Oh, I think that's great. Yes, because it needs it. It's been around forever, so it will be wonderful," Dianne Williams said.
Others say they're cautiously optimistic.
"I know about the new ownership and hope they do the right thing and keep the fun going," a visitor said.
For the Houses, the decision to buy came down to community and family.
"So as a family buying a business from another family and kind of like carrying that legacy," Dustin said.
"We saw the potential. Really, we saw how much the community loved this park, and we saw when we brought our two young sons how much they enjoyed it. So it really gave us a lot of like hope that we're going to be able to make a big positive impact on the community," the Houses said.
Their vision for Swings-N-Things: everything you love, but a little bit more. They say they plan to hold an open house with the community to connect and talk about what they want to see.
Nadeen Abusada is a Cuyahoga County and immigration reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Instagram NadeenAbusada or email her at Nadeen.Abusada@wews.com.
