Rare view of the park entrance by night, c. 1905. Note the decorative illumination on the Figure 8 Roller Coaster (left) and dance pavilion (right).

By night, Indianola park was aglow with electric lights. Every post, pillar, arch, doorway, window, and sign was traced in electric lights. Nightly, hundreds of bulbs blazed forth, calling attention to the park and its attractions.

A profusion of decorative lights was a standard feature of early 20th Century amusement parks. Back in 1904, half a million lights had illuminated the buildings and fountains of the St. Louis World's Fair. In New York, Luna Park at Coney Island turned night into day with almost two million electric lights.

Electric lighting would have been a novelty for many park visitors. Although, Edison perfected his incandescent bulb in 1879, electric lighting was slow to make its way into homes. Most existing homes were set up for gas lighting and saw no reason to invest in a change. Electric lighting scared many people who feared fire or electrocution. The White House wasn't wired for electricity until the early 1890s and most average homes didn't make the switch until after the First World War.

The dance pavilion and pool by night. Lights trace the arches of the pavilion and two strands of lights criss-cross the pool.