The Lasting Legacy of Barnaby, Cleveland TV Icon

In 1977, Cleveland's beloved children's television host visited Sea World Ohio, capturing a nostalgic moment between two Northeast Ohio icons that are now gone.

by Vince Guerrieri | Aug. 23, 2026 | 5:00 AM

Courtesy Cleveland State University. Michael Schwartz Library. Special Collections

For kids of a certain age in Northeast Ohio, there was nobody like Barnaby.

Portrayed by Linn Sheldon, Barnaby, whose name was taken from a stagehand’s dog, would show Popeye and Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons from a park bench, wearing a blue blazer, an ascot and a straw skimmer. He’d talk to the kids watching and to his invisible parrot, Longjohn.

Barnaby debuted on KYW-TV (now WKYC) in 1956. He moved to WKBF, a new UHF station, in 1968, and then to WUAB the following year.

Like many local TV stars, Barnaby made numerous public appearances, from store openings to the boat show to local amusement parks. (In his autobiography, Barnaby and Me, Sheldon recalled a particularly harrowing appearance at Cedar Point following a death threat.)

And in 1977, he made a stop at Sea World, which had become one of the most popular parks in Ohio since its opening seven years earlier. Adjacent to Geauga Lake, Sea World Ohio was instantly a hit, drawing more than a million visitors in a restricted season that the original Sea World in San Diego didn’t have to deal with. Fans flocked to see killer whales Shamu and Namu, along with sea lions Clyde and Seamore.

But eventually, both Barnaby and Sea World went away. The last Barnaby show aired in 1990, and Sheldon lived in retirement until his death in 2006. Both Geauga Lake and Sea World became part of the Six Flags chain, and in 2004, Six Flags sold both to Cedar Fair, the parent company of Cedar Point. Geauga Lake closed in 2007, while Sea World, renamed Wildwater Kingdom after the sale, remained open until 2016.

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