Pennsylvania

A well-known destination for family fun and amusement, Hersheypark has entertained and engaged visitors for more than 100 years.

The park was an important part of Milton S. Hershey's plans for his new model industrial town, built for the workers of the Hershey Chocolate factory. In 1903, even before the factory was completed, he set aside land to be used as a park for picnics and family outings. While originally established as a community park, it soon developed into an amusement park as thousands of people flocked to Hershey each year to visit the chocolate factory and model town. This book portrays the origin of Hershey Park, its development as a trolley park, and its successful transition to Hersheypark, a themed amusement park, at a time when many traditional parks faltered and failed. Through period photographs and engaging narrative, Hersheypark explores the growth and development of the park; the vision of its founder, Milton S. Hershey; its successes and challenges; and how the park endured and transformed itself to become one of the East Coast's leading entertainment destinations.

Explore the riveting story behind what is considered America's best traditional amusement park, Kennywood.

For more than a century, Kennywood has been the Pittsburgh area's playground. Founded in 1898 at the terminus of the Monongahela Street Railway trolley line, the park quickly grew into a favorite summertime destination. Kennywood is unique in that it is one of the country's few successful trolley parks. In 1987, Kennywood was designated a National Historic Landmark and is known today as America's Finest Traditional Amusement Park. Many unique rides and attractions have distinguished Kennywood over the years. Some old favorites, such as the Rockets, Laff in the Dark, Ghost Ship, and Skooters, are long gone. Others, such as the Old Mill, Noah's Ark, Auto Race, Turtle, Whip, and Grand Carousel, still entertain guests today. Kennywood is perhaps best known for its impressive collection of roller coasters, from earlier coasters such as the Figure Eight, Speed-O-Plane, and Pippin to the Racer, Jack Rabbit, Thunderbolt, and Phantom's Revenge coasters that still thrill riders today.

This collection of photographs tells the story of how one of America's most beautiful theme parks, Idlewild, has grown throughout the years.

Located in the scenic Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania, America's third oldest amusement park, Idlewild, was founded in 1878 as a picnic ground along the Ligonier Valley Railroad. Its tranquil setting quickly established Idlewild as the premier place for church, school, and corporate picnics, as well as a recreational getaway for families. Idlewild added new amusements and facilities as its crowds continued to grow, but it always strove to maintain the picturesque landscape of the site. Soon a full-fledged amusement park was in operation, with throngs of visitors disembarking the trains from such places as Latrobe, Greensburg, and Pittsburgh.

Home to unique attractions like Story Book Forest, the Rollo Coaster, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe, and the SoakZone, Idlewild has been the backdrop for generations of fond memories. Idlewild's proximity to the Lincoln Highway helped the park survive the abandonment of the railroad, and careful development by the Mellon and Macdonald families and the Kennywood Entertainment Company continue to help it thrive. This collection of photographs tells the story of how one of America's most beautiful theme parks has grown throughout the years.

Life was a lark at Willow Grove Park! Take a trip on a trolley back in time to one of America's most famous amusement parks.

Willow Grove Park was originally conceived by a Philadelphia traction company in order to encourage people to ride the trolley on weekends, coining the term "trolley park'? in the process. Completed in 1896, this ingenious concept proved a remarkable success, and the park set the standard for providing first-class entertainment and amusement. In addition to world-class rides, games, and food, there would be daily concerts at the music pavilion, featuring well-known musicians such as John Philip Sousa, Victor Herbert, and Arthur Pryor. The park was in business for 80 years, only conceding defeat in 1976, but its legacy lives on in photographs and in the memories of the people who spent their days there. Through a wide range of images, Willow Grove Parkcaptures the rich history of this well-known icon.

Idlewild and SoakZone has charmed people across Western Pennsylvania and beyond since the late 1800s.

The park was developed by Pittsburgh's Mellon family as a picnic grove to boost traffic on the Ligonier Valley Rail Road. When C.C. Macdonald took the helm in 1931, rides, entertainment and other attractions came to Idlewild over the next half century, along with the adjacent Story Book Forest. After joining the Kennywood family of amusement parks, Idlewild added a Wild West town, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe and a water slide complex. Author Jennifer Sopko tells the heartwarming history of a Pennsylvania amusement park that continues to delight generations of families.

A sweeping, illustrated history of the lakeside hideaway turned resort and leisure park enjoyed by Pennsylvanians for over a century.

In 1877, a humble boat landing was constructed on Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania's largest natural lake. Colonel Frank Mantor, a visionary, discovered and purchased the property and convinced investors from the Pittsburgh, Shenango, and Lake Erie Railroad to extend the railroad line to a newly built resort on the site. In 1892, Exposition Park--a permanent fair exhibiting machinery and livestock--was founded. Amusement rides were added alongside hotels, cottages, restaurants, and other businesses. The resort grew into an amusement park and was renamed Conneaut Lake Park in 1920. Conneaut Lake Park illustrates the evolution of this lakeside resort with images of long-gone attractions such as the Hotel Elmwood, Temple of Music, Jungle Cruise, Fairyland Forest, and Wild Mouse. Recent favorites such as the Blue Streak, Tumble Bug, Ultimate Trip, and Devil's Den are also included.

Dutch Wonderland's story began with Earl Clark, a local potato broker and hotel owner who saw the need for an attraction in the Lancaster area that would appeal to children. After almost nine months of construction, Clark officially opened Dutch Wonderland to the public on May 20, 1963. Like most parks, Dutch Wonderland started out small, but it soon became one of the biggest attractions in the area. Many groundbreaking changes were made to the park throughout its first years of operation, including the addition of a monorail, the International Botanical Gardens, and a wax museum based on the history of the Lancaster area. The 1990s saw the addition of two roller coasters: the Sky Princess and the Joust. For over 50 years, Dutch Wonderland has prided itself as one of the best family parks in the country. Dutch Wonderland will take readers down memory lane, telling the story of the park through images from its colorful history.

Since its opening in 1897, Cascade Park has welcomed thousands of visitors to its picnic grove, summer cottages, mineral springs, dance pavilion, swimming pool, baseball field, zoo, boat rides, outdoor theater, fireworks, and numerous other amusements. The park is an unusually beautiful natural setting with Big Run Falls, Cat Rocks, a gorge, rolling hills, shady walkways, and even a ginkgo tree or two. In the 1890s, when it was called a trolley park, crowds of visitors arrived by streetcar. Eventually automobiles took over, and the roller coaster was dismantled to make space for a parking lot. Today automobiles spill out of the parking lot once a year when more than 1,000 vintage cars travel to the Back to the 50's Weekend, now in its 25th year. This and other family-oriented events continue the tradition of good times in Cascade Park.

Since opening in 1980, Sesame Place® theme park in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, has been the Northeast's premiere destination for fun, learning, and entertainment for children and adults alike.

This wonderful playland has seen immense change and growth from opening day, ever adapting like Sesame Street® itself to engage the newest generation of kids. Here, the original Muppets™ from Sesame Street created by Jim Henson, such as Big Bird, Grover, and Cookie Monster, as well as the newer residents, such as Elmo, Zoe, Murray, and Abby Cadabby, come right out of the television and into attractions, shows, parades, meet-and-greets, and more.

One of the oldest amusement parks in the United States, and one of the last surviving "trolley parks,'? Waldameer Park has provided generations with fun-filled afternoons.

Originally beginning as a picnic area known as Hoffman's Grove on the banks of Lake Erie in Northwestern Pennsylvania, the Erie Electric Motor Company leased the park in 1896 and renamed it "Waldameer,'? translated literally as "Woods by the Sea'? in German. A trolley park's main purpose was to entice people to ride the new-fangled trolley car on the weekends, and Waldameer accomplished that in spades. Initially, the park's main attraction was its beach on the lake, a popular destination for people to go and escape the heat of summer, but over the years, Waldameer Park changed and grew significantly. In the early 20th century, rides like Dip the Dips, Ravine Flyer, and Mill Run grew to be the main attractions at the park. Over the past three decades, Waldameer Park has grown into a modern amusement park, while maintaining its beloved nostalgic atmosphere. Today, visitors cool off in the Water World water park and enjoy thrill rides like the Comet, Steel Dragon, X-Scream, and Ravine Flyer II.

Situated in the coal regions of northeast Pennsylvania, Lakewood Park was established in 1916 by the Guinan family as a place to bathe, picnic, and camp. It became known as a nature retreat for the nearby miners and their families, and it developed into the destination for swimming, amusement rides, skating, big band dances, boxing matches, ethnic celebrations, summer stock plays, and political banquets. The park boasted a 150-yard cement pool, hand-carved Spillman carousel, and grand ballroom. It was the host of the longest-running ethnic festival in Pennsylvania, Lithuanian Day, from 1914 to 1984. Using vintage images, Lakewood Park recalls the various festivals and celebrations, amusements rides, and celebrity performers, such as Dick Clark and Doris Day, that made the park an entertainment mecca for 68 years.

Indian Trail and Edgemont Amusement Parks highlights the history of two legendary amusement parks in Lehigh Township. Unique images cover Indian Trail Park from its founding by Samuel and William Solliday in 1929 to its closing in 1984. Photographs of Edgemont Park recall its days as a trolley park, started by the Blue Ridge Traction Company. These images are sure to bring back memories of the rides, games, and thrills that kept people coming back year after year.