Angela Park (amusement park) facts for kids

Angela Park was a popular amusement park. It was located near Hazleton, Pennsylvania, in Butler Township. The park was open from 1957 to 1988. It was a favorite summer spot for 30 years. Many people visited it because it was close to the Pocono Mountains.

The Barletta Family owned and ran the park until 1985. Then, Mirth Master Corp. bought it. They operated the park until 1988. After that, the park closed down. In 1990, all the rides and equipment were sold. Today, the land is undeveloped.

How Angela Park Started

The idea for Angela Park came from Angeline Barletta. She was the mother of the Barletta Family. Her family came to Hazleton, Pennsylvania, from Italy in 1911. The Barletta Family had many successful businesses.

In the 1940s, they bought land near the Nescopeck Creek. Angeline dreamed of building an amusement park there. After she passed away in 1952, her family decided to make her dream come true. They planned and built the park in 1955 and 1956.

The park opened in the spring of 1957. It was named Angela Park to honor Angeline. Her husband and seven sons were the original owners. They also owned other businesses. These included a construction company and a golf course.

Opening Day and Early Fun

Angela Park opened on Mother's Day, May 12, 1957. A big crowd came to celebrate. In its first year, the park had six rides. Four rides were just for younger kids. These included a Tank Ride, a Boat Ride, a Carousel, and Airplanes.

The park also had a Miniature Train. It looked like the Lehigh Valley Black Diamond train. There was also a Roller Coaster. The park had several colorful buildings. One big building was for food and tickets. There was also a sno-cone stand and an arcade. A bingo game was in another building. There was a large picnic area too, next to the Nescopeck Creek.

New Attractions in the 1950s

In 1958, two new rides were added. These were the Panther Car Ride and the Dodgem Bumper Car Ride. A new building offered waffles and ice cream. The park also got bigger with a huge Olympic-size swimming pool. This was the largest pool in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The pool area had changing rooms and a diving area. It became a very popular place for teenagers. Many people spent their whole day at the pool. It was a major social spot for young people.

A stage was also added. Famous TV stars came to perform. Pinky Lee was one of the first. Later, Buffalo Bob Smith and the Howdy Doody show performed. A record number of people came to see them in 1959.

Exciting 1960s Additions

The early 1960s brought more fun to Angela Park. A miniature golf course was built. There was also a baseball batting range. The park started a popular "Saturday Night Swingout." This was a weekly dance party broadcast live on WAZL Radio.

More TV stars visited, like Sally Starr and Chief Halftown. Live bands played weekly. They performed on stage and at pool parties. Popular polka bands also played on Sundays.

New rides were added in the mid-1960s:

• The Tea Cup Ride (1961)
• The Paratrooper (1965)
• The Giant Slide (1966)
• The Sky Ride (1967)
• The Swingin' Gyms (1967)

The helicopter ride replaced the airplanes. An antique model car replaced the Panther cars. The miniature train was repainted. It changed from maroon and black to silver, red, and yellow.

Porky the Paper Eater

In 1969, Angela Park introduced something special: Porky The Paper Eater! Porky was a high-tech trash can. His "head" stuck out from his "house." His mouth was an opening that sucked in paper and small trash.

Porky had a taped voice that told kids not to litter. Kids loved Porky! They were so amazed that they would pick up trash just to feed it to him. Later, another similar character, Leo The Paper Eating Lion, was added. But Leo was never as popular as Porky.

Changes in the 1970s

In 1970, a golf driving range was built. The park also bought an old 1939 Fire Engine. It was made into a ride with seats in the back. The fire truck would drive around the park with its siren and bell ringing.

In 1971, the Midway kiddie ride was added. The old paratrooper ride was replaced with a newer one. In 1972, the Satellite Jet ride was added. The original miniature train was replaced by a larger C.P. Huntington model.

Tropical Storm Agnes

In June 1972, Tropical Storm Agnes caused a flood. The Nescopeck Creek overflowed. The picnic area and parts of the golf range were damaged. The parking area became a 6-foot-deep (1.8 m) lake. Luckily, the main park area and most rides were safe.

In the mid-1970s, the Swingin' Gyms were removed. Two new rides were added: The Tilt A Whirl Ride and the Columbus Ride. In 1976, the golf driving range became a lighted softball field.

This new field hosted a special event in June 1976. The Bicentennial Wagon Train camped at Angela Park. This was a re-enactment of a Conestoga Wagon Train. It was part of the national celebration of the bicentennial. Thousands of visitors came to see this living history event.

The Final Years (1980s)

Angela Park did not change much after the mid-1970s. In 1980, a new state law affected the park. It meant that the popular Sunday bingo games had to stop. The bingo building was then turned into a haunted house ride. But this ride was not very popular.

The Barletta Family opened a new golf course nearby in 1979. They soon decided to sell Angela Park. In 1984, Joseph Filoromo made an offer to buy the park. He and his mother formed the Mirth Master Corporation. In 1985, they bought Angela Park for $1.2 million.

Mirth Master Corporation faced financial problems. By 1988, they owed a lot of money. In 1989, Mirth Master declared bankruptcy. This meant the park had to close. The bank took over the property. They tried to sell the park for $2 million. But no buyer was found.

The official end came in May 1990. The bank sold off the park piece by piece. However, some of Angela Park's rides are still in use today!

• The C.P. Huntington train was sold to the zoo in Erie, Pennsylvania.
• The tank ride is at Knight's Action Park in Springfield, Illinois.
• The antique car ride is in a New Jersey park.
• Several of the dodgem bumper cars are at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania.

The park's only roller coaster was called the "Valley Volcano." It was similar to the Sea Dragon at Wyandot Lake.

Documentary About the Park

In 2016, Sam-Son Productions, Inc. announced they would make a documentary about Angela Park. They finished it in 2017. The hour-long DVD shows footage from the park's opening day to its closing.

The documentary also includes interviews. You can hear from some of the park owners and their children. Other former employees and park visitors are also interviewed. Sam-Son Productions also got the full audio recording of Porky the Paper Eater! You can hear it completely in the documentary.

See Also

• Angela Park at the Roller Coaster DataBase