Rocky Glen Park facts for kids
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Pennsylvania Historical Marker
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 Location in Pennsylvania
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| Location | Rocky Glen Rd., 1/4 mile off Rt. 502 |
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| Nearest city | Moosic, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 41°21′12″N 75°42′21″W / 41.353271°N 75.705919°W |
| Built/founded | Interest in land 1886; Became destination in 1903 |
| Architect | Arthur Frothingham; Frederick Ingersoll |
| Governing body/ |
None |
| PHMC dedicated | August 9, 2008 |
Rocky Glen Park was a popular amusement park near Moosic, Pennsylvania. It was known by many names during its 101 years of existence. The park started as a simple picnic spot in 1886, created by Arthur Frothingham. Later, in 1904, an engineer named Frederick Ingersoll turned it into a full amusement park. This "trolley park" was a favorite place in Pennsylvania, offering rides, arcades, and places to eat. It even became a "wild west" theme park in the 1970s before it closed in 1987.
Park History
The story of Rocky Glen Park began in 1885. A land developer named Arthur Frothingham bought the land for just $15 at a tax sale. The next year, in 1886, the area opened to the public as a picnic park called Rocky Glenn. Around 1900, Frothingham hired E. S. Williams to build a dam on Dry Valley Run Creek. This created a lake on the property. However, Frothingham didn't pay Williams for the work. Williams sued and was given half ownership of the park.
Soon after, Frothingham found out that the Lehigh Valley Railroad planned to build train tracks right through his park. To stop them from taking his land using a rule called eminent domain, Frothingham buried two bodies in the path of the planned tracks. One person had died in a mining accident, and the other in a train accident. Because the land was now a cemetery, the railroad couldn't take it easily. Instead, the Lehigh Valley Railway bought a part of the cemetery for $25,000. They also agreed to build a train station nearby for the Laurel Line.
In 1904, Frederick Ingersoll added exciting amusement park rides and food stands. The park was renamed Rocky Glen Park and quickly became very popular. The next year, Ingersoll introduced his famous figure 8 roller coaster. He then focused on opening his new Luna Parks in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. His Luna Park in nearby Scranton opened the year after that. By 1906, Frothingham and Ingersoll had disagreements, and Ingersoll left the park.
Interest in the park slowed down in the 1910s. Frothingham wanted to sell his half of the property. After trying to sell it to big movie companies like MGM, Williams and Frothingham sold the park to three businessmen in 1919. These partners, John Nallin, Joe Jennings, and Ben Sterling, often disagreed about how to run the park. At one point, Rocky Glen Park was even split in two by a fence! Eventually, Ben Sterling gained full control in 1950. He renamed the park Sterling's Rocky Glen, which was later shortened to Sterling's.
By 1945, Rocky Glen Park was becoming popular again. Sterling added the Million Dollar Coaster. This huge out-and-back roller coaster was 96 feet tall and 4,700 feet long. It became the park's main attraction. Even though it was called the "Million Dollar Coaster," it only cost Sterling $100,000 to build. It was built between Glen Lake and the train tracks. At the time, it was one of the biggest roller coasters in the world. Over one million people rode it in its first three years! It was taken down in 1957.
After World War II, more people started using cars, which meant fewer people rode trains. This caused many "trolley parks" like Rocky Glen to slowly decline. The park's problems were made worse by a decline in the coal industry. By 1970, Ben Sterling decided to sell the park to a company from Atlanta, Georgia.
The new owners changed the park into a theme park. They renamed it Ghost Town in the Glen (and later Ghost Town Amusement Park) and gave it a western theme. This new idea didn't work well. The park was sold again in 1979 and became New Rocky Glen. The lake started hosting concerts in 1980. The park closed for good in 1987.
Roller Coaster Rides
Rocky Glen was home to several large roller coasters over the years:
- Figure 8 roller coaster (1904–1913): This coaster was built by Frederick Ingersoll and opened in 1904. It was removed when Ingersoll's original lease ended in 1913.
- Mountain Dips Coaster (1920–1939): Designed by John A. Miller, this coaster was built in 1920. It was considered one of the largest on the East Coast in its early years. The lift hill was unusually placed halfway through the ride. It was taken down by December 1939 due to safety concerns.
- Pippin Coaster (1924–1950): This coaster was a main attraction for one part of the park when it was split. In 1950, a big fire destroyed many attractions, including the front half of the Pippin Coaster. The back half stood for several more years before it was finally removed.
- Jazz Railway (1925–1927): Built by Harry G. Traver, this ride only lasted for three years. It was located on the hill where the Million Dollar Coaster would later be built.
- Sterling's "Million Dollar" Roller Coaster (1946–1958): This huge coaster was built in late 1945. It was 96 feet tall and about 4,700 feet long. It was meant to replace the Mountain Dips Coaster. Because it was so close to the lake, ice and water damaged its supports over time. It was taken apart in 1958.
- Jet / Mighty Lightnin' / "Comet" Coaster (1959–1988): Designed by John C. Allen, this was the last major coaster at Rocky Glen. It opened in 1959 and was a main ride for the park's later names, like Ghost Town in the Glen. It was 55 feet tall. After the park closed in 1987, parts of it were destroyed by fire. It was finally demolished in 1994. A similar coaster, the "Tornado," exists at Stricker's Grove in Ohio.
- Monster Mouse (1982): This was a steel wild mouse roller coaster built next to the Jet Coaster.
Miniature Railroad
The Clifford Twp. Volunteer Fire Company in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania now has the second miniature railroad that was once at Rocky Glen Park. This train ride was added to Rocky Glen in 1924. At that time, the park was split into two parts, and this train was on the Nallin-Jennings side. It ran in the same area where the first miniature railroad was in 1904. In the 1980s, this area would become the location of the Jet Coaster.
The railroad operated until the early 1950s. In 1950, a fire badly damaged the Nallin-Jennings side of Rocky Glen. Many rides were destroyed, including the Pippin Coaster and the Tokio Canal water ride. With not much left, the Nallin-Jennings owners sold their part of the park. Ben Sterling, who owned the other half of the park, bought it in 1951.
Since Sterling now owned the whole park, he started removing duplicate rides. By 1954, he had taken down the remaining part of the Pippin Coaster. Sterling had his own miniature railroad, which was the third one in the park's history. This one was a better attraction because it went along the "Million Dollar" Roller Coaster and was closer to the lake. The former Nallin-Jennings Miniature Railroad was then sold to the Clifford Township Volunteer Fire Company. It has been there ever since, still running with some changes, and as of 2021, it has been in operation for 97 years!
After the Park Closed
- After the park closed, a group called Hare Krishna tried to buy the land. They wanted to build a "City of God" there. However, many local residents signed petitions against the sale, and it did not happen.
- In 1988, the park's old 1903 Parker carousel was sold at an auction for $220,000. Rocky Glen Park actually had several carousels over the years, not just one long-lasting one.
- The Antique Cars and the Bumper Boats rides were sold to Knoebels Amusement Resort. The Antique Cars are still running at Knoebels today! The Bumper Boats were removed in 2015 to make room for a new steel coaster called Impulse.
Rocky Glen Park at the Roller Coaster DataBase
Images for kids
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The Sign to Rocky Glen Park, it is the only remaining structure of the park
