West View Park facts for kids

West View Park was a fun amusement park located in West View, Pennsylvania, just north of Pittsburgh. It was opened by the T.M. Harton Company on May 23, 1906. The park was famous for its dance hall, Danceland, where many popular bands and artists performed. Even The Rolling Stones played there in 1964!

The park was open for 71 years, bringing joy to many families. However, it closed its doors in 1977 because it wasn't making enough money and the costs to run it were too high. After closing, the park was left empty for a few years and sadly, some fires started by people on purpose damaged it. In 1980, the park was torn down. A shopping center and homes were built in its place in 1981.

Quick facts for kids
West View Park

West View Park, circa 1912
Location	West View, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates	40°31′03″N 80°01′52″W / 40.51750°N 80.03111°W / 40.51750; -80.03111
Status	Closed
Opened	May 23, 1906; 119 years ago (1906-05-23)
Closed	September 5, 1977; 47 years ago (1977-09-05)
Owner	T.M. Harton Company via West View Park Company
Slogan	"Just For Fun" (1920s-1930s) The Fun Park (1970s)

Park History

Early Years: 1906-1918

West View Park first opened its gates on May 23, 1906. It cost about $250,000 to build, which was a lot of money back then! When it first opened, the park had a water ride called Mystic Chute. There was also a roller coaster named Figure Eight.

You could also ride horses on the Pony Track. The Pony Track even had tiny cars for people to drive. The park also had a beautiful carousel with horses carved by D.C. Muller Brothers.

Over the next few years, West View Park added more exciting roller coasters. In 1909, a new Figure Eight coaster replaced the old one. Then, in 1910, a coaster called The Dips opened. This ride was built along the park's lake. The Dips stayed at the park until it closed in 1977.

In 1917, the park added another new roller coaster. It was called Speed-o-Plane. This ride was later rebuilt in 1927 and renamed Greyhound. The park also had funhouses like Katzenjammer Castle and Hilarity Hall.

Growing Bigger: 1919-1930

After the park's founder, T.M. Harton, passed away in 1919, the park continued to grow. New and exciting rides were added. One of the first new rides was The Whip, installed in 1919.

Other popular rides like the Scooter and Caterpillar were also added. The park even had two carousels, which was quite unusual! A ride called Joy Plane also joined the fun.

In 1927, a big new roller coaster arrived. It was called Racing Whippet. This coaster was special because it was a "racing mobius" style. Riders would enter from underneath the station. Then they would walk up a ramp to choose which side to ride on. A modern coaster similar to this is Lightning Racer at Hersheypark.

Towards the end of this period, the park added a Tumble Bug ride in 1929. A Cuddle Up ride was installed in 1930.

Tough Times: The 1930s and World War II

The 1930s were a difficult time for many businesses because of the Great Depression. This was a period when the economy was very bad. West View Park also faced challenges.

However, the park found ways to keep visitors coming. In 1932, the Pony Track was replaced with the Talkie Temple. This was a small theater that showed movies with sound. Later, it became a place for children's shows.

Even during these tough years, West View Park continued to add new rides. A Water Skooter ride opened on the lake in 1935. In 1936, the Loop-O-Plane was installed. Another similar ride, Stratoship, came in 1939.

World War II also brought challenges. Many men went to fight in the war, making it hard to find workers. In 1943, the government even stopped people from driving for fun. This was to save oil for the war effort. Many parks struggled, but West View Park did well. It was located close to many homes, so people could still get there easily. During the war years, the park even added several kiddie rides and a Chair-O-Plane.

Peak Years: 1946-1965

After World War II, George M. Harton III took over as the park's general manager. This was a golden age for West View Park. Many new and modern rides were added during his time.

However, the amusement park world was changing. In 1955, Walt Disney opened Disneyland. This led to the rise of modern theme parks like Six Flags Over Texas, which opened in 1961. Other older parks started to update themselves to compete.

Another big change was the decline of streetcar services. For decades, streetcars brought many visitors to West View Park. But by 1965, fewer people were using them, and the service to the park stopped.

Dance halls also became less popular. In the 1960s, big music acts started playing in stadiums instead of dance halls. But West View Park tried to keep Danceland popular. They even got The Rolling Stones to play there on June 17, 1964! Only 400 people were there, making it a very special show.

Final Years: 1966-1977

Even though the park was still adding rides, they were mostly smaller ones. A Sky Wheel operated in 1969 and 1970. A miniature railroad was added in 1970. New Paratrooper and Tempest rides came in the early 1970s.

Unfortunately, West View Park's competitors were adding much bigger and more exciting rides. For example, Hersheypark added many rides between 1972 and 1977. Nearby Kennywood Park built its first million-dollar ride, the Log Jammer. West View Park couldn't keep up without more investment and space for large rides.

A sad event happened on September 29, 1973. Danceland, the famous dance hall, burned down due to faulty electrical wiring. It was valued at $1 million and was not rebuilt. Losing Danceland was a big blow to the park's future.

Also, as local school districts combined, fewer school groups chose West View Park for their picnics. Many started going to Kennywood instead, especially as Kennywood was making big improvements.

West View Park closed for the 1977 season on Labor Day, September 5. No one knew then that it would be the park's very last day.

After the Park Closed

A few weeks later, the T.M. Harton Company announced that West View Park would close forever. In 1981, a shopping center and homes were built on the land. The shopping center was even named after West View Park. Its logo was a carousel horse.

The shopping center is still there today. It has a Giant Eagle grocery store. A Kmart store used to be there until it closed in 2019.

The park was also featured in a novel called Stick Man. This book is about a boy growing up in West View. Several important parts of the story take place in West View Park. The book was written by Richard Rossi, who grew up in West View.

Former Rides

West View Park had many different rides and attractions over its years. Here are the nine roller coasters that operated at the park.

List of Roller Coasters

• West View Park at the Roller Coaster DataBase

Images for kids

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  West View Park, circa 1912