Williams Grove Amusement Park facts for kids
Williams Grove Amusement Park was a fun place near Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. It was an amusement park that is now closed. The park welcomed visitors for many years, from 1850 until 2005.
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A Look Back at Williams Grove
The story of Williams Grove Amusement Park began in 1850. The Williams family started hosting picnics in a small area called Williams Grove. This spot was close to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
Over a few years, this picnic spot grew into a park. About 20 years later, it became the Mechanicsburg Fairgrounds. After World War I, different people owned the park over time. The first rides arrived at the park in 1928. A race track, the Williams Grove Speedway, opened next to the park in 1938.
New Owner and Challenges
In 1972, a businessman named Morgan Hughes bought the park. He paid $1.2 million for it. Some rides from another closed park, Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey, were moved to Williams Grove.
Later that same year, a big storm called Hurricane Agnes caused problems. The nearby Yellow Breeches Creek flooded the park. But the park was rebuilt and kept running. It stayed open until the end of the 2005 season. At that time, the Hughes family decided to focus only on the Williams Grove Speedway.
Morgan Hughes tried to sell the park in 2006. He wanted someone to buy it and keep it open. But he could not find a buyer. Some of the rides were sold off that same year.
Exciting Rides at the Park
Williams Grove Amusement Park had several fun rides. Roller coasters were some of the most popular attractions.
The Cyclone Roller Coaster
The Cyclone was a big wooden roller coaster. It was the main ride at the park. The Cyclone went up 65 feet high. It could reach a top speed of 45 miles per hour.
The Cyclone closed after the 2005 season. It is still standing today, but it does not run. The ride's cars were moved to a museum in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
Other Roller Coasters
In 2001, the park added a new steel roller coaster called The Wildcat. When Williams Grove Park closed, The Wildcat was moved. It now operates at Adventure Park USA in New Market, Maryland.
The park also had two smaller roller coasters for younger kids. The Kiddie Coaster was there from 1992 until the park closed. The Little Dipper ran from 1950 to 1963.
Fun Houses and Water Slides
Williams Grove Park had a dark ride called "Dante's Inferno." This building is still standing today. There was also a walk-through fun house called "Allotria."
In the early 1980s, the park added one of the first water slides in the area. The tall platform where the two water slides started is still standing, but the slides are gone.
