Location | Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA |
---|---|
Coordinates | 40°28′05″N80°12′00″W / 40.468°N 80.200°W |
Status | Defunct |
Opened | 1955 |
Closed | 1989 |
White Swan Park was a small amusement park on the border of Moon and Findlay townships in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania that operated from 1955 to 1989. [1]
The park opened in 1955 with seven rides. It was operated by brother and sister Roy Todd and Margaret Kleeman, who built it along with Kleeman's husband Edward. As the park expanded, it came to occupy about 40 acres (160,000 m2) of land, featuring a children's section and 15 rides, including the Galaxi roller coaster and a train billed as "the longest train ride in the Tri-State". [2] White Swan Park also had a pavilion of midway games, miniature golf, six picnic shelters, a Skee-Ball building, and a refreshment stand. On July 12, 1963, a new miniature golf course opened at the east end of the park.
With construction of the new Pittsburgh International Airport underway in the late 1980s, a reroute of PA 60 (renumbered I-376 in 2009) was needed for access. After the park's 1989 season, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation bought the park with the intention of demolishing it. Dismantling of the park began the following year. [3] The amusements and other artifacts were sold at auction. The Mad Mouse roller coaster was moved to Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania, but was later sold and removed in 2003. The Galaxi coaster was moved to Joyland Amusement Park in Lubbock, Texas, where it operated until the park's closing after the 2022 season. The last item from the park to be removed was the Giant Slide. The park's Tilt-A-Whirl is still in operation at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. [4]
Knoebels Amusement Resort is a family-owned and operated amusement park, picnic grove, and campground in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1926, it is the United States's largest free-admission park. The park has more than 60 rides including three wooden roller coasters, three steel roller coasters, a 1913 carousel, and two haunted house dark rides.
Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) is one of the oldest existing roller coaster manufacturing companies in the world. Based in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, it was established in 1904 by Henry B. Auchy and Chester Albright under the name Philadelphia Toboggan Company. The company manufactured carousels, wooden roller coasters, toboggans and later, roller coaster trains.
The National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA) is an international organization dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of the amusement and theme park industry – past, present and future.
American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) is a non-profit organization focusing on the enjoyment, knowledge, and preservation of roller coasters as well as recognition of some as architectural and engineering landmarks. Dues-paying members receive the quarterly magazine RollerCoaster! and bi-monthly newsletter ACE News. Amusement parks have also invited members to exclusive ride events at amusement parks as well as sneak peek events at new roller coasters under construction.
Libertyland was an amusement park located in Memphis, Tennessee. Opened on July 4, 1976, it was located at 940 Early Maxwell Blvd. It was structured under the nonprofit 501(c)4 US tax code. It closed due to financial reasons in 2005.
Joyland Amusement Park was a small family-owned traditional amusement park, located in Lubbock, Texas, United States within Lubbock's Mackenzie Park. It typically operated from March to September of each year, opening 6 days a week but only during the evening on weeknights.
Little Amerricka is an amusement park located in Marshall, Wisconsin, United States.
Lakemont Park is an amusement park located in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The park opened in 1894 as a trolley park and became an amusement park in 1899. It is one of only thirteen trolley parks still operating, and the 8th oldest amusement park in the United States. The park was closed from 2017 to 2018, but re-opened in summer 2019. It closed for the 2024 season.
Phoenix is a wooden roller coaster located at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. It was moved to its current location in central Pennsylvania in 1985. Prior to its purchase and relocation to Knoebels, it operated under the name The Rocket at Playland Park in San Antonio, Texas.
Flying Turns is a wooden bobsled roller coaster at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. It is modeled after a similar ride designed by John Norman Bartlett and John Miller in the 1920s. The ride concept is similar to a modern steel bobsled roller coaster; however Flying Turns is made of wood, like the original rides. The layout of the ride is most similar to the original located at Riverview Park in Chicago, Illinois.
High Speed Thrill Coaster was a steel junior roller coaster located at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania.
Bocaraca is a steel roller coaster located at Parque de Diversiones Dr. Roberto Ortiz Brenes in San José, Costa Rica.
The Allan Herschell Company was a company that specialized in the creation of amusement rides, particularly carousels and roller coasters. The company manufactured portable machines that could be used by traveling carnival operators. It was started in 1915 in the town of North Tonawanda, just outside Buffalo, New York, USA.
Skyliner is a wooden roller coaster located at Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It first opened in 1960 at New York's Roseland Park, and was John C. Allen's first full-size coaster design. Roseland Park closed in 1985, and following the success Knoebels had in relocating wooden coaster Phoenix, Lakemont Park followed suit. Skyliner reopened at Lakemont Park in 1987 after being moved from Roseland Park. Skyliner is an ACE Coaster Classic. The ride is not operating for the 2024 season.
Joyland Amusement Park was an amusement park in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It was in continuous operation from 1949 to 2004, standing vacant for two years before closing permanently in 2006. It was once the largest theme park in central Kansas and featured a wooden roller coaster as well as 15 other rides.
Angela Park was an amusement park located along PA Route 309 in Drums, Pennsylvania. The park operated from 1957 through 1988. It was owned and operated by the Barletta Family until 1985, when it was sold to Mirth Master Corporation of Chester County, Pennsylvania, who operated the park until 1988. After the 1988 season, the owners filed for bankruptcy. In 1990, the rides and equipment were auctioned off. During the late 1990s, many of the buildings were razed. During the 2000s, the property served as a training field for Lackawanna College's training program for Lackawanna County police. Today, the property is owned by New Land Development of Lackawanna County and is undeveloped. The park's sole roller coaster was called Valley Volcano, and it was designed by John C. Allen.
Galaxi is the common name of a series of mass-produced roller coasters manufactured primarily by Italian company S.D.C, which went bankrupt in 1993. The roller coaster design was first used in the 1970s, and as of 2009, sixteen Galaxi coasters are still in park-based operation, across the North American, European, and Australian continents, with another two "Standing But Not Operating". At least 37 amusement parks are operating or have previously operated Galaxi coasters; this does not include those owned by funfairs and traveling ride companies.
Black Diamond is a roller coaster at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. The ride has a steel track on a wooden frame. The roller coaster originally opened in 1960 as Golden Nugget at Hunt's Pier, and it eventually became part of Morey's Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey, where it operated until 1999 and stood unused until early 2009. The ride was relocated to Knoebels and reopened on October 8, 2011, as Black Diamond.
Sauzer's Kiddieland was an amusement park that operated near the U.S. Route 30 and U.S. Route 41 intersection in Schererville, Indiana from 1949 to 1993. The 15-acre (61,000 m2) park was opened and operated by Frank Sauzer and later operated by his son Frank Sauzer Jr., included about 18 rides and a paddle boat pond.
Jet Star is a steel roller coaster located at Luna Park in La Palmyre, France. It was formerly located at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, and at Morey's Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey. The ride is a standard production model Schwarzkopf Jet Star, which is a compact ride featuring many small dips and turns.