Williams Grove Amusement Park

Williams Grove Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park near Williams Grove, Pennsylvania. The park operated from 1850 until 2005.

History

The Williams family began hosting picnics in 1850 at a small grove in Williams Grove, a village near Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Within a few years, the grove was developed into a park. Two decades later, the park became the Mechanicsburg Fairgrounds. In 1873, the Cumberland Valley Railroad, which operated the newly constructed Dillsburg and Mechanicsburg Railroad, leased the grove from the Williams family, planning to build it into a resort destination. Williams Grove's positioning along the railroad made it a promising location for travel. That summer, a small gathering of local chapters of the Pennsylvania State Grange was held at the grove. Within the coming years, the gathering would become a farmer's fair known as the Great Grangers’ Picnic Exhibition, which brought in upwards of 100,000 guests from more than 30 states over its week-long stay. The exhibition's popularity brought success to Williams Grove. The picnic was held for the last time in 1916, as the park's ownership changed several times after World War I. The first rides were installed at the park in 1928. The adjacent Williams Grove Speedway half-mile track opened in 1938. In the 1960s, the park was a popular country music venue, featuring well-known acts such as Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash.

An entrepreneur named Morgan Hughes purchased the park in 1972 for US$1.2 million (equivalent to $8.74 million in 2023). Hughes relocated several rides to Williams Grove from multiple locations, including the defunct New Jersey Palisades Amusement Park, which closed in 1971. Williams Grove Amusement Park was nearly destroyed in June of 1972 due to Hurricane Agnes and subsequent flooding from nearby Yellow Breeches Creek. The park was rebuilt, and operated through the end of the 2005 season, when the Hughes family decided to focus their attention on the Williams Grove Speedway instead. Hughes, who was in his mid-80s at the time of the park's closure, attempted to sell the property in 2006 to a prospective owner who would keep the park intact and operational. On January 19, 2007, the nonprofit Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association purchased the southern 90 acres of the park for $2.25 million. Hughes had allowed the hosting of annual steam engine shows on this mostly empty land since 1959, and the association wished to continue these shows, with even more year-round fairs and offerings. During 2006 and the coming years, several rides were auctioned off from main portion of park. Hughes passed away on April 12, 2008, at the age of 88. As of 2024, the park property, including many dilapidated structures, is owned by Morgan Hughes' daughter, Kathy Hughes. The Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association is working with Hughes to move the carousel house to the non-profit's grounds. They hope to raise enough money to restore it to use as an entertainment venue.

Former rides

Cyclone was a wooden roller coaster which served as the main attraction of the park. Cyclone rose to a height of 65 feet and traveled at a top speed of 45 mph. The ride was designed by Oscar Bitler and originally opened as Zipper. The name was changed when the park received trains from the former Palisades Park's coaster of the name Cyclone. Cyclone was well-known for the several issues that plagued its operation, including being damaged by fire in late 1995, and the station and a portion of track collapsing under the weight of snow early the next year, the latter of which resulted in $500,000 in repairs. A portion of the coaster also had to be replaced when a truck was driven through it. It remains standing at the park to this day, with the train still parked at the loading station.

In 2001, the park opened Wildcat, a Schwarzkopf Wildcat that previously operated at Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Upon the park's closing, Wildcat was relocated to Adventure Park USA in New Market, Maryland.

Two smaller coasters also operated at the park. One of these coasters was Kiddie Coaster, which operated from 1992 until the park's closure. It had previously operated at Fantasy Farm Amusement Park in Monroe, Ohio. Another coaster was Little Dipper, which operated from 1950 until 1963.

The park featured a Pretzel dark ride that opened in 1942, called Laff in the Dark. The ride was converted into a new dark ride called Dante's Inferno in 1985. The building is still standing today. The park also used to have a walk-through funhouse called Allotria.

In the early 1980s, the park opened one of the first water slides in the area. The slide's platform is still standing, although the slides themselves have since been removed.

External links

• Williams Grove Amusement Park at Abandoned
• Williams Grove Amusement Park at the Roller Coaster DataBase