I am most definitely a roller coaster enthusiast. While I love a good modern coaster such as Cedar Point’s Millennium Force, my heart lies with historic wooden roller coasters such as The Racer which is located in Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh. Kennywood is actually home to three historic coasters: the Jack Rabbit, the Racer, and …
Did you know Jeannette, Pa. was once home to a popular amusement park? Although nature has reclaimed the land, the area once was home to Oakford Park, Greensburg and Jeannette’s very own trolley park. Like many of the amusement parks of yesteryear, Oakford Park in Jeannette (sometimes listed as Greensburg) started out as a trolley …
Would you ride a roller coaster that’s 117 years old? This summer you might get your chance when Lakemont Park in Altoona reopens after a two-year hiatus. With it’s opening, you’ll also be able to experience the world’s oldest operating roller coaster, Leap-the-Dips. Leap-the-Dips Makes It Debut Lakemont Park was opened in the late 1800s …
Storyland was opened in the 1950s as a roadside attraction. It featured many concrete figured from beloved fairy tales and nursery rhymes. It was one of many of roadside attractions that popped up along Route 3o to attract tourist traffic.
Unfortunately, the 80s were not a good time for Route 30 and the Lincoln Highway. By then, the turnpike became the preferred method of travel, bypassing many of the former attractions. This lead to a decline in traffic and forced many of the attractions to close. By the mid 1980s, Storyland closed for good. That’s not the end of the story, though.
I love history and especially historic buildings. I just think of all the stories those walls could tell. Find out out what these stories are is sort of a mystery to me. I love seeing how a building has evolved and changed over the years. I was only vaguely aware of the history of Hotel …
