Abandoned But Not Forgotten
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williams grove amusement park

4/17/2017

11 Comments

 

williams grove 
amusement park

1850 - 2005

​Pennsylvania
Picture
cars of the Cyclone wooden rollercoaster 
In the 1850's the William's family began hosting family picnics and community events in the village of William's Grove outside of Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania. The family park had grown into the Mechanicsburg Fairgrounds within 20 years and by 1928 the fairgrounds received their first rides. After World War I the property ownership had changed hands multiple times but the late 1920s owners were the ones who developed this family park into an amusement park. Right before World War II, in 1938, the Williams Grove Speedway half-mile track opened across the street from the amusement park and is still open to this day.
Picture
Overgrown Cyclone wooden rollercoaster

In 1972, Morgan Hughes purchased the amusement park for $1.2 million. The New Jersey Palisades Amusement Park had closed that same year and Hughes was able to purchase many of their rides and relocate them to Williams Grove. That same year, Hurricane Agnes caused flooding that nearly destroyed the park but Hughes stayed true to his investment and rebuilt. The Yellow Breeches Creek surrounds the amusement park and has flooded the grounds on a number of occasions both before and after the hurricane which put a strain on maintenance costs. 
Picture
Old train chairs outside of the bathroom behind the park
Picture
Cyclone wooden rollercoaster
Picture
Strip with park games and booths 
Picture
One of the cars from the little dipper that was removed from the park in 1963
Picture
The Cyclone was the main attraction of the park 

After staying open for 33 years, the Hughes family decided to focus on the Williams Grove Speedway and in 2005 they made the decision to close the amusement park. The following year they tried to sell the property but were unable to find a buyer interested in keeping the park intact and operational. The Hughes family lost their opportunity to find a buyer for the park so they kept it and auctioned off some of the rides late 2006. Morgan Hughes passed away in 2008 and the park still remains untouched except for the occasional flea market held on the property in the summer.   

Picture
Inside the former carousel shed 
Picture
Exterior of the former carousel shed

the Rides of williams grove amusement park

The Cyclone
The Little Dipper
Twister
2 Waterslides
The Wildcat
Dante's Inferno
The Tilt-A-Whirl
The carousel
The Kiddie Coaster
Allotria
The Octopus
Bumper cars
The Cyclone - the parks main attraction. The wooden coaster was 65 ft high at its highest drop and could reach up to 45 mph. 
The Wildcat - opened in the 1980s and was the parks first and only steel rollercoaster. When the park closed the ride was relocated to Adventure Park in Maryland.
The Kiddie Coaster - brought to the park in 1992.
The Little Dipper - brought to the park in 1950 and removed in 1963
Dante's Inferno - dark fun house ride
Allotria - fun house walkthrough 
The 2 waterslides of Williams Grove Amusement Park were the first waterslides in the area and installed in the 1980s. The waterslides have since been removed and the platforms are all that remains. 
Other rides and entertainment include - Twister, Tilt-A-Whirl, The Octopus, The carousel, Kiddie train ride, bumper cars, laser tag, and the fun house. 

Picture
Fence on the bridge which is the only way to the park since it is surrounded by the Yellow Breeches Creek. Spikes and barbed wire cover the top and sides making the small gaps in the middle our only way in.

Picture
The first hill of the cyclone wooden rollercoaster

references

"Pennsylvania's Creepiest Abandoned Amusement Park: The Williams Grove." The Vintage News, 16 Aug. 2016, www.thevintagenews.com/2016/08/16/priority-9/.

Vee, Wendy. "The Remains of Williams Grove." Roadside Wonders, 12 Oct. 2010, roadsidewonders.net/the-remains-of-williams-grove/.

"Williams Grove Amusement Park (Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA)." Roller Coaster DataBase, rcdb.com/4681.htm.

"William's Grove Amusement Park." Theme Park Review, www.themeparkreview.com/wgrove/wgrove.htm.

​"Williams Grove Amusement Park." RideZone, www.ridezone.com/parks/pa/williamsgrove/index.htm.



11 Comments
Larry Fox
10/1/2019 05:44:25 am

Hitchhiker friend and I visited park in early 70's to see Ernest Tubb perform.We hiked from Gettysburg.

Reply
Jeff Wise
7/26/2020 10:28:13 am

I have a question. I'm looking for a space to run an interactive live action experience. Who could I speak with about using the grounds to do so?

Reply
Sami
9/26/2020 09:58:37 am

Hey Jeff sorry for the late response. I’m not sure who owns the property, you might have to get in touch with the town of Mechanicsberg PA to get contact info. It seemed like there was a house on the property and someone lived there so you might even be able to get an address to mail them a formal request.

Reply
CJ
1/31/2021 03:20:54 pm

Don’t bother she is very rude I had asked her if I could come on her property and take pictures of the old roller coaster and she was very ignorant

Kayla Miller link
5/12/2021 04:48:44 pm

I was curious as to if this information was still current as far as your knowledge? I'm currently writing a blog about Williams Grove Amusement Park. (Don't worry, I intend to give full credit where it is due!)

Reply
Charles R Bishop
8/27/2021 12:01:07 pm

To the Hughes family I remember delivering ice cream to the park and visiting it for the rides and picnics many times. I still live in Mechanicsburg and many would like to visit and remember what it had. If I can (I know I can) could we get a group together to visit and true to clean up the area a little as volunteers?

Reply
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12/2/2022 06:44:26 am

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12/19/2022 06:05:03 am

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Jaci Thoman link
6/27/2023 12:35:16 pm

The photo you have under williams grove amusement park stating that it is old train seats in front of the bathroom behind the park is incorrect. They are old train seats but they are on the porch of the Museum/Kitchen building on the grounds now owned by the Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association.

Reply
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9/28/2023 06:29:49 am

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    ​All photos taken by Sami Fego unless stated otherwise
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