Angela Park: Photos of what's left 20 years later.

On my Easter weekend trip to Northeast Pennsylvania, in addition to a quick trip to Knoebel's, I shot over to Drums, PA and took 44 pictures of the old Angela Park site. The most visible remnants are the Miniature Golf course, the swimming pool, some old train tracks, and a bunch of concrete pads where rides once stood. When they razed the Valley Volcano coaster, they not only knocked it down but they pulled up EVERY SINGLE FOOTER from the ground. I didn't get a good shot of them but they are all piled up parallel to the road, concrete included. I posted captions as to what rides were at some of the locations. I never visited that park when it was open, I am just going by the photos that I have seen, so if I'm wrong feel free to correct me and I will correct the captions.

FIND THE PICTURES HERE

Enjoy,

Tom

Congrats! Really cool pictures!
:)

I also have a melancholic vein for defunct parks...
There are also these ones:

1) Spree Park outside of Berlin:
http://www.urban-travel.org/spreepark/index.html

2) The "classic" from Japan:
http://www.uer.ca/locations/show.asp?locid=22541

3) And in Pripyat/Chernobyl, it looks like the trees are taking over at this point:
http://www.opuszczone.com/galerie/uk_prypec/showpic.php?f=07_prypec_wesole%2F001_lud .jpg&lang=en *** Edited 3/25/2008 3:20:51 PM UTC by superman***

My Mom told me many Stories of her trips to the Park. and another park near Scranton.
She grow up down the road.

Its sad to see these old parks.

FYI this park is right off the exit of I-80 if anyone is cruising by.

Great stuff, Tom. I love seeing these kinds of pictures.

It amazes me that so much of the park is still visible almost 20 years after it closed. I guess there's been no interest in redeveloping the site all these years? Weird how the footers were pulled from the ground and left on site. I wonder why someone went to the trouble of doing that?

I don't know why the footers are where they are, but I can point you to some sites with more info on the park. I do know that the police, either local or state, were using the parking lot as a training site about 10 years ago. I believe I saw the remnants of a sign to that effect that was in pieces.

DEFUNCT PARKS.COM page on Angela Park.

NEPA LOST PARKS page on Angela, includes more links.

BOBSHOMETOWNCOASTERS page with pics from Angela.

MCSWEENEY's has an interview with a Scrambler operator at Angela.

Tom

I have some pics from when it was operating.
I have to dig through my box of Photos and scan them.
yes no digital camera back then

I'd love to see them!

I was mistaken I rode by the park many years ago when it was open but didn't go in it. I was on my way to a Funeral.
But I did drive by years later and took some pics heres one of them I scanned from my 35mm camera
I reduced to it for web.

coaster

I have about 15 more in the 8mp scanned size i can post later

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*** Edited 3/26/2008 3:57:58 PM UTC by PcMan***

We live 25 minutes or so from there... as well as 10 minutes drive to Rocky Glen. There is a park in Nay Aug again, but not like there was. This area used to have so many great little parks, but now all that is left is Knoebels.

What is sad is that with the current economy and price of gas these smaller parks would be cashing in if they were still around. People from NEPA are going to be less likely to drive 2 hours to Great Adventure, pay $15 in tolls each way, $30 - 50 in gas, $15 or more to park... and that doesn't even cover admission, food, and all the other in park stuff.

I, as many other enthsiasts, have long dreamed about what I could do with my Powerball jackpot winnings.

Never went to this park, but friends of mine did when they were younger, before I knew them. It was the place to go if you grew up in the Hazleton area.

I wonder whether there still might be a niche for small parks like this, given all the other choices people have for entertainment. Considering we had three parks in PA alone close within the past 2 or 3 years. Is it lack of interest from the public of poor management by their owners?

I know Adrenaline Family Entertainment which recently bought Clementon park will be buying more "small" parks that have potential and are in good markets. For Adrenaline, Clementon is its first investment.

"There is a strategy of acquiring 10 to 12 parks in the next three to four years," said Dorman. The idea is to acquire "smaller parks with large potential located in major metropolitan markets."

"Adrenaline Family Entertainment is working to build a diversified portfolio of theme and water park operations through acquisition and selective development opportunities. Adrenaline is lead by CEO Hue Eichelberger, who is the former Executive Vice President of the Eastern Region for Six Flags, Inc., and CFO Russell Kuteman, also a former Six Flags executive."

*** Edited 3/26/2008 10:55:34 PM UTC by PcMan***

Small parks are great for company picnics (Clementon gets a lot of Hospitals, Casinos etc. )
I attend a few a year at Clementon

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*** Edited 3/26/2008 10:58:40 PM UTC by PcMan***

Interesting bit of info there. I hope they find a way to turn their plans into reality.

I've been saying this for years about there being a niche for small, neighborhood parks in densely-populated urban and suburban areas. A small footprint could contain an amusement park with some flat rides built around a space-saving out-and-back coaster, an indoor arcade with restaurants and shopping to generate year-round revenue and maybe even some water attractions since they go over really well.