PA's Twin Park Grove to reopen!
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My apologies in linking to a C-buzz competitor: http://www.screamscape.com/html/industry_news.html
More info http://www.twingroveparkcampground.com/
No coaster mentioned in the plans, but lots of great classic flats including a Flyers and a Traver Circle Swing!
FYI, the park is near Harrisburg, PA.
*** This post was edited by Mamoosh on 1/22/2003. ***
Jeff Pugh is also opening a park in NASHIVILLE TN.
Chuck
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Charles Nungester.
Is it about coasters or friends? I say both!
Thanks for the FYI 'Moosh, their map certainly could have been on any parcel of land in PA for all I could tell....adding this to the long list of smaller parks in PA that we haven't yet visited....
Chuck...are you saying Pugh is involved with Thrillopolis, or is the one in Nashville a competing park?
They're going to have an exiciting collection of rides for anybody interest in classic flats!
The article in Amusement Business reported that Twin Grove purchased another circle swing to use as parts in the restoration. I wonder where they got it. It also said they have an old carousel frame and might try to repopulate it with animals or they might look for a complete machine.
Can't wait to visit the park. Who needs Top Thrill Dragster when you can ride the only operable circle swing!
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Welcome to the New & Improved Coasterbuzz...no tomfoolery allowed!
It was reported to me by more than one source that Jeff Pugh has moved to Nashville ot OPERATE a park. One is a lifetime carny that works for them and the other is a current managment member of Lesourdsville Lake.
Chuck, member of the attempt to get COASTER moved to Lesourdsville Lake Commity. :)
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Charles Nungester.
Is it about coasters or friends? I say both!
Whoa, A traver circle swing and FLYERS? PA is definetly in my Vacation plans this year!
Chuck, Is there a website? Nungester
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Charles Nungester.
Is it about coasters or friends? I say both!
I heard about this last summer when I visited Defunct parks.com. They asked the site to remove them from the defunct list but I couldn't find any other info about it until now.
Twin Grove is located about half way between Knoebels and Hershey. It's off of the Pine Grove exit on I-81 a mile or two.
I can't wait to have another local park nearby.
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Visits to Knoebels in 2002: 10 and PPP!
XBox Live Gamer tag: Coasterpunk
Mamoosh: yeah, I forgot about that one in CA.
Twin Grove will have the only vintage Traver swing in operation.
While were on the subject, anybody notice quick footage of the circle swing that appears in the opening sequence of American Dreams?
*** This post was edited by millrace on 1/22/2003. ***
The news makes me very happy. I visited the park this past summer right during their auction. It was sad to see what bad shape the park was in, but now there is hope that yet another small Pennsylvania family park has a brighter future :)
I have some photos I took at the auction:
http://www.geocities.com/black7.geo/TwinGrovePark.html
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"If you make it too smooth, it'll be like sitting in your living room."
-Bill Cobb - Designer, Texas Cyclone
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Visits to Knoebels in 2002: 10 and PPP!
XBox Live Gamer tag: Coasterpunk
Wow...great pics! Does anyone know if Twin Groves ever had a wood coaster? They were all over PA when the park was in its heyday. RCDB doesn't list anything.
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Sig under construction!
Competitor? No no... we post news, not nonsense.
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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED!
Great pictures. I wonder how much those burned out video games brought at the auction.
Do you know if the kiddie swing was sold as well?
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Please visit the small parks. We don't know what's happening behind the scenes
Woodencoaster.com
TGP was started in the early 1930's as a picnic park by a logging company for its employees. Several rides were added over the years, including PTC #9 carrousel, which came from Mt. Gretna (PA) park and originally from Euclid Beach Park. Also added was a circle swing from Carsonia Park in Reading, PA, a homebuilt park train, the Lusse Skooters (in a unique round building), possibly some unknown kiddie rides, and a ride called a Whiz-Bang (don't ask--nobody seems to know what it was!)also from Carsonia Park. The park also added a huge spring fed swimming pool across the state road (access was thru a tunnel). Camping was also permitted on the grounds. There was never a wooden coaster at TGP
In the late 1950's, a gentleman named Harold Yergey bought the park and developed the campground side of it. It was a very popular place through the 60's and into the 70's, as a family camping resort. Very little was put into the rides during these years, and at the end only the carrousel was running. The swimming pool was closed by the state as there was no filter plant and the water was not safe.
In 1980 the carrousel was sold and stripped. The machinery ended up in Pottstown, PA as part of a community revitalization effort. The only thing remaining in operation was the bar, which became a "biker" hangout.
Harold died, I believe, in 2000.
The current owners, one of which is related to Harold, have spent a great deal of money rebuilding the campground, adding cabins and a new restaurant building. I believe that the campground comes first with them, then the rides. The circle swing, while still standing, is in sad shape. And for the record, it is not the giant Traver circle swing which was seen at Kennywood or Dorney, rather more of a "junior" model, with the loading at or near ground level. I gather that they have also found cars and track for a dark ride, but no word on the manufacturer.
Hope this was of some value, and answered some questions.
Saddly, I have no idea how much anything went for. I just happened upon it that weekend. I was headed toward Williams Grove and decided to stop and see if the park was really un-defunct, as I had read so on defunctparks.com. I do not know how the auctions really work, and didn't have the money to really buy anything anyhows, so I walked around the grounds and then made my way to Williams Grove.
BTW, thanks for the compliments on my photos. If you would like to see some of my other park photos, check out this site:
http://www.coasters2k.com/gallery/
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"If you make it too smooth, it'll be like sitting in your living room."
-Bill Cobb - Designer, Texas Cyclone
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