THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARCHIVE - All Things Mister Rogers
HOME   |   ABOUT   |   FORUM  |   BLOG   |   PODCAST   |   DONATE

Idlewild: History and Memories of Pennsylvania's Oldest Amusement Park

Date: 2018
Author: Jennifer Sopko
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 9781467119542
Purchase: Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Hardcover)

 


Description

Idlewild and SoakZone has charmed people across Western Pennsylvania and beyond since the late 1800s. The park was developed by Pittsburgh's Mellon family as a picnic grove to boost traffic on the Ligonier Valley Rail Road. When C.C. Macdonald took the helm in 1931, rides, entertainment and other attractions came to Idlewild over the next half century, along with the adjacent Story Book Forest. After joining the Kennywood family of amusement parks, Idlewild added a Wild West town, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe and a water slide complex. Author Jennifer Sopko tells the heartwarming history of a Pennsylvania amusement park that continues to delight generations of families.

This site is best viewed using the most current version of Google Chrome.
Content copyright © The Fred Rogers Company. Used with permission.
Corner image by Spencer Fruhling. Used with permission.
Do not duplicate or distribute any material from this site without the consent of The Fred Rogers Company.