Stricker's Grove is a small family owned amusement park

Amusement park

thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...

 located in Ross, Ohio

Ross, Ohio

Ross is a census-designated place in Ross Township, Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,971 at the 2000 census. It was laid out by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Clark on February 1, 1817, as Venus, which became corrupted as "Venice", a name found on some maps...

, USA. Unlike other amusement parks, Stricker's Grove is closed to the public for most of the year. Instead, it is rented out for private functions, such as weddings. The park is open to the public for four days a year, on July 4

Independence Day (United States)

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...

, the second Sunday in August (Family Day), Labor Day, and a Sunday in October called "Customer Appreciation Day".

History

The park was first started in 1924 in Mt. Healthy, Ohio by Henry Stricker on 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) of property. Stricker initially used the land for a place for coworkers to come to on weekends to picnic and enjoy the countryside. A dance hall was later added, and was designed so that if the park failed, it could be converted into a chicken coop.

In the 1940s, a pony card ride was added along with a horse and pony track. The first rides arrived at the park in 1954, including the Boat Ride and the Rockets, both of which remain in operation.

Upon Henry's death in 1960, the park was passed on to his three sons, Harold, Elmer, and Ralph. In 1972, the park was relocated to Ross, Ohio and Ralph became the sole owner. Ralph passed away in January, 2007. His daughter and three long time employees now operate the park.

Rides and attractions

Stricker's Grove currently has several amusement rides, including two "classic" wooden roller coaster

Wooden roller coaster

A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...

s.

Tornado

The larger of the roller coasters is Tornado, designed by Al Collins and built by Ralph Stricker. Construction started in 1990 and finished in 1993. The ride runs a single Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters train. The Tornado is a mirror image of the former John Allen designed Comet at the now defunct Rocky Glen Park

Rocky Glen Park

Known by a variety of names over its 101-year existence, Rocky Glen Park was a park near Moosic, Pennsylvania, USA. Founded by Arthur Frothingham in 1886 as a picnic park, it was transformed into an amusement park by engineer and entrepreneur Frederick Ingersoll in 1905...

.

Teddy Bear

The Teddy Bear wooden roller coaster is small family sized ride first built in 1996, also by Ralph Stricker. Like the Tornado, the Teddy Bear coaster was built using the blueprints from the 1935 built Teddy Bear at Coney Island in Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

. The coaster has been recognized as an ACE

American Coaster Enthusiasts

The American Coaster Enthusiasts is an organization dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of roller coasters. Membership is open to anyone with payment of yearly dues, and membership benefits may include discounted admission to certain amusement parks...

 Classic Coaster.

Other attractions

• Boat Ride
• Rockets
• Little Cars
• Kiddie Whip
• Turtles (a kiddie sized Tumble Bug
  Tumble Bug
  A Tumble Bug is an amusement park ride with a circular track.Only two full-sized Tumble Bugs remain operating today in the United States—one at Kennywood in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, and one at Conneaut Lake Park in Conneaut Lake, PA. All full-size instances were made by Traver...
  
  )
• Carousel
  Carousel
  A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
  
  
• Helicopters
• Crazy Daisy
• Train Ride
• Ferris wheel
  Ferris wheel
  A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
  
  
• Tilt-A-Whirl
  Tilt-A-Whirl
  Tilt-A-Whirl is one of the best-known flat rides, designed for commercial use at amusement parks, fairs and carnivals in which it is commonly found. The rides are manufactured by Sellner Manufacturing of Faribault, Minnesota...
  
  
• Scrambler
  Twist (ride)
  The Twist, also known as the Twister, Cyclone, Sizzler, Scrambler, Merry Mixer, Jambalaya, or Grasscutter is an amusement ride in which suspended riders spinning in cars experience the illusion that they will crash into other suspended, spinning cars. Riders are seated in small carriages clustered...
  
  
• Flying Scooters
  Flying Scooters
  Flying Scooters, also known simply as Flyers, is an amusement ride consisting of a center post with ride vehicles suspended from arms attached to the center post....
  
  
• Topsy Turvy
• Electric Rainbow (Round Up)
• Mini Golf
• Pirate Ship (Swinging Pirate Ship Ride)

Former Rides

Kiddie Coaster
a 13 foot tall purple kiddie coaster

Crazy Daisy
a classic tilt a whirl ride