White Swan Park
Encyclopedia
White Swan Park was a small amusement park
on the border of Moon and Findlay townships in Allegheny County near Pittsburgh, Pa. that operated from 1955 to 1989. It was located on the Penn-Lincoln Parkway West (then PA 60
) at McClaren Rd., just 1½ miles south of the old Greater Pittsburgh International Airport site.
The park opened in 1955 with seven rides. It was operated by brother and sister Roy Todd and Margaret Kleeman, who built it along with Kleeman's husband. It occupied about 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) and featured a kiddie park and 15 rides such as the Galaxy, a merry-go-round, the Scrambler, a Ferris wheel
, Tilt-A-Whirl
, Mad Mouse roller coaster, a giant slide and a train billed as "the longest train ride in the Tri-State."
White Swan also had a pavilion of midway games (which was the actual entrance to the park), six picnic shelters, a Skee Ball
building, a miniature golf
course and a refreshment stand.
With construction of the new Pittsburgh International Airport
underway in the late 1980s, a reroute of PA 60 (renumbered I-376 in 2009) was needed for access. After the park's 1989 season, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation bought the park. Dismantling of the park began the following year. The amusements and other artifacts were sold at auction. The Mad Mouse was moved to a park in Altoona and is now still a part of a beloved amusment park, but is now called the crazy mouse. The Galaxy was shipped to Lubbock, Texas. The last item from the park to be removed was the Giant Slide.
The small park was appropriate primarily for families with young children, and was seen by many in its area as easier to visit on a whim than the larger Kennywood
amusement park, which dominates the Pittsburgh market.
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...
on the border of Moon and Findlay townships in Allegheny County near Pittsburgh, Pa. that operated from 1955 to 1989. It was located on the Penn-Lincoln Parkway West (then PA 60
Pennsylvania Route 60
Pennsylvania Route 60 is a state highway located in the western suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Although the route follows a mostly east–west alignment, it is signed as a north–south highway. The southern terminus of the route is at a pseudo-interchange with U.S...
) at McClaren Rd., just 1½ miles south of the old Greater Pittsburgh International Airport site.
The park opened in 1955 with seven rides. It was operated by brother and sister Roy Todd and Margaret Kleeman, who built it along with Kleeman's husband. It occupied about 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) and featured a kiddie park and 15 rides such as the Galaxy, a merry-go-round, the Scrambler, a 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...
, Mad Mouse roller coaster, a giant slide and a train billed as "the longest train ride in the Tri-State."
White Swan also had a pavilion of midway games (which was the actual entrance to the park), six picnic shelters, a Skee Ball
Skee ball
Skee ball is a common arcade game and one of the first redemption games. It is similar to bowling except it is played on an inclined lane and the player aims to get the ball to fall into a hole rather than knock down pins...
building, a miniature golf
Miniature golf
Miniature golf, or minigolf, is a miniature version of the sport of golf. While the international sports organization World Minigolf Sport Federation prefers to use the name "minigolf", the general public in different countries has also many other names for the game: miniature golf, mini-golf,...
course and a refreshment stand.
With construction of the new Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
underway in the late 1980s, a reroute of PA 60 (renumbered I-376 in 2009) was needed for access. After the park's 1989 season, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation bought the park. Dismantling of the park began the following year. The amusements and other artifacts were sold at auction. The Mad Mouse was moved to a park in Altoona and is now still a part of a beloved amusment park, but is now called the crazy mouse. The Galaxy was shipped to Lubbock, Texas. The last item from the park to be removed was the Giant Slide.
The small park was appropriate primarily for families with young children, and was seen by many in its area as easier to visit on a whim than the larger Kennywood
Kennywood
Kennywood is an amusement park located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The park first opened in 1898 as a "trolley park" at the end of the Monongahela Street Railway. The park was purchased in 1906 by F. W. Henninger and Andrew McSwigan and thus began the Kennywood...
amusement park, which dominates the Pittsburgh market.