DelGrosso's Park

DelGrosso's Park

Previously known as Bland's Park (1991-2000) DelGrosso's Amusement Park (2000-2019)
Location	Tipton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates	40°38′09″N 78°17′46″W / 40.6358°N 78.2961°W / 40.6358; -78.2961Coordinates: 40°38′09″N 78°17′46″W / 40.6358°N 78.2961°W / 40.6358; -78.2961
Opened	1909
Owner	The DelGrosso Family of Companies
Slogan	The Home of Family Fun and Famous Food!
Area	79 acres
Attractions
Total	30
Roller coasters	2
Water rides	6
Website	https://www.mydelgrossopark.com/

DelGrosso's Park is a family-oriented amusement park located in Tipton, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Altoona, Pennsylvania. The park was purchased by the DelGrosso family in 1946 and was named "Bland's Park" until 2000. In 2000, the DelGrosso family decided to change its name to "DelGrosso's Amusement Park." The park is known for its family-friendly ride line-up, food, and games as well as free parking. The park hosts picnics and special music events in its pavilion/picnic area.

History[]

Formerly known as Bland's Park until 2000, the small family-friendly amusement park is located in Tipton, in Blair County, Pennsylvania. Altoona railroad businessman, Fred DelGrosso, purchased the amusement park in 1946.

DelGrosso's Park was originally opened by the Rinard brothers on the Blands' family farm in 1907. It was purchased in 1946 by Fred DelGrosso, at which time the park was home to a number of rides installed by the Rinard's including the current Carouselle. Since purchasing the park, the DelGrosso family has continued to invest in the park with various ride and attractions such as a waterpark addition in 1997 and expansion in 1999 and 2016.

The DelGrosso family is also the founder of DelGrosso Foods, Inc. DelGrosso Foods produces and distributes pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, spaghetti noodles, and other Italian specialty items.

The current park[]

The park includes more than 30 rides, numerous games, food venues, and an adjacent waterpark. The park provides rides for both adults and children with an extensive kiddie-land, pavilions, and catering amenities. The park hosts several annual events throughout the year. The “Summer Thunder” fireworks show for the 4th of July is a highlight of the park's season. Other events include the Native American Pow Wow, Italian Festival, and Harvestfest which is a fall festival held in September to close out the season. The park also hosts "Spaghetti Wednesday" which features a special Italian dish each Wednesday during the summer.

Laguna Splash is an Italian themed waterpark that opened in 2016. Laguna Splash was an expansion of the park's existing waterpark amenities of a new wave pool, lazy river, and a variety of water features including a scale version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and tipping buckets and vases. The Laguna Splash Water Park also features 12 Cabanas that can be rented on a daily basis when the water park is in operation. The water park is open seven days a week, typically 11 AM to 7 PM from approximately the end of May to mid-September.

The park resides on both sides of Old Route 220 with Laugna Splash and parking on the southeast side of the road, while park-side resides on the northwest side of the road. There is a wheelchair-accessible walking bridge connecting both sides of the park over Old Route 220. Ride and water park passes may be purchased on either side of the park.

At the beginning of each day, the park salutes the United States with "The Star-Spangled Banner". At this time, everything in the park is halted as the national anthem is played.

Roller coasters[]

After the 2003 season, the park sold its Pinfari "Zyklon" roller coaster, installed in 1987, to Blue Diamond Park (which closed In 2008). This coaster replaced a smaller steel mini-coaster known for jumping the track every third lap. A Reverchon "Crazy Mouse" was installed in its place in 2004. In the same year, a Fajume "Wacky Worm" kiddie coaster was added to the park.

In 2006, the park purchased the "Revolution," an Arrow Dynamics loop and corkscrew, from Libertyland for $55,000 USD at auction. The coaster has since been purchased by Gloria's Fantasyland in the Philippines and is no longer on site as of June 2019.^[1]

Rides[]

Current Roller coasters[]

Coaster	Opened	Manufacturer	Model
Crazy Mouse	2004	Reverchon	Spinning Coaster
Wacky Worm	2004	Fajume	Wacky Worm

Thrill Rides[]

Rides	Opened	Manufacturer	Model	Description
Rock Star	2015	ARM Rides	Rock Star	Replaced Music Express
Super Spiral	1979	Frank Hrubetz & Company	Round Up
X-Scream Tower	2010	ARM Rides	120 foot tall Drop tower	Replaced the Ferris Wheel. Purchased from Cypress Gardens
Swing Buggy	2012	Bertazzon	Swing Buggy	Replaced the park's Chance Rides Flying Bobs
Pharaoh's Fury	2009	Chance Rides	Pharaoh's Fury	Replaced the park's Chance Rides Sea Dragon. Purchased from Cypress Gardens

Family Rides[]

Rides	Opened	Manufacturer	Model	Description
Scrambler	1970	Eli Bridge Company	Scrambler
Tipton Creek Railroad	1980	Chance Rides	(2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway[2]
Yo-Yo	2009	Chance Rides	Yo-Yo	Replaced Balloon Race. Purchased from Cypress Gardens
Tilt-A-Whirl	1972	Sellner Manufacturing	Tilt-A-Whirl
Casino	1985	Chance Rides	Trabant	Originally located at Kings Island in Ohio where it was known as "Wheel of Fortune"
Dodgem	1995	Majestic Rides	Bumper Cars	The park's original Dodgem was destroyed during a blizzard in 1994
Carouselle	1947	Herschell Spillman Company	Carousel	36 hand-carved and painted jumping horses as well as two stationary benches
Paratrooper	≤1998	Reverchon	Paratrooper
Free Fall	2004	Moser Rides	5+5 Spring Ride
Dizzy Dragons	2009	Chance Rides	Dizzy Dragons	Teacups-style ride but the ride vehicles are large dragons

Kids Kingdom[]

Rides	Opened	Manufacturer	Model
Fire Trucks	2004	Hampton Amusements	Childrens fire truck ride
Corvette Race Cars	Unknown	Unknown	Childrens car ride
Boats	1950s	Allan Herschell Company	Boat ride
Elephants	Unknown	Unknown	Childrens elephant ride
Whales	Unknown	Eyerly Aircraft Company	Bulgy the Whale
Turtles	1930s	Traver Engineering Company	Miniature Tumble Bug
Helicopters	1950s	Kasper Klaus	Childrens helicopter ride
Kiddie Carousel	1990s	Chance Rides	Childrens Carousel

Past Rides

• Zyklon
• Little Dipper
• Sky Fighter
• Roto Whip
• Two Bumper Car Rides
• Paratrooper
• Calypso
• Flying Scooters
• Sea Dragon
• Balloon Race
• Ferris Wheel
• Red Baron
• Space Odyssey
• Flying Bobs
• Music Express

Laguna Splash Waterpark[]

• Laguna Waterworks (Formerly known as Tipton Waterworks 1997-2015):

A water-play structure opened in 1997 as the first part of the water-park, showcasing small slides and a tipping-bucket

• Laguna Slides (Formerly known as Tipton Rapids 1999-2015):

A water slide complex opened in 1999 with five slides on two towers called the Red Tower and Green Tower.

Red Tower

• Midnight Express:

A mostly enclosed slide. It is the only enclosed slide of the five.

• Great White:

A wide "double-dip" slide that usually makes the passenger's rafts going down spin.

• Gravity Groove:

A slide that has a hair-pin curve and a dip and an uphill section. Riders must weigh 140 lbs. combined to ride so they can make it over the hill.

Green Tower

• Twin Twisters:

Two identical slides that are the tallest of the slides. On the slide, you race the person on the other Twister slide on a toboggan-style mat.

Wave Oceano Opened in 2016, a large, six-foot-deep Wave pool at the far end of the water park

River Lazio Opened in 2016, a winding Lazy river attraction that offers both a relaxing and wild experience

Bambini Cove Opened in 2016, a children's activity pool featuring a gondola slide, a small splash pad, and the water park's centerpiece, a scale model of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

References[]

External links[]

• DelGrosso's Web Site
• DelGrosso's Park at the Roller Coaster DataBase
• ThrillNetwork.com's Listing
• DelGrosso Foods, Inc.