Dorney Park (PA) (Images of America) [Paperback]

Wally Ely (Author), Bob Ott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 25, 2003

Dorney Park was founded by Solomon Dorney in 1884. The park was owned by Dorney until the early 1900s, when Jacob Plarr assumed ownership. The Plarr family operated the park until 1985, with the exception of a brief period during which it was owned and operated by the local trolley company, the Allentown-Kutztown Traction Company. Originally a simple fish hatchery, Dorney Park expanded to include a hotel, casino, bowling alley, Ferris wheel, carousel, roller coaster, roller-skating rink, railroad rides, and many traditional mechanized rides and modern amusements. The park is known today as Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom. Dorney Park illustrates the development of one of America's greatest historic amusement parks. Among the vintage photographs and postcards one will find images of the Mill Chute, or the Tunnel of Love, as it was also known; the old wooden roller coaster under construction; the Zephyr train, a headliner in the park for many years; Castle Garden; the original Dentzel carousel; the racetrack; and the merry-go-rounds that were once a major attraction at the park.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Wally Ely grew up within walking distance of Dorney Park. He produced a segment featuring Bob Ott and the Dorney Park Zephyr for the RCN cable television magazine show Time Out Lehigh Valley, which was voted the viewers' choice for the most popular segment in the show's fifteen-year history. Bob Ott, one-time owner of the park, shares his photographs, postcards, and experiences with Wally Ely to bring the history of Dorney Park to life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (June 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738511978
• ISBN-13: 978-0738511979
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,313,501 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An intro to Dorney Park, August 16, 2003

By 

John Harrison (Lexington, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dorney Park (PA) (Images of America) (Paperback)

The Dorney Park of my youth, from the late 50s through the 60s, is long gone. The current park has just a hand full of rides from that era, and the layout is greatly changed. I was hoping for book something along the lines of Charles J. Jacques, Jr.'s "Hersheypark" -- a fairly deep history to fill in how my edition of Dorney Park came to be, and how it evolved afterward.

This is part of the Arcadia...local history series. You will recognize the familiar sepia-toned cover and picture format applied to Dorney Park. Arcadia probably got the best source to co-author the book. Bob Ott was part of family and management that owned the park almost the beginning to its sale in 1985 to Cedar Fair. The basic history is here, and the pictures and captions are complete with background and anecdotes. Some parts of the park, like the Castle Garden dance hall, are pretty well covered. The photos are grouped and trace the building from construction on into the 70's. Intro text and captions combine to give you the essence of it. The Pool, Zoorama and Zephyr also get similar organized coverage. But the Arcadia formula left room for much less text and info that I would have liked. And some classic rides and park icons get little, if any, mention. For example, The Whip, one of the few rides that survives today, is not pictured at all. Other rides like Journey to the Center of the Earth and Pirate's Cove (both, I believe, done by Bill Tracey) also get little or no mention. Despite such omissions, if you know Dorney Park, you still will get a kick thumbing through a century worth of ride and grounds photos, including events like the Labor Day roast that gave the park its local character.

So while the comprehensive history of Dorney Park has yet to be written, this book becomes the essential (if only<g>) overview. It's fine, especially if rounded out with your own memories and snaps.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An intro to Dorney Park, August 10, 2003

By 

John Harrison (Lexington, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dorney Park (PA) (Images of America) (Paperback)

The Dorney Park of my youth, from the late 50s through the 60s, is long gone. The current park has just a hand full of rides from that era, and the layout is greatly changed. I was hoping for book something along the lines of Charles J. Jacques, Jr.'s "Hersheypark" -- a fairly deep history to fill in how my edition of Dorney Park came to be, and how it evolved afterward.

This is part of the Arcadia (www.arcadiapublishing.com) local history series. You will recognize the familiar sepia-toned cover and picture format applied to Dorney Park. Arcadia probably got the best source to co-author the book. Bob Ott was part of family and management that owned the park almost the beginning to its sale in 1985 to Cedar Fair.

The basic history is here, and the pictures and captions are complete with background and anecdotes. Some parts of the park, like the Castle Garden dance hall, are pretty well covered. The photos are grouped and trace the building from construction on into the 70's. Intro text and captions combine to give you the essence of it. The Pool, Zoorama and Zephyr also get similar organized coverage.

But the Arcadia formula left room for much less text and info that I would have liked. And some classic rides and park icons get little, if any, mention. For example, The Whip, one of the few rides that survives today, is not pictured at all. Other rides like Journey to the Center of the Earth and Pirate's Cove (both, I believe, done by Bill Tracey) also get little or no mention. Despite such omissions, if you know Dorney Park, you still will get a kick thumbing through a century worth of ride and grounds photos, including events like the Labor Day roast that gave the park its local character.

So while the comprehensive history of Dorney Park has yet to be written, this book becomes the essential (if only<g>) overview. It's fine, especially if rounded out with your own memories and snaps.