originally posted on 10/1/2019
Photo: Dave Hahner. View full-sized image.
The exciting news has been that Lakemont Park (Altoona, Pennsylvania) reopened in 2019 (after having been closed in 2017 and 2018) and that it has been rethought and revitalized, this time as a community center (see ACE News Now 10/02/18, and ACE News online posted 07/06/19 and 08/25/19), concentrating on activity and sports, music and events, as well as some amusements, like go-kart tracks, two new mini-golf courses, new paddle boats and, in particular, a few classic rides. Those few special rides include Little Leaper, a steel Allan Herschell kiddie coaster, plus Skyliner, a 1960 wooden coaster from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (designed by John Allen), which reopened this summer at Lakemont on June 27 (after having been closed, along with the park, for the previous two years). Previous to this, Skyliner had, of course, been fortunately preserved, after it was moved to Altoona in 1987 from the defunct Roseland Park in New York.
Speaking of Lakemont preservation successes, there’s Leap The Dips, the 1902 side-friction woodie (designed by Edward Joy Morris), the oldest operable coaster in the world, a National Historic Landmark, an ACE Coaster Classic and an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark. Lakemont wished to reopen the Dips earlier this season, but those good intentions kept getting pushed back — ultimately the park was unable to finish the work needed to operate Leap The Dips this year. Ralph Albarano, one of the owners of the park, stated there was “more deterioration (on the track mostly) with Leap The Dips than expected.” Lakemont did get a lot of work done, nonetheless. For example, he noted that they painted the coaster but ultimately “ran out of time.” He added that they’ll be getting the lights up in the next couple of months in preparation for the park’s holiday season lights display. Once that task is done, they hope to complete further work on the Dips during the off-season months, with every intention of opening the coaster next year. Lakemont will open for the 2020 season in early May.
In the meantime, Lakemont rides have closed for this season, including Skyliner and Little Leaper. On weekends through September, Keystone Falls Mini Golf, Rabbit Hole Mini Golf and Batting Cages will be open. “Holiday Lights on the Lake” festivities run from November 15, 2019, to January 5, 2020.
— Randy Geisler
@#$%&!
#ACENews