Wikipedia:Today's featured article/May 1, 2009



Idlewild and Soak Zone is a family amusement park situated in the Laurel Highlands near Ligonier, Pennsylvania, about 50 mi east of Pittsburgh, along US Route 30. Founded in 1878 as a campground along the Ligonier Valley Railroad by Thomas Mellon, Idlewild is the oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania. It has won several awards, including five from Amusement Today as the second-best children's park in the world. The park was established by the Mellon family in 1878, and remained family-owned for over 100 years. The park expanded greatly through the first half of the 20th century, adding rides including a Philadelphia Toboggan Company Rollo Coaster in 1938, one of the company's earliest. The park is home to the Ligonier Highland Games, a Scottish athletic and cultural festival that has annually drawn over 10,000 spectators. In 1983, the park was purchased by Kennywood Entertainment Company, which oversaw additional expansion, including an attraction designed and voiced by Fred Rogers based on his television show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. (more...)

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