For more than 100 years this land, now Glen Echo Park, has been dedicated to the people: first in 1891 as a National Chautauqua Assembly, a center where people could participate in the sciences, arts, languages, and literature; second in 1899 as a . . . — — Map (db m380) HM
The Dentzel carousel came to the park in 1921 as a replacement for a smaller carousel. Built in the Philadelphia style, the hand-carved, wooden animals create a menagerie type featuring rabbits, ostriches, a giraffe, a lion, a tiger and a deer in . . . — — Map (db m3224) HM
The Early Trolley Park.
In 1888 in Richmond, Virginia, Frank Sprague revolutionized American travel with his invention of the electric trolley. A new fast and economical transportation dawned. Suburban communities, like Glen Echo, soon opened . . . — — Map (db m24185) HM
For the trolley parks of the 1900’s, pools were important, lucrative attractions. They provided a place for people to swim without having to travel the long miles to the beach. One such pool, Kennywood Park Pool in Pittsburgh, opened in 1925 and . . . — — Map (db m3227) HM
In the midst of the Great Depression, the Crystal Pool provided a haven. It was big enough for 3,000 swimmers and featured a sand beach. The Art Deco style of the pool became Glen Echo’s new look. — — Map (db m3229) HM
Roller Coasters.
The first primitive version of a roller coaster called the “Flying Mountain” emerged in Russia in the 1400’s. Americans encountered their first taste of a roller coaster-like thrill ride in 1827 when Josiah . . . — — Map (db m3226) HM
The Coaster Dips came to the park in 1921. Higher climbs and deeper dips added over the next 48 years guaranteed the ride remained a favorite. The roller coaster was dismantled after the park closed in 1968. — — Map (db m3214) HM
Yurts Around the World. These interesting and unusual buildings function as studios and classrooms in Glen Echo Park. Yurts have a long history. In Mongolia, yurts have been practical homes for thousands of years. In fact the word yurt . . . — — Map (db m37571) HM
Beginning in 1940, a new Art Deco arcade was added to Glen Echo park. Designed by the firm of Edward Schoeppe of Philadelphia, also the chief architect of the Crystal Pool and Spanish Ballroom, the arcade was constructed in stages from 1940 to . . . — — Map (db m3231) HM
Lost Attractions.
From its beginnings as a National Chautauqua to its years as an amusement park, Glen Echo has experienced countless changes. Some of the old Glen Echo Park remains, but much of it has not survived. Many old amusements, like . . . — — Map (db m3228) HM
Development of Trolleys. Electric trolleys were introduced to the United States in 1888 in Richmond, Virginia, and quickly became the predominant mode of public transportation used throughout the first third of the 20th century. These vehicles . . . — — Map (db m306) HM
