From staff reports
Franklin Preservation will hold a program titled “Lost Amusement Parks of Northwestern Pennsylvania” from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at DeBence Antique Music World in Franklin.
The program will be held on the third floor of the music museum, which has an elevator. The museum is located at 1261 Liberty St., Franklin.
The program will be presented by Jennifer Sopko, a Pittsburgh-based writer and historian. She will shed light on the stories of these long-gone recreation spots that ranged from picnic groves to traditional amusement parks.
Sopko will touch on trolley and railroad parks with origins tied to transportation, the first African American-owned amusement park and all the parks’ classic amusement rides that thrilled people over the years.
One of these parks was Monarch Park, an area that boasted a dance hall pavilion and bell tower. The park was located off Deep Hollow Road where the Izaak Walton League now makes it home.
Pre-packaged refreshments will be served at the program, and membership information and Franklin Preservation’s schedule of events for 2022 will be available.
There is no admission fee but donations will be accepted. Proceeds will benefit Franklin Preservation’s continuing renovation project at the former Old Lutheran Church and go toward the upkeep of the Venango County Civil War Monument in Franklin.
