Brandywine Springs

In 1826, a luxury hotel was built to accomodate the crowds. The hotel thrived until the mid-1800's, and in 1853, the first hotel burned down and another was built two years later. Over the next 30 years, the hotel and land changed ownership a few times.

Richard Crook leased the land and hotel in 1886, and within the next two years added tennis and croquet courts, boating, swimming, picnic grounds, and a merry-go-round.

Thus was the beginning of Brandywine Springs Amusement Park.

In 1890 Crook added a restaurant and a toboggan slide.

Toboggan

The toboggan was an early version of a roller-coaster. It was a wooden framework ride that was three stories tall. People would climb the stairs to the top and sit in a cart that held four riders. The operator would release the brakes and give the cart a boost. You would then coast down an undulating, oval track, picking up speed until you were brought to a stop at the bottom. The riders would disembark and the cart would be hoisted up a steep incline by hand, to be ready for the next riders. The toboggan operated for about 25 years.

1891 brought a larger, fancier, three-row Dentzel carousel.

A seven-acre lake was built in 1898, complete with an island in the middle for picnicers. The Roof Garden, a building along the lake, was built. It had an outdoor stage on the second floor and snack bars, etc., on the first floor. A bandstand was added near the toboggan ride.

For the 1899 season, a power plant was built to supply electricity to power the rides and lighting throughout the park.

The next season, boats were added on the lake, and a pony ride nearby. A miniature railroad was added, too.

In 1903, a mile-long Scenic Railway was added. Along the railway were tunnels painted inside to depict different scenes.

The Egyptian Labyrinth, a grand funhouse, was added the same year. On entering the labyrinth, one had to find his way along the dark corridors, past life-like scenes depicting Egyptian life.

In 1907, the Country Roller Skating Rink was built near the front of the park. While the rink was always associated with the park, it wasn't on park property and never actually belonged to the park.

The Katzenjammer Castle appeared the same year. Inside the Castle was a large wooden bowl - 10 feet high and 30 feet across - for the children to play in. It was polished smooth and very slippery. Another large device was like a giant roulette wheel where the children would try to stay on as it rotated, slowly picking up speed until they would slide off from the spinning forces.

There was a Circular Wave ride added.

1911, the Katzenjammer Castle was renamed Dreamland, and the Hungarian Village was added next to the lake. A bridge built in a Moorish style spanned the lake and was used as a promenade to view the lake. The dance hall was built on the island in the lake. Venetian style gondolas were added on the lake for visitors.

By 1916, the popularity of Brandywine Springs Park began to decline. Its competitors, particularly Shellpot Park along Philadelphia Pike, began to draw the crowds away. In 1919, Shellpot Park was adding new rides, while the 'Springs', still advertised as the "grand old amusement place", was more known as a "nice place for a picnic".

By 1920, the two parks, now under the same management, began to advertise together. And by 1922, the Brandywine Springs Park was only a small mention at the bottom of Shellpot Park's advertisements. By the end of the season, mention of the Springs was dropped altogether.

About this time another competitor sprang up. Riverview Beach in south New Jersey had the same rides and attractions, plus a larger lake and a quarter-mile of beach along the river.

The 1923 season brought one new ride. The caterpillar ride was built where the carousel once stood.

Brandywine Springs Park never opened for the 1924 season, the rides and attractions were abandoned to the woods. By the 1930s, the whole park was forgotten and what wasn't scavenged was overtaken by a mass of weeds and sticker bushes.