Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Summer fun: Roller-skating, swimming and more at Playland


This will bring back memories for certain generations that grew up in York County. It's an unused black-and-white postcard showcasing Playland, a sprawling recreation facility that was located on Lincoln Highway just east of York. Playland offered roller skating, swimming, miniature golf and more. It started as Playland, but changed owners and names several times during its existence, which was from 1941 until 1985, when a fire tore through the facilities.

When I came across this postcard, it was also accompanied by this label. Not sure what its purpose was. It might have been pasted to the front of a brochure box. The small graphics are pretty nifty, though the portrayal of miniature golf leaves a bit to be desired.


Given its years of operation, much has been written about Playland and many memories have been shared online. It was the scene of countless happy childhood memories. (And you can feel free to share your own in the Comments!) Here are some places to read more about it:


I wasn't much of a roller-skater growing up. In the first half of the 1980s, I did have a pair of those adjustable metal contraptions that you attached to your sneakers. I would cruise around the sidewalks a bit on those, watching for bumps and cracks. In Montoursville, we had a roller rink — I think it was called Great Skate — where I attended a few parties and skated around on their oval. I also remember taking breaks from the skating to play arcade games such as Frogger and Defender. I'm not sure how long Great Skate lasted in Montoursville, but I don't think it had the longevity or the depth of memories associated with Playland.

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