The park originally was conceived by one of the three Philadelphia area traction companies, Peoples Traction Company, as a means to encourage weekend customers on the trolley line, a practice that led to the coining of the term trolley park.
The park was served by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co. (PRT), and later by the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC) Route 6 streetcar line. Streetcar service to the park ended in 1958 when the Pennsylvania Highway Department (predecessor to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation) acquired portions of the area for construction of the Pennsylvania Route 309 Expressway.
One of the biggest attractions in the park was the music pavilion, at which John Philip Sousa and his band played several times between 1901 and 1926. The pavilion was demolished in March 1959.
The park operated under the name Six Gun Territory from 1972 until its closure. The park's closure was announced in April 1976, and it sat vacant for several years until the land was cleared for a large shopping mall known as Willow Grove Park Mall, which opened in August 1982. The mall pays homage to its predecessor by displaying banners and other objects which hark back to the land's days as an amusement park. A merry-go-round built and installed in 2001 operates within the mall.
In the Western Pennsylvania West Penn Railways Had the following Parks,Oakford (between Jennette Pa and Greensburgh Pa.Rainbow Gardens,Rt148 White Oak Pa. near Mckeesport,Olypmia in Mckeesport Pa. Pittsburgh Railways had West Park ,Luna Park and Kennywood(still Operating Today).Also the Mellon Family had as a destination for their Ligoner Valley Railroad Idewild Park in Ligoner(still Operating).All the other parks are gone.Oakford Park Is a housing development,and Rainbow Gradens is now the Raibow Gardens Shopping Center.Hope this Helps DanB
The mall was named to honor the original amusement park and displays objects and banners related to the park’s history.
As a further tribute to its roots, a merry-go-round was built inside the mall in 2001.
Today, you can shop anywhere from the Apple Store to Zales, dine at food court eateries and restaurants, and attend events like Pet Photos with Santa, all while remembering the 120-year legacy of Willow Grove Park.
Entertainment moved to a more public sphere and mass attractions like vaudeville shows and the Chicago World's Fair were accessible to people of all classes.
Industrialization and technological advances made mechanized rides and games possible.
As a result, amusement parks like Coney Island exploded in popularity, and Willow Grove Park followed suit opening in 1896.
The park's slogan was "Life is a lark at Willow Grove Park".
John Philip Sousa and his band played at the park's music pavilion every year except one between 1901 and 1926.
Willow Grove Park was one of the most popular amusement parks in the country until the 1950's when Disneyland and other theme parks began opening.
The park was renamed Six Gun Territory in 1972, and with the rise of new forms of entertainment like video games and arcades, park attendance began to fall.
The Willow Grove amusement park announced in April of 1976 this it would not reopen that summer.
The park lay vacant for 6 years until it was bulldozed to make way for a shopping mall in 1982.