International Village was a small

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

, shopping, dining and entertainment center located on the south side of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It operated from 1970 to 1980. An apartment complex now stands where the park once was.

History

Conceived and built by Richard L. Michael of Timeless Towns of the Americas, International Village was in operation from 1970 to 1980. It was located across the parking lot of the Sheraton Resort Hotel (now the Eisenhower Resort and Convention Center. It had a sky ride and a hippo-themed tractor which transported guests between the hotel and village.

Rides

The

carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

-like rides included a Chance turbo ride and

carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...

. A classic 1920 wooden carousel originally from Olcott Beach,

Olcott, New York Olcott is a hamlet (and census-designated place) located in the Town of Newfane in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, this community population was 1,241. Most locals refer to it as Olcott Beach. It is part of the Bu ...

, was moved from Boulder Park, Indian Falls, New York, to the park in 1970.

Shops

The internationally themed shops included Das Gift Haus, Casa Del Oro, The Chinese Chalet, The Old Peddler, Far East Photo World, and Ye Village Toy Vendor. Goods such as imported cigars, collectible plates,

oil paintings Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on wood panel or canvas for several centuries, spreading from Europe to the rest of ...

and international dolls were available. A Korean restaurant which was once located on the property, Korean Cuisine, claimed that they were the first oriental restaurant to open in Gettysburg.

Demise

A few years after the park opened, business began to slow and many of the rides were closed or sold. The shops remained open a few years longer than the rides, while struggling to compete with other tourist attractions in Gettysburg, including its

battlefields A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troops ...

Redevelopment efforts

The Devenshire

apartment complex An apartment (American English), or flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies part of a building, generally on a single story. There are ...

currently resides on the former site of International Village. In 2010, a proposal was made to build a casino in the area (including the Eisenhower Convention Center). The proposal was rejected by the state in April 2011."Proposed Gettysburg Casino Location Rejected by Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board"
, ''Civil War Trust'', March 29, 2012

References

{{Reflist Defunct shopping malls in the United States Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Defunct amusement parks in Pennsylvania