An Italian-themed amusement park entertaining families since 1946 has blended the perfect ingredients for fun in Tipton, Pa.
DelGrosso’s Park and Laguna Splash is a seasonal destination boasting more than 30 rides, an expansive Italian-themed waterpark and famous food, all made possible because two Italian immigrants met and fell in love — over a park and pasta.
DelGrosso’s is the legacy of the late married couple Ferdinand “Fred” and Mafalda “Murf” DelGrosso, founders of a regional line of Italian sauces and food products based in Tipton that bears their name.
The story goes that Fred was driving on old Route 220 and noticed a for sale sign at what was then Bland’s Park in 1946.
“On a handshake and a smile, and no money at the time, he purchased the park and told his wife about it three weeks later,” said Amy Mearkle, DelGrosso’s director of marketing and events.
Fred was keen on acquiring the park as a home base for expanding the couple’s growing homemade DelGrosso’s tomato sauce business.
The park was renamed Delgrosso’s Amusement Park in 2000 and is owned and operated by the couple’s seven sons and daughters, third-generation DelGrossos.
Park president Carl Crider Jr. is the eldest of the 23 DelGrosso grandchildren.
He’s frequently seen around DelGrosso’s, along with his relatives, mingling and interacting with park guests.
“I’ve been here a long time. My grandmother was adorable. She would be so proud that we’ve kept it going. Every year we make smiles and memories for people,” Crider Jr. said.
A 100th-anniversary celebration for the park’s showcase carousel ride kicked off this season.
“It’s nostalgia and old school,” said Amy Mearkle, director of marketing and advertising.
“A Ride Through History” is the celebratory theme for the carousel, manufactured in 1924 by the Spillman Engineering Corporation Factory in Tonawanda, N.Y.
The ride features 36 hand-carved and hand-painted horses with real horse hair tails and metal horse shoes.
The lead horse was named Ferdinand in honor of Fred and the carousel underwent restoration from 2016-2017.
It’s the 15th oldest still-in-operation carousel in Pennsylvania, one of only 29 left in the state and the seventh oldest operating Spillman Engineering Carousel in the U.S.
On assignment at DelGrosso’s Park and Laguna Splash as the park celebrates 100 years of operation for their Hershell-Spillman Carousel. @DelGrossosPark @TribLIVE @VNDNews @TribWestmoreCo pic.twitter.com/4yTFlmHTzX
— Reporter Joyce Hanz (@hanz_joyce) August 27, 2024
Secret sauce starts small
Marianna Pulcino immigrated from Italy to the U.S. in 1911.
She brought with her an old-world pasta sauce recipe, opening up Mom’s Cafe in Altoona.
Pulcino’s daughter Mafalda worked at the family cafe and met Ferdinand DelGrosso, a railroader, at the eatery.
The story goes DelGrosso sat in Mafalda’s section where she waitressed and the rest is history.
The couple fell in love, married in 1943 and opened their own restaurant, DelGrosso’s Cafe, in Altoona.
The cafe quickly gained a reputation for serving the best spaghetti dinner in town and customers began paying extra to take sauce home.
The recipe remains a secret.
“DelGrosso’s is the oldest family-owned producer of pasta sauce in the United States,” Mearkle said.
Owning Bland’s Amusement Park provided the room and space to manufacture sauce for commercial distribution.
The couple worked 10-hour days to make batches of sauce, doing everything by hand.
The DelGrossos even lived in a home inside the park where they raised seven children and took in occasional boarders.
The residence now serves as a park administration building.
“The home of family fun and famous food” is the park’s slogan and uses DelGrosso’s sauce and hand-rolls the dough for the pizzas.
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The park attracted visitors from 48 of the 50 states, with only Idaho and Vermont absent.
“We’ve been here 78 years and it’s a little gem,” DelGrosso’s said.
A large sauce factory was built across from the park in 1979 and as the business grew, so did upgrades to the now 30-acre park.
“People are still amazed that we offer free parking and free admission,” Mearkle said. “Some people just come in for free and eat their way around the park.”
The DelGrosso family always wanted to keep the park affordable for families and have maintained a free admission and free parking policy — they can purchase individual ride tickets if they want to ride.
The park operates cashless and all-day fun passes are $37 each and include all rides and the water park.
DelGrosso’s park food is anything but the typical amusement fare.
Forget frozen and get ready for authentic Italian foods such as homemade lasagna, spaghetti, stuffed shells, chicken parmesan, eggplant parmesan and more.
Two separate eateries in the park pay homage to the late couple; Murf’s Kitchen and Pappy Fred’s Pizzeria.
“Patrons love the homemade, hand-peeled daily potato salad, made with Murg’s original recipe,” Mearkle said.
Pasta Fresca inside the waterpark section of the park serves up made-to-order pasta meals featuring a DelGrosso feature sauce of the day.
DelGrosso’s Italian Food Heritage Festival features entrees from the kitchens of DelGrosso’s and Italian music is scheduled from 11 am.-4 p.m. on Sept. 22.
DelGrosso’s Park Harvestfest showcasing rides, entertainment, heritage crafts, a farmer’s market, children’s activities and ethnic foods is scheduled for Sept. 28-29 and tickets are $7 each.
To check the 2024 September operating schedule online, click here.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
If You Go:
DelGrosso's Park and Laguna Splash
4352 E. Pleasant Valley Blvd.
Tipton, PA
DelGrosso's Park and Laguna Splash is located off of Exit 41 or 45 off I-99.
(about 100 miles from Pittsburgh via I-76 E and I-99 N)
September Hours:
Open Labor Day Monday
The waterpark closes on Sept. 2
The park rides and attractions are open weekends only (Saturdays and Sundays) in September.
For updated information on hours of operation go to MyDelGrossoPark.com