Roadside America facts for kids
The entrance in 2009
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| Established | 1935 |
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| Dissolved | 2020 |
| Location | Shartlesville, Pennsylvania |
| Collection size | Railroad model trains and other model structures |
Roadside America was an indoor miniature village and railway covering 8,000 square feet (740 m2), created by Laurence Gieringer in 1935. It was first displayed to the public in the home of Mr Laurence Gieringer in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. Word got out about the exciting miniature village after a story was published in the local newspapers, and due to its popularity, Mr. Gieringer moved the display to a recently closed local amusement park called Carsonia Park, where more people could come to see his spectacular miniature village. The display stayed there for a very short time, from 1938 to about 1940 when Mr. Geringer purchased land at the current site of Roadside America to build a larger display in order to accommodate the growing interest. In 1953 the exhibit reopened at the current location, a former dance hall in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania, Exit 23 on Interstate 78, approximately 20 miles west of the Lehigh Valley.
On November 21, 2020, it was announced that Roadside America would permanently close after trying to find a buyer for the past three years. It had been closed to visitors since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Roadside America will auction off all pieces of the display.
The display
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The 3/8 inch to one foot scale display contains:
- A 7,450 square foot, fully landscaped village diorama displaying over 300 miniature structures
- Up to 18 "O" gauge trains, trolleys and cable cars running throughout the display
- 10,000 hand-made trees
- 4,000 miniature people engaged in everyday daily pursuits
- Many rivers, streams and waterways
- Interactive animations such as a circus parade, construction workers, saw mill workers and more that can be activated by visitors
- 600 miniature light bulbs
The display is constructed with:
- 21,500 feet of electrical wiring
- 17,700 board feet of lumber
- 6,000 feet of building paper
- 4,000 feet of sheet metal under the plaster work
- 2,250 feet of railroad track
- 648 feet of canvas for waterproofing
- 450 feet of pipe
- 18,000 pounds of plaster
- 4,000 pounds of sheet iron
- 900 pounds of nails
- 600 pounds of rubber roofing material
- 75 pounds of dry paint
- 75 gallons of liquid paint
- 225 bushels of moss
- 25 bags of cement
- Three barrels of screened sawdust
- Three barrels of tar
Roadside America remained unchanged since Gieringer died in 1963.
