Home › Heritage Trail sites › Mangels Shooting Gallery

Mangels Shooting Gallery

D70_9274

This sign is located at N41 51.627 W80 57.095.

A Mangled history:

The F.W. Mangels Company Shooting Gallery is located inside the Sandy Chanty on The Strip. It was “re-discovered” during a renovation project that removed the wall that had been built over the gallery to make better use of the space. Amazingly, with a little cleaning and lubrication, the gallery powered up.

This is one of the finest extant examples of a shooting gallery from the golden age of American amusement parks. And it was made by a company/inventor whose name is synonymous with amusement park rides/attractions.

Gallery

Many of these beautiful galleries were lost to the war-time scrap metal effort. Others were dismantled for the decorative value of the targets, which bear the marks of having been shot at with 22-calibre ammunition.

It’s important to note that this ammunition was manufactured specifically for the shooting galleries. When the owners of this gallery learned that the manufacturer planned to soon discontinue the product they purchased a large stock. Insurance issues forced closure the gallery before the stock could be exhausted.

A letter from the W.F. Mangels Company, Carousell Works, Coney Island, NY, addressed to Messrs. Pera & Pera, and dated May 4, 1938, recently surfaced. The letter is signed by W.F. Mangels and sets forth quotes for two shooting galleries, both used. It appears that the one installed by the Peras was $450. You can download a pdf of this letter.

Gallery:

D70_9257 D70_9271  D70_9280 D70_9288 D70_9289 D70_9311 D70_9312 D70_9316

 

 

 

Our guests remember:

Pirl Beach

I spent the summer of 1942 in Pirl Beach (at age 16) and worked part time for the manager pulling weeds and such. Also swam every day. My Pittsburgh relatives had reserved a cottage there for many years. My aunt and cousins stayed. My uncle commuted weekly in his Buick. The Pirl Beach manager used a Model T Ford truck for his chores.

Ken Ford

Memories of Ford's

Most of my summer childhood memories are at Ford’s! My parents met there right at the picnic table. We vacationed there every summer along with my grandparents and great aunt and uncle until they passed away. We made amazing friends there that we still vacation with on Putnam Drive!! I could never thank the Payne’s enough for my childhood memories. Playing Indians in the huge back yard, solving make-believe mysteries, playing release and listening to everyone playing penny poker when my sister and I should have been sleeping. I now bring my son to Geneva every summer. He is the 5th generation at Geneva!

Sara Turner Campos

Chestnut Grove

My extended family and I vacationed at Chestnut Grove from 1948-1964. Being from McKeesport, it was a dream come true to go there every summer. I currently live in Michigan but go back occasionally. Not too long ago, I found a post card of some of the cottages where the swings and horseshoe pit were and a local artist is making me a 24×36 painting of it. I can't wait to see it! So many wonderful memories and so few things left as reminders. It is nice to know that others still remember and care.

Michelle Turner ( a Chestnut Grove Kid)

Idle-A-While

We vacationed every summer at Idle-A-While in the late '50s and early '60s, partially because my aunt was the receptionist there. I often got to ring the bell summoning guests to breakfast, lunch and dinner in the dining room, which was staffed by co-eds from various universities. Evenings were spent playing bingo, fascination and other games on the strip or bridge and poker back at Idle-A-While. Great memories.
John Bloom

Read more memories or submit a memory.

Share a memory