Roadside America – Shartlesville Pennsylvania

After our overnight stay in Hagerstown Maryland, we rolled up the Interstate past Harrisburg, exiting at Shartlesville Pennsylvania.  We’d seen a segment on CBS Sunday Morning Show about a local attraction in Shartlesville, one that, as per the story, might not be around much longer… I definitely didn’t want to miss visiting it!

FYI...This is a perfect Labor Day post…an old-time tourist attraction that's still entertaining and relevant today, that was created by a dedicated, hardworking carpenter and painter! 

Roadside America is a handmade miniature vision of America, with towns and villages, tiny people, animals, roads and more!  Railroads and rail systems tie all the parts of this exhibit together…

A man named Laurence Gieringer was the founder and creator of this attraction.  Apparently, ca. 1899 when he was 5 years old he wandered off to find a “tiny” hotel on a mountain that he could see from his room.  It just had to be close enough for him to find it and add it to his collection of toys.  The story goes that as he didn’t realize that it was a long way off, he was lost in the woods overnight… Fortunately, he was found in the morning.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history.  As an adult in the real world, Laurence Gieringer became a carpenter and painter but he was always fascinated with miniatures.  Over a 60 year period he accumulated a huge collection of miniature buildings and other creations, along the way becoming a highly respected builder of these scaled down models. 

At first, Mr. Gieringer displayed his miniatures at home, then it was shown in a local amusement park.  Eventually he acquired the land in Shartlesville and in 1953 he opened his display of miniature villages and trains along what was then US Hwy. 22. (Now I-78) Laurence Gieringer passed away in 1963 and it’s been maintained exactly as it was when he died.  

Roadside America is now operated by Geiringer’s grand-daughter (Delores Heinsohm) and her family...but at last report, it is up for sale…  It’s hoped that someone will purchase Roadside America and maintain the exhibit for the enjoyment of future generations.

For the most part, I’ll let the following photos speak for themselves.  This is not ‘just’ a model railroad display in the normal sense of the word!

The preceding 2 photos hopefully give readers an idea of just how big this miniature USA is!  It encompasses the following:

·         A 7,450 square foot fully landscaped display.

·         Over 30o miniature buildings of all sizes.

·         As many as 18 trains, trolleys and cable cars in operation at any given time.

·         Hand painted church windows.

·         A population of 4,000 tiny people living their lives…working and playing…in this miniature world. 

·         Many tiny animals including horses, cattle, sheep and more.

·         Streams, rivers, waterways and waterfalls.

·         Many bridges…some of them bordering on monumental.

·         Mountains, hills, valleys and fields.

·         A wide variety of interactive animations that can be activated by visitors.

·         Everything is at a scale of 3/8 of an inch to 1 foot.

This home has a pond complete with fish.  Note all the animals in the yard.

...and then there is this massive log home!

If you click on this photo, you'll enlarge this miniature 50's and 60's style zoo with all its animals. 

The detail is amazing as are the wide variety of scenes portrayed in the overall exhibit!  Road repairs in the neighborhood...  

 Laurie took this photo of a big church.  The light in the windows (exaggerated by the camera) hides the amazing hand painted windows.

I personally loved this detailed vignette with the old time moving vans, people in motion and furniture on the curb.  

This old style Esso Gas Station had a lot going on too.  

Talk about an action scene!  Here's full scale circus with an airport in the background, a train in the foreground...and did you see the hobo on this side of the tracks?  

The detail is stunning but so is the complexity of the exhibit!  The huge viaduct with a real waterfall, even more bridges in the background and painted scenery in the background. 

Down by the old mill stream...with wagons, water, a rocky shore and more miniature people.   

As per the CBS TV “Sunday Morning” feature, Jeff Marks is the craftsman in charge of restoration.  We didn’t meet Jeff but we did chat with Richard Piper.  He is the Trains Railroad Foreman and it was obvious that he loves what he does.  His most difficult job is finding parts or making the parts needed to keep the trains operating.

Consider the scope of the challenge that Jeff and Richard face:

·         The exhibit was built over the years and they have to maintain it as it was in 1963…that means that their working on and with wiring, locomotives, scenery and a plethora of moving parts that are now 55 years old!

·         The goal is to keep as many as 18 “O” gauge trains, trolleys and cable cars moving during open hours for the entertainment of visitors.

·         There are 600 miniature light bulbs.

·         21,000 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 “O” gauge model railroad track.

·         648 feet of canvas for waterproofing.

·         450 feet of pipe.

·         9 tons of plaster.

·         2 tons of sheet iron.

·         900 lbs. of nails.

·         600 lbs. of rubber roofing material.

·         75 lbs. of dry paint and 75 gallons of liquid paint.

·         225 bushel of moss.

·         25 bags of cement.

·         3 barrels of screened sawdust.

·         3 barrels of tar.

However you look at this amazing exhibit, it’s easy to see that it’s a challenging task to maintain all of its elements for the pleasure and delight of visitors both young and old!   

Laurence Gieringer really did cover America in his exhibit!  Here we have some old cliff dwellings in the American Southwest.

More detail...a home under construction with workers, equipment and lumber.  Note the trains in the rail yard behind the new home. 

I should have had my camera on the Sport setting when I took this photo.  We had a moving train rolling through a rail yard crowded with rolling stock.   

 A small town scene with a river, pier, old cars, horse and wagon plus much more.  In our photos, you may have noted variances in lighting and the lights in the homes and businesses.  That is because the entire exhibit is on a clock simulating a 24 hour day...including nightfall.

Here we have a town in the old west...with store front facades, wagons with horses and the railroad running through town. 

This feed store is another example of the detail and subject matter that is presented in Roadside America's exhibit.  I didn't even try to cover all the moving parts that are activated by visitors...or the barn dance, etc.

Laurie captured this photo of a nice big city neighborhood at dusk...

It's nighttime in Roadside America!  In the distance, the Statue of Liberty lights up and our unofficial anthem, "God Bless America" plays before dawn slowly comes back over this vision of the United States of America. 

Laruie took this photo of nighttime in Roadside America...and I lightened it up a bit with a little 'moonlight' to reveal some of the detail shown. 

This is another over view of the exhibit.  Note the visitor high up in the photo to the left.  There are high and low viewing platforms and walkways all the way around the exhibit.  Visitors have a plethora of viewing options allowing for a close examination of the details and variety offered by this huge living diorama filled with model railroads and action figures.  

One last train photo… These old model trains are behind glass for railroad fanatic’s viewing pleasure.  This is some rare old rolling stock!

The most recent numbers I could find on-line stated that Roadside America has about 36,000 visitors each year.  Richard Piper did tell us that attendance has definitely been on the upswing since Roadside America was featured on “Sunday Morning”.  Hopefully increased attendance will make it easier to continue operations and to convince a committed buyer to purchase this attraction for the enjoyment of future generations.  A check of the Internet revealed that the property, building and exhibits are listed with an asking price of $2,295,000.

Roadside America is open Monday, Thursday and Friday from 10 AM until

5 PM.  On Saturday and Sunday, it’s open from 10 AM until 6 PM.  It is closed for all major holidays.  Admission is a bargain by today’s standards!  Adults are $8.00 each, Seniors and the Military are $7.00, Children ages 6 – 11 are $5.00 and 5 or under, they are free. 

If you love Americana, miniatures, dioramas, model trains and/or amazing creations, consider visiting Roadside America!  We were amazed and entertained by this exhibit!  Roadside America is located along side I-78 at 109 Roadside Drive in Shartlesville Pennsylvania.  Phone: 610-488-6241.  Website: https://www.roadsideamerica.co/.  

To view the feature TV presentation on CBS Sunday Morning show, you can click on the following: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/roadside-america-model-railroad-a-tiny-slice-of-americana/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave