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For 71 years, West View Park was a summertime destination for countless family gatherings, school picnics and people looking for fun and excitement.

Whether it was the thrill of riding the roller coaster or Dips, catching a show at Danceland or sharing a first kiss on one of the rides, the long-gone amusement park in West View holds a special place in the hearts of many.

West View Park, which operated from 1906 to 1977, was torn down and replaced by a shopping center.

A lone horse from the old carousel ride that adorns the shopping center’s sign is the only reminder of what stood there before the park closed its gates to the public.

But a dedicated group of residents thinks the memory of the popular amusement park is worth preserving.

During the past decade, members of the West View Historical Society have been assembling memorabilia from the park in the hopes of displaying the items in a museum along with other historical artifacts from the North Hills.

That dream took a major step toward becoming reality with the recent acquisition of a space for the museum in the building that once housed the Gerard Theater in the 400 block of Perry Highway.

The owner of the building, Ken Horn, is donating the space and has already begun renovations, said John Schalcosky, founder of the West View and the Ross Township historical societies. He also is founder of the popular Odd, Mysterious & Fascinating History of Pittsburgh page on Facebook.

“We’ve been searching for years to find a place for the museum, so it’s unbelievably generous of Ken to do this for the community,” Schalcosky said.

The movie theater, which opened in 1940, was used as for a dance hall, skating rink, flooring company, the West View borough building and other purposes after it closed in 1963.

Interest in West View Park has grown significantly based on the comments people make when items or photos are posted on the West View Historical Society page, which has more than 7,000 members.

West View Park also generates great interest on the Ross Township Historical Society page, which has 10,600 members. And nearly 10,000 people also are members of the West View Park page on Facebook.

A number of rides from the park were sold off to other amusement parks after it closed, Schalcosky said.

But many items simply vanished once the gates were closed to the public after the end of the 1977 season.

“The park sat vacant for several years before they tore it down for the shopping center, so people would just go in and take stuff,” he said. “Over the years we’d occasionally hear about an item from the park that was out there for sale, but for the most part, we felt everything was pretty much gone and never to be seen again. So every time we’re able to get something related to the park, it’s pretty exciting.”

One of those finds occurred in late November, when a woman posted on Facebook Marketplace that the seven inner panels from the park’s carousel ride were for sale, Schalcosky said.

“We contacted the seller, who said the panels had been stored in a hayloft in Donegal for the past 40 years,” he said. “I was blown away when I saw them. They’re in beautiful condition and are a perfect addition to the items we’ve already collected.

“Every museum needs a centerpiece, and I think these will serve well as ours. This is something that everybody remembers from the old park, so it’s wonderful that they are finally back home in West View,” Schalcosky said.

The panels, which are believed to date to the 1940s, encircled the inner section of the ride where the organist played.

Historical society member Tim Binz purchased the panels and transported them from Westmoreland County. They will be stored at the old movie house until the museum conversion has been completed.

Schalcosky said the artist who adorned the panels with colorful Disney characters — 92-year-old Jack Nofsinger — also has been identified.

“We haven’t spoken to him yet, but we’re going to contact him so we can learn as much as we can about the panels,” Shalcosky said. “And I think it would be wonderful to have him here when we have our grand opening.”

Building the museum’s collection, which already has several thousand pieces, began with an appeal to the public, said historical society member Beth Shellhaas.

“We put the word out on the historical society’s Facebook page that we were interested in items from the amusement park as well as other historical items from the North Hills,” she said. “We got a lot of responses from people who said they were going through their parents or grandparents attics and basements and found things that we might be interested in.

“It’s amazing that younger people who don’t even remember the park are so excited about this. We’re lucky that they reached out to us instead of just throwing these things away,” she said.

Some of the items collected include original fencing from the park, signs, a set of colorful clown faces that adorned a children’s ride, vehicles from the “kiddie” car ride and hundreds of photographs, documents and other memorabilia.

In addition to things from West View Park, there are plans to display mementos in the collection from local schools, churches and businesses.

Shellhaas said the West View Historical Society is in the process of merging with the historical society in Ross so they can apply for grants and technical assistance to complete the museum project.

Shellhaas, who runs a flower shop in West View where some of the collection is being stored, said it’s easy to gauge interest in the long-gone amusement park.

“It’s amazing to see the reaction from people who come in the store and spot something from the park that is on display,” she said. “They love to share their memories of being at the park. So whenever I can, I’ll pull out a few more items that I have for them to see.”

Shellhaas said the historical society still has lots of work to do — including coming up with a name — before it can open the doors to the new museum.

“We’re at the very beginning stages of this part of the process,” she said. “For many years we’ve had a vision for a place where people can relive some of the wonderful memories of old West View Park and the communities in the North Hills and now it’s starting to come together.”

Tony LaRussa is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tony by email at tlarussa@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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