[SteveMichiganman]

My parents, sister and I vacationed in Frankenmuth many times during the 70s. My aunt, uncle and cousins used to live there and we would visit them frequently. On the way up, my dad would fuel up at a gas station on the outskirts of Frankenmuth. Across the street (kitty-corner from the station) was a park (inside a forest) for families and their children. It had swings and slides and big dinosaur statues. Once my relatives relocated, we didn't visit Frankenmuth as often. When a former girlfriend and I did a daytrip to Frankenmuth (in 1992), we drove past the above-mentioned park. However, more recently (early 2000s), my parents took me to Zehnder's for a birthday dinner. Alas, I couldn't find the above-mentioned park. Perhaps my dad took a different route and we didn't drive past it? Or maybe the park doesn't exist anymore? Is anybody familiar with this park? If so, what was its name? By the way, this park is NOT the abandoned Prehistoric Forest theme-park in Irish Hills. I DON"T THINK it's the Wilderness Trails Animal Park in Birch Run either. But I could be wrong.

All help will be appreciated!

Thank you in advance!

Sincerely,


Steve.

[MikeBear]

Pine Ridge Amusement Park. I used to LOVE that place! At the corner (slightly North) of M-83 and Birch Run Rd.

Pine Ridge Amusement Park - Birch Run MI

My dad worked at Carlings Brewery in Frankenmuth, and every year they'd rent the whole park for a day, and have a picnic. We'd all ride the rides for free!

It went out of business 30 years ago, due to the cost of liability insurance increasing so much they could no longer afford it. It's now a RV park.

[SteveMichiganman]

Thank you very much "Mike Bear!" I never walked around the site, but after viewing the photos, the area started to look familiar. I wish pics of the dinosaur statues were available. :-(

Do you happen to know if the nearby gas station is still around? I remember my dad buying gas there as far back as 1972.

Sincerely,


Steve

[MikeBear]

The only nearby gas station that I'm aware of, has been an antique shop for at least 25 years, maybe longer.

[SteveMichiganman]

An antique gift store! That sounds appropriate. When it was a gas station, it always reminded my family and I of a store used on the set of "The Andy Griffith Show." We almost expected Gomer, or Goober, to be outside serving cars.

Thanks again for the help!

Sincerely,


Steve

[magellan]

Originally Posted by MikeBear

Pine Ridge Amusement Park. I used to LOVE that place! At the corner (slightly North) of M-83 and Birch Run Rd.

Pine Ridge Amusement Park - Birch Run MI

My dad worked at Carlings Brewery in Frankenmuth, and every year they'd rent the whole park for a day, and have a picnic. We'd all ride the rides for free!

It went out of business 30 years ago, due to the cost of liability insurance increasing so much they could no longer afford it. It's now a RV park.

What's the story with the guy near the corner of Dixie Highway and Junction Road just as you're heading into Frankenmuth, who has the big (small) train set set up in his yard? Is that leftover from the amusement park?

I looked on google maps and someone even labeled the whole thing as a real "rail line."

https://www.google.com/maps/place//@...7b9f5112a88347

And look, you can even see the train on street view:

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3357...Yg8kOW2mdw!2e0

[MikeBear]

Originally Posted by magellan

What's the story with the guy near the corner of Dixie Highway and Junction Road just as you're heading into Frankenmuth, who has the big (small) train set set up in his yard? Is that leftover from the amusement park?

I looked on google maps and someone even labeled the whole thing as a real "rail line."

https://www.google.com/maps/place//@...7b9f5112a88347

And look, you can even see the train on street view:

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3357...Yg8kOW2mdw!2e0

That was his hobby, he built the whole thing from SCRATCH. Not a leftover from any park. He has a full rail line setup back there with bridges, and the works as if it was all a regular train. Then he turned it into a business, and charges for rides. He also has a hobby store right there. Nice setup, and now he makes money to keep it all up and running.

[CatzPaw]

Magellan, that is the Junction Valley Railroad, a quarter-size railroad that was the hobby of the man that owned the semi-truck and trailer repair facility at that location. We stumbled on it on our way to Oscoda back in the late 80s or early 90s when my son was small – and a total train freak. If we saw something that had to do with a train, we stopped.

We visited on two separate occasions and had the place nearly to ourselves. It was very inexpensive and you could ride the trains as long as they were running. Other than that, it was a big picnic area in the woods with play equipment and riding toys for the kids. It was very non-commercial and more like many of the old-fashioned, kind of "home-made" park attractions from the 50s and 60s. There is also a hobby shop on the premises. If you go, take bug spray ... you are completely in the woods down in the valley and there was a "lake" that the trains circled. According to the website, they are open weekends now through November 1 for their Halloween Spook Train. Little kids and those slightly older who can appreciate something that's not all flashy computers and thrill rides will love it.

Junction Valley Railroad - Model Train Store In Bridgeport, MI