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Funland’s Al Fasnacht inducted into amusement parks hall of fame

March 7, 2020

Al Fasnacht, a co-owner of Funland Amusement Park on the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, was inducted into the Pennsylvania Amusement Parks and Attractions Hall of Fame Feb. 24 in Hershey, Pa.

Fasnacht was the 13th person so honored by the organization in its 85-year history.

“Thank you very much for this special recognition. It’s a thrill to become a member of the Pennsylvania Amusement Parks Hall of Fame,” Fasnacht said. “I suspect that like many of you, each of us has our own personal hall of fame, and like you, I’m eternally grateful for the many role models who have had an impact on my life. I’m especially grateful for my family, with whom I’ll share this coveted award. My family has been blessed, and it’s a joy to receive this honor.”

Before purchasing Sport Center and renaming it Funland in 1962, Fasnacht and his family owned and operated Willow Mill Park, a weekend picnic park in Mechanicsburg, Pa., starting in 1956. They sold the park in 1967 to focus their attention on Funland.

Fasnacht, who turned 91 in November, still works five hours a day during the Funland summer season, handling all the park’s trash duties and operating the kiddie rides for 90 minutes each night. “When you have no skills, you do the work that’s left,” he said, joking with anyone who asks him about his daily tasks. He plans to continue those tasks this summer, the family’s 59th at Funland.

The 2020 Funland season will open Saturday, May 9.

Funland and the Fasnacht family are the subject of the book “Land of Fun: The Story of an Old-Fashioned Amusement Park for the Ages,” which was published in May by former Funland employee Chris Lindsley. It was the top-selling book of 2019 at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach. For more information, go to www.land-of-fun.com.

 

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