I recently had the opportunity to visit Del Grosso’s Amusement Park in Tipton, PA (about 120 miles northwest of Hagerstown, MD), taking along my youngest daughter and her friend for a day of fun and frolic.

For those of you who may not know, Del Grosso’s (yes, the pasta sauce maker) has its own small amusement/water park, tucked into the hills of Central Pennsylvania just above Altoona.  The amusement park side consists of several re-purposed amusement park rides (all lovingly cared for and kept in good working order), food stalls, arcade games, and several picnic pavilions nestled among the trees along the side of East Pleasant Valley Road in Tipton, PA.  Across the road there is an adjoining water park, which has expanded this year from a kid’s splash area and a few slides to a full-fledged water park, complete with a “lazy river” and a large wave pool.

I have a lot of good things to say about Del Grosso’s.  It’s a great family-friendly park with a warm and inviting atmosphere.  The park is clean, well maintained, and enjoyable, staffed by pleasant and smiling workers.  Unlike many other amusement parks, one of the great things about Del Grosso’s is that admission to the park areas is free.  You only have to pay if you want to enjoy the rides (through single ride tickets or with an all-day “fun-pass”, which includes access to the water park and its attractions).  That means that if Grandpa and Grandma can’t hack the rides, they can still tag along and sit on one of the many park benches in the shade and watch the grand-kids enjoy their adventures – and it won’t cost them a thing.

On the “Laguna Splash” waterpark side of Del Grosso’s (across the road and accessible by an elevated bridge over the roadway), the new additions of the “lazy river” and wave pool have really created an all-day destination.  The waterpark has an Italian theme (for example, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a giant water fountain), and there are plenty of lounge chairs around the entire complex for sunbathing and relaxing.  Shade spots are at a premium, though, with only a few large umbrellas in the kid’s area and private cabanas (available for rent) along the back side of the wave pool – so bring plenty of sunscreen.

The lazy river was my favorite attraction.  What’s not to like about relaxing in a large inner tube float while the current takes you on a long loop around the waterpark area?  There are also some interactive elements in the river.  Large “targets” hang down at various points – which can be slapped or kicked as one floats by – triggering fountains, sprays, or water drops on passengers in the waterway.

Del Grosso’s also seems to have a keen grasp of water safety on the waterpark side.  Ropes and fencing keep entrances to the wave pool and “lazy river” to a single access point, and all of the water attractions are manned by plenty of attentive lifeguards (who I saw dive into the water on more than one occasion to help out someone who appeared to be struggling in the wave pool).

There were several new food locations in the water park addition.  Del Grosso’s states that they have the “best theme park food in the country” – a bold claim – but I can say that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of the food offerings.  On the waterpark side, there was a pasta stand (“Pasta Fresca”) that allowed you to personalize your pasta, sauce, meats, and vegetables via touchscreen – with the finished selection made to order right in front of your eyes.  There were also stands that offered such varied items as flatbreads, Stromboli, pizza, and cheese steaks (note the continued Italian theme – it is a pasta sauce company, after all).  I sampled an excellent, freshly made cheese steak sandwich (complete with peppers and onions) and my daughter and friend had personalized pastas that lasted them the whole day (portions were well sized).  The prices were also reasonable.  I’m so used to being underwhelmed and overcharged for food at amusement parks, so I found the offerings at Del Grosso’s to be a welcome change that exceeded my expectations.

If you’re looking for a family-friendly destination that everyone will enjoy, plan a drive to Central Pennsylvania and check out Del Grosso’s Amusement Park.  It’s well worth the trip.

For directions, hours, ticket prices, and other information, check out their website at  Del Grosso’s Amusement Park.