Terry Hill Water Park, Breinigsville PA.

[The Master]

Terry Hill was a water park located nearby Dorney Park in Breinigsville PA right on Hamilton Blvd. The water park was first opened as a public pool in 1968 by Durell Shellhamer and his parents. In 1980 Shellhamer added the park's first slides. Shellhamer sold the park in 1998 but reclaimed it in foreclosure a decade later, reopening the park in 2011 which then closed for good in 2014.  John Skrip Jr purchased the property in 2017 and auctioned off many of its assets in 2018. An icon for the park was a large fiberglass pirate statue  named Peg-Leg. The park also featured mini golf, picnic pavilions, and various dry playground equipment.   

 

 

https://www.phillyvoice.com/terry-hill-water-park-slides-pirate-statue-auction-breinigsville-lehigh/

https://www.mcall.com/business/mc-biz-terry-hill-water-park-auction-20180612-story.html

https://www.wfmz.com/business/terry-hill-water-park-still-for-sale/article_ab0b5e8c-7a56-5ec6-86a7-b964b5c48834.html

 

Here is a old blogger's trip report to Terry Hill circa 2013. https://yinzluv.podbean.com/e/water-park-time-machine/

According to the author, Terry Hill was like a mini Action Park.

 

Video of the park from 2012. 

 

 

Sadly the only time I visited Terry Hill was for the auction. Wish I had gone there at least once back when it was operating. I picked up 3 new in the box slide inner tubes which are much better quality than typical store inner tubes and a spare used Hayward Superpump for my pool. Near the end of the auction the bidding was going nuts.   

Edited March 18, 2021 by The Master

[The Master]

Found parts of Terry Hill's old website archived on Wayback Machine. Some of the pictures are missing but some are still working. https://web.archive.org/web/20030220130459/http://terryhill.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the second picture above you can see the entrance and exit for their unusual lazy river. Looking at it during the auction it was evident that it was home built. The first unusual feature was that it was an entirely above ground which is odd for lazy rivers. Second the river was not a full circuit loop like most rivers, it began at the loading stairs and then terminated at drainage gates behind the exit stairs, it was physically impossible to keep floating for several circuits like in most lazy rivers. 

 

Furthermore, at the rear of the park were its tallest slides mounted on the only steel tower there as the rest of the slides were either terrain slides or used wooden towers. The steel tower was in poor condition at the time of the auction, with severe corrosion damage and large rust holes everywhere including in major support members. It appeared to have rusted from the inside out due to poor rust proofing by the manufacturer. Several rust holes had been duct taped and painted over in an attempt to hide them, but the tape had long deteriorated away itself.  

 

The oldest slides appeared to be 3 home made concrete terrain slides built into the park's hillside which were painted red, green, and yellow. These were mat slides as the concrete would abrade bathing suits and skin. Many of the water attractions were pretty crude by today's standards, and probably even crude back in 1980. 

 

According to their old website, Terry Hill's slogan was: "We're "What a Waterpark Should Be!" The site proudly claimed Terry hill featured the following: 

• No Long Lines... More Time For Fun!
• Free Parking (and its close to the park)
• Safe, Friendly, Family-Oriented Atmosphere
• Great Food Prepared By Our Professional Chef

 

Moreover, the website also stated the park used to have a Halloween event called Terror Hill which promised 3D and 4D effects. Terror Hill also supposedly featured scary hayrides and haunted mazes with uncontrollable creatures such as the Captain who would be your tour guide, Plunger Man who would teach guests toilet etiquette, The Dentist who is looking for her next patient, and Granny who sits waiting in her living room. There was also a non scary hayride and doggie roast. Again the Terror Hill site has been archived  on Wayback Machine.  https://web.archive.org/web/20060428143739/http://www.terrorhill.com/index2.asp

 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by The Master

[Yoshi]

Looks like it was an interesting place. I never had the chance to go there and seeing the video, I would have liked to have visited.