This Pennsylvania Theme Park Is For Pasta Lovers

Theme park food is generally the lowlight of a trip to ride rollercoasters, as anyone who's gnawed on an overpriced, stale pretzel shaped like a cartoon mouse can sadly attest from experience. In Tipton, Pennsylvania, however, there's a theme park where food is not just a focal point of the action but is instead the entire raison d'être. DelGrosso's Amusement Park and Laguna Splash Water Park started as a way for the DelGrosso family to find an audience for their homemade pasta sauce. More than 75 seasons later, DelGrosso is not only one of the best store-bought pasta sauce brands you can find, but it's also a byword for family fun ... enjoyed on a full belly.

In 1946, Fred and Mafalda "Murf" DelGrosso bought Bland's Park, a small amusement park. Fred and Murf were looking for a place to sell the sauce that Murf's mother, Marianna Pulcino, brought with her when she emigrated to the U.S. from Italy in the early years of the 20th century. As Fred and Murf's family grew — they ultimately had seven children — so did the park. They added miniature golf, a musical pavilion, and water rides to the place, which already included an antique carousel. In 2000, the family officially rechristened the park as DelGrosso's. Today, the park is open May through September and has numerous food stands featuring Italian food made from DelGrosso products, as well as some theme park favorites.

Unsurprisingly, considering the park's focus on eats, DelGrosso's has plenty of food stands and restaurants at which you can stuff your face. There's Murf's Kitchen, named after Mafalda, which is known for its sandwiches, including steak sandwiches, meatball subs, and Italian sausage sandwiches. Is a burger a sandwich? The jury's still out, but Murf's Kitchen serves those, too. Elsewhere in the park is a pizzeria that serves up cheese, pepperoni, and deluxe pies, while you can readily find stands with classic theme park fare like candy apples, funnel cakes, popcorn, and ice cream. There are plenty of mistakes to be made when crafting fresh pasta, which is perhaps why you should let the DelGrossos handle it. Here, fusilli, penne, and shells are all on offer, with several choices for sauces, veggies, and meat toppings.

If you can even move around after eating all that delicious food, there's much more to entertain you at the theme park. Admission is free, with individual prices charged for the rides, although you can purchase a daily pass to ride everything for one fee. This means that you can bring the whole family to graze the food stand, or pick and choose rides that are more palatable for less adventurous folks. The water park features a wave pool and lazy river that are perfect for cooling off on a hot day. One thing is for sure: no matter what, nobody will leave hungry!