SUPER WHY AND CLIFFORD AT STORY LAND JUNE 7 FOR NHPTV DAY - May 01, 2008Story Land will host NH Public TV Day on Saturday, June 7. Headlining the event will be both Super Why and Clifford the Big Red Dog, the friendly characters from PBS cartoons and the popular series of children’s books. Each character is scheduled to appear at Story Land on June 7 to greet guests and pose for pictures with children. Story Land is open from 9am to 5pm on June 7. NHPTV Day at Story Land is an annual fundraising event for the state’s public television station and has contributed a combined total of $56,500 to the station in prior years.
Admission to the park is reduced to a special rate of $20 per person that day, as part of Story Land’s ongoing Guest Appreciation Days. Ages one and two are admitted for free. The admission fee includes unlimited rides, shows, unique play areas, live storybook characters, and more. New in 2008, the Royal Hanneford Circus will feature five family-favorite acts at Story Land – quick-change artists, hula hoop mastery, slapstick trampoline, the Wheel of Destiny, and performing house cats – performing three shows daily under a big-top circus tent. Circus performances are included in the admission fee to the park. THE CIRCUS COMES TO STORY LAND IN 2008 - May 02, 2008Glen, NH – For the first time ever, the circus is coming to Story Land during the 2008 season. The world famous Hanneford circus family is bringing five family–favorite acts of the Royal Hanneford Circus to the children’s theme park on Route 16 in Glen, NH. Professional circus performances will be held under a circus big-top tent at Story Land three times daily on each of the park's operating days from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day.
The European-style circus just completed an eleven-year engagement at the Adventure Land amusement park in Iowa. The five feature acts scheduled to appear at Story Land are proven family favorites among park-goers. They include: the Smirnovs, astounding quick-change artists who change their wardrobe in the blink of an eye; Alecia, a master of multiple hula hoops; the daring Leo Garcia on his high-flying Wheel of Destiny; a slapstick trampoline act; and a single animal act, Maya Panifilova with her lovable and well-loved performing house cats.
Circus performances are scheduled at noon, 2pm, and 4pm daily during Story Land’s operating season, through Labor Day. Story Land opens for its 55th season Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-25-26, then each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through Father’s Day, June 15. The park is open daily from June 16 through Labor Day. The admission rate to Story Land, which includes the circus performances, is just $24 per person for ages three and above; ages one and two enter for free. The 2008 season opens with special early-season admission rates of $20 per person each day during the annual Guest Appreciation Days celebration, which runs Memorial Day Weekend through Father’s Day. NEW CHAPTER IN KENNYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HISTORY ANNOUNCED - May 17, 2008
PITTSBURGH, PA -- Kennywood Entertainment of Pittsburgh, PA, recently announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its amusement park holdings (Kennywood, Idlewild, and Sandcastle Waterpark in PA; Lake Compounce in CT; and Story Land) to Parques Reunidos of Madrid, Spain, an international operator that manages 61 amusement, animal and water parks in the U.S. and Europe. Parques Reunidos, with the financial backing of the Candover investment fund, a private equity investor in London, approached Kennywood with a purchase offer as part of their plan to consolidate family entertainment venues around the globe.
"We have tremendous respect for the work of the Kennywood management team and are delighted to acquire such a quality organization,” said Richard Golding, Chief Executive Officer of Parques Reunidos. “They've built Kennywood Entertainment into an industry leader in family entertainment. We are anxious to continue the gold standard of entertainment they have established."
Kennywood Entertainment has been a closely held family business since F.W. Henninger and Andrew McSwigan purchased Kennywood Park from the Monongahela Railway Company in 1906. The Henninger and McSwigan families, now in fourth and fifth generation, have remained owners for over 100 years. Kennywood Entertainment acquired Story Land in July 2007 after the second generation of New Hampshire’s Morrell family, the park’s founders and operators for over fifty years, approached the company about making Story Land a part of the Kennywood family of theme parks.
“The (park) experience as visitors have come to love and expect will continue. Nothing will seem different, even to the folks working at the parks. Existing management and staff will remain in place,” said Harry Henninger, Chairman of Kennywood Entertainment. “In recent years, we've had talks with other operators wishing to acquire us, but Parques Reunidos is the first one to share our vision and philosophy.”
“Richard Golding recognizes and appreciates the deep affection that all of the Kennywood properties enjoy with their communities,” said Peter J. McAneny, Kennywood Entertainment President. “They intend to preserve these connections and build upon the history and tradition existing at each of the parks."
A May completion date is anticipated for the transaction.
STORY LAND JOINS THE KENNYWOOD FAMILY OF PARKS - May 18, 2008Glen, NH – Nancy L. Morrell, former president of Morrell Corporation of Glen, NH, and Peter J. McAneny, president of Kennywood Entertainment Company, Inc., of Pittsburgh, PA, announced the agreement for Story Land to join Kennywood Entertainment’s family of theme parks and water parks last May. The transfer of the Morrell Corporation and its Story Land children’s theme park to Kennywood Entertainment was completed on July 1, 2007.
Story Land was founded by Robert S. and Ruth T. Morrell in 1954 and operated continuously under two generations of Morrell family ownership from its inception to 7/1/07. Former Morrell Corporation president Nancy Morrell, the daughter of the company’s late founders, and the successor to her late brother, R. Stoning (Stoney) Morrell, announced the sale agreement on May 1, along with Kennywood president Pete McAneny.
“From Story Land’s standpoint, we view this more as a marriage into a larger family of theme parks with similar values and philosophies to our own, rather than a sale,” said Nancy Morrell. “We evaluated a number of options to ensure the long-term success of the park that my parents and my brother dedicated so much of their lives to, and we truly believe that a match with Kennywood is an ideal opportunity to preserve their theme park legacy. We’re honored that Kennywood considers us a good fit for their company.”
Kennywood is also a family-owned company dating back to 1898, and company president Pete McAneny agrees that this is a natural match, saying, “Kennywood Entertainment is in the business of operating clean, beautiful, family parks. I do not think we could find a better fit for our organization than Story Land.” In addition to the renowned traditional amusement park, Kennywood in Pittsburgh, PA, the company owns and operates several additional seasonal parks: Lake Compounce in CT (the nation’s oldest theme park); Idlewild & SoakZone in PA (named by Amusement Today magazine as one of the nation’s best children’s parks); and Sandcastle Waterpark and Riverplex, also in PA. For more information about Kennywood Entertainment and its parks, call 412-461-0500 or visit www.kennywood.com.
Story Land will open for its 55th consecutive season on Memorial Day Weekend in 2008. STORY LAND FOUNDERS ELECTED TO NEW ENGLAND ATTRACTIONS HALL OF FAME - May 19, 2008Glen, NH – The New England Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (NEAAPA) inducted Story Land founders Bob and Ruth Morrell into its Hall of Fame in March. Founded in 1926, NEAAPA is a regional trade association consisting of member businesses in the amusement and tourism industries throughout the six New England states. The association’s Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the regional amusement industry, and the Morrells were the sole honorees for 2007. A public Hall of Fame presentation took place during the association’s annual meeting on March 15, 2007, at the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel in New Castle, New Hampshire.
New Hampshire natives Robert S. and Ruth T. Morrell founded Story Land in Glen, NH, in 1954 as a children’s theme park based on classic fairy tales. Under two generations of Morrell family ownership the park grew from a tiny roadside attraction into one of New Hampshire’s most popular summer destinations, with the second generation adhering to their parents’ business philosophies and values. Through their dedication to Story Land Bob and Ruth Morrell also played integral parts in the founding or nurturing of many other North Country institutions during their lifetimes, such as the White Mountains Attractions Association, White Mountain National Bank, Heritage-NH, the Mt. Washington Commission, the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and others.
“This is a great honor for my parents,” said Story Land's former President Nancy Morrell, “but they didn’t do anything for recognition, they did it because they loved what they did. They viewed the business and their community involvement as a perfect two-way street, and they always recognized that what happens at Story Land is a real team effort by a lot of people who love Story Land even if they don’t have the last name of Morrell.”
Story Land will open for its 55th consecutive season on Memorial Day Weekend in 2008. Story Land is located on Route 16 in Glen, NH. 
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