City Island (Pennsylvania)

City Island is a mile-long island in the Susquehanna River between Harrisburg and Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is used mainly for leisure and sports activities. Its previous names have included Turkey Island, Maclay's Island, Forster's Island and Hargast Island.

City Island
Neighborhood of Harrisburg
A panorama of Harrisburg, showing the northern end of City Island
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyDauphin County
CityHarrisburg
Area code(s)Area code 717

The island contains archaeological remains of the Susquehannocks and the Iroquois tribes, who at one time established settlements here. During the initial development of Harrisburg, the island was only able to be reached by boat, until 1817 when the Camelback Bridge, site of the present-day Market Street Bridge, was completed.[1]

In 1903, the Harrisburg Athletics professional baseball team arrived at the park, but the team later folded. By the 1980s, concerts were held in the old field that was left over, such as Metallica (July 12, 1989) and Grateful Dead (June 22, 1983 and June 23, 1984). However, major bands slowly stopped coming to Harrisburg when the amusement tax was created in 1982.

The island is the site of FNB Field, the home of the Harrisburg Senators minor baseball team, and the former home of Penn FC, a professional soccer team. It also features the Skyline Sports Complex, which is the home of the Central Penn Piranha, a semi-professional football team which belongs to the North American Football League. The complex is open year-round to the public, and provides a multi-purpose sports field, sand volleyball courts, and a fitness center.[2]

The island also provides family-based amusements such as the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge[3] City Island Railroad (complete with a Crown Metal Products steam locomotive), carousel, "Pride of the Susquehanna" paddlewheel riverboat,[4] horse-drawn carriage rides, batting cages, miniature golf, a riverside village and a concrete beach.[2]

The island can be reached from either side of the Susquehanna River by Market Street Bridge or, from the Harrisburg side and by pedestrians and cyclists only, by Walnut Street Bridge.

Attractions

Canceled projects

City Island was the proposed location of:

References
  1. "City Island". Retrieved 2009-11-14.
  2. "Visiting Harrisburg: City parks at-a-glance". City of Harrisburg. Archived from the original on 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  3. City Island Railroad
  4. "Pride of the Susquehanna". Harrisburg Area Riverboat Society, Inc. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  5. "Corridor One -- The Project". Capital Area Transit. Archived from the original on 2009-06-27. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  6. Luciew, John (12 March 2009). "Reed to throw in towel on Sports Hall of Fame". Patriot-News. Retrieved 2009-06-12.

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