Rockome Gardens purchased by local businessman
Bob McElwee finalized the purchase of the 205 acre rock and floral garden July 4
Samaiya Ewing/News editor
Issue date: 7/12/05 Section: News
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The contract was finalized on July 4, said McElwee.
Located in the heart of Amish Country, the sprawling 205 acre rock and floral garden attraction features buggy rides, train rides, a haunted cave, petting zoo, horse powered rides, and several arts and crafts shows each year.
"There are other rural villages like it throughout the Midwest, I just saw Rockome as a sort of diamond in the rough," McElwee said.
McElwee has owned Rockome for a week, the previous owner owned the complex for 47 years.
"Our family's had it since 1958, we have other businesses we want to give our attention to" Allan Yoder, the former owner of Rockome Gardens. "My kids aren't even around, they're in South Carolina, and Chicago, so they're not interested in doing anything with it."
Yoder hoped to garner at least 1.3mil for the park, which attracts between 50,000 and 60.0000 visitors during the summer months, and was sold complete with real-estate, buildings, and inventory.
The park was first put up for auction in February but lack of interest kept the bidding lower than expected, Yoder said.
The affect the sale of the park will have on local tourism is uncertain.
"I think the area needs tourism, it would be a shame not to have tourism in Arthur," said Yoder.
"I think it's (the sale) going to have profound impact on local tourism," McElwee said.
The future plans for the Gardens are still a mystery.
"If he (McElwee) wanted to bulldoze it, he could do that, but I don't think that's the purpose," Yoder said.
"We have a lot of new activities that are planned for the site, we can't really announce them yet because we don't have them finalized," McElwee said.
The history of the park is speckled with growth and change.
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