City Island (Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
between Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
and Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania
Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania
Wormleysburg is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,607 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.Wormleysburg is served by West Shore School District...
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.
The island contains archaeological treasures of the Susquehannock
Susquehannock
The Susquehannock people were Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries from the southern part of what is now New York, through Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Susquehanna in Maryland at the north end of the Chesapeake Bay...
s and the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
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
Market Street Bridge (Harrisburg)
The Market Street Bridge is a stone arch bridge that spans the Susquehanna River between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania...
, was completed.
In 1903, the Harrisburg Athletics professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team arrived at the park, but the team later folded. By the 1980s, concerts were held in the old field that was leftover, such as Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
(July 12, 1989) and Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
(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 currently the site of Metro Bank Park, the home of the Harrisburg Senators
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a minor league baseball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals....
minor baseball team and the Skyline Sports Complex
Skyline Sports Complex
Skyline Sports Complex is a sports complex/stadium on City Island, along the Susquehanna River, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.The original structure was built in 1987 and is adjacent to Metro Bank Park....
. The Sports Complex is the home of the Harrisburg City Islanders
Harrisburg City Islanders
Harrisburg City Islanders is an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
USL Professional Division soccer team and the Central Penn Piranha, a semi-professional football team which belongs to the North American Football League. It is open year-round to the public, and provides a multi-purpose sports field, sand volleyball courts, and a fitness center.
The island also provides family-based amusements such as a miniature steam railroad, carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
, "Pride of the Susquehanna" paddlewheel riverboat, children's playground, batting cages, miniature golf
Miniature golf
Miniature golf, or minigolf, is a miniature version of the sport of golf. While the international sports organization World Minigolf Sport Federation prefers to use the name "minigolf", the general public in different countries has also many other names for the game: miniature golf, mini-golf,...
, a riverside village and a concrete beach.
The island can be reached from either side of the Susquehanna River by Market Street Bridge
Market Street Bridge (Harrisburg)
The Market Street Bridge is a stone arch bridge that spans the Susquehanna River between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania...
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:- A CorridorOneCorridorOneCapital Red Rose Corridor, formerly known as Corridor One , is a commuter rail system proposed in South Central Pennsylvania, United States which will link Harrisburg and Lancaster. Future corridors are being planned to extend commuter rail service to Carlisle, Hershey, Lebanon, York, and...
regional railRegional railCommuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
station (removed from the project in 2006). - The National Sports Hall of FameNational Sports Hall of FameThe National Sports Hall of Fame was a proposed sports hall of fame on City Island in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States, which was scheduled for completion between July and August 2009. The $34.5M project's likely cancellation was announced by Harrisburg's Mayor Stephen R...
(canceled in 2009).