Archive for the ‘General Resort’ Category

The annual bulb sale at the Oglebay Palm Room is coming to a close.   “While supplies last you can now buy one bag for $10 and get the second bag free,” said Marilyn Jenkinson, Manager of the Greenhouse and Gardens at Oglebay.  “The money raised during the annual bulb sale helps us purchase new bulbs from The Netherlands that will be planted this fall.”

 

Last fall hundreds of spring flowering bulbs including tulips and daffodils were planted in the formal gardens at Oglebay Park and now that the bulbs have finished blooming they have been removed from the ground to make way for summer annuals.

 

The Palm Room is currently open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Call 304-243-4098 for more information.

The Memorial Day Weekend marks the start of summer activities at Oglebay and John Hargleroad, Director of Operations, says that all the Oglebay facilities will be open beginning Friday, May 24 with some special activities planned for the Memorial Day weekend.

 

“The always-popular inflatable rides will be at the Schenk Lake area on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and Doozy the Clown will also be at the lake area all three days from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.,” said Hargleroad.

 

Oglebay will begin offering daily activity wristbands on Friday, May 24.  The wristbands are available at the Good Zoo and Visitors Center through Labor Day and provide all day use at the Par III Golf, Good Zoo and Train Ride, Miniature Golf, Pedal Boats, Fishing, Outdoor Pool, Tennis, Glass Museum, Trolley, and the Mansion Museum. “The wristbands will also provide one admission to the inflatable rides this weekend,” reminded Hargleroad. The wristbands are $16.00 each plus applicable fees and taxes.

 

The Memorial Day Weekend is also a great time to catch up with old friends at the Good Zoo and check out what’s new including the Dinosaur exhibit.  On Saturday, May 25, the zoo will hold “Dino Discussions,” from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 

The zoo is also accepting entries for the second annual “Capture the Wild” photography contest.  “We had a great response last summer to our photography contest and are looking forward to this year’s entries,” said Penny Miller, Director of the Good Zoo.  “We’ll be awarding some great prizes!” Contest rules and entry forms are available on the zoo’s website at www.oglebay-resort.com/goodzoo.

 

Miller also added that the zoo’s Animal Encounters programs are getting more and more popular.  “This program allows guests to get into animal exhibits with the keepers to help feed and train some of the zoo’s animals including the new mongoose lemurs,” said Miller. Animal Encounters also include the ring-tailed lemurs, red pandas, river otters and kangaroos. The encounters must be scheduled in advance by calling 304-243-4030.

 

The Good Zoo is open daily at 10 am. Admission is $9.00 for adults, $5.75 for ages 3-12, and ages 2 & under and members are free.

 

The popular Segway Tours have also returned for another season.  “Join our friendly guides for an exciting tour on a high tech personal transporter,” said Hargleroad.  “It’s a great way to experience the picturesque natural beauty of Oglebay.” The tours begin at Schenk Lake at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Reservations for Segway Tours can be made by calling 304-243-4090.

 

The Easy Street Band will present a free concert at the Anne Kuchinka Amphitheater on Sunday from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.  “This performance is the beginning of the Summer Sunday Entertainment Series featuring a different band every Sunday through Labor Day at the amphitheater,” added Hargleroad. The entire summer’s schedule is available at www.oglebay-resort.com/summer_ent.htm.

 

“For those who want to celebrate the weekend with an all-American picnic, many beautiful picnic sites are available at Oglebay and can be reserved by calling 304-243-4010,” added Hargleroad.

 

The Seafood Gala is available at the Ihlenfeld Dining Room at Wilson Lodge on Friday evening and the new Smokehouse, featuring Prime Rib, is offered on Saturday evening.  For dining reservations call 304-243-4080.

Last fall, hundreds of tulip, daffodil and muscari bulbs were planted in the formal gardens at Oglebay Park, and now that the bulbs have finished blooming they have been removed from the ground to make way for summer annuals.  The bulbs are now on sale to the public at the Oglebay Palm Room for $10 a bag.

 

“The money raised during the annual bulb sale helps us purchase new bulbs from The Netherlands that will be planted this fall,” said Marilyn Archer, Manager of the Greenhouse and Gardens at Oglebay.

 

Archer added that the Palm Room, located next to the greenhouse, is fully stocked with flowering plants, annuals and perennials plus unique garden accessories.

 

The Palm Room is currently open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Call 304-243-4098 for more information.

On Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5, 2013, the Palm Room and Greenhouses, Farmhouse Sweets and Treats Shoppe, and Carriage House Glass Shops at Oglebay will celebrate May with “Dream … Discover Spring at the Hilltop.”  Marilyn Archer, Palm Room and Greenhouse/Garden Manager said all the hilltop shops are filled with new arrivals for Spring including new flowering plants and merchandise at the Palm Room, and new fresh-made fudge at Farmhouse Sweets and Treats Shoppe.

 

Archer said the celebration will take place on both days from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with giveaways and lectures.  The lectures will take place at the Palm Room and Saturday’s schedule is: 11:00 a.m. – Fantasy Miniature Gardens; 1:00 p.m. – Succulent Wreaths, Living Walls and Kokedama Moss Balls; 2:00 p.m. – Composting, Herbs and Vegetables; 3:00 p.m. – Designer Containers and Deer Resistant Plants and Chemicals.

 

Sunday’s lectures at the Palm Room are: 11:00 a.m. – Succulent Wreaths, Living Walls and Kokedama Moss Balls; 1:00 p.m. – Fantasy Miniature Gardens; 2:00 p.m. – All American Selection Plants; 3:00 p.m. – Designer Containers and Deer Resistant Plants and Chemicals.

 

“Visitors will have the chance to win a beautiful gift basket at the Palm Room, a gift basket at Farmhouse Sweets and Treats and decorative glass at Carriage House Glass,” added Archer.

 

For more information call 304-243-4098.

The Oglebay Good Zoo Treasure Hunt is Friday and Saturday, March 29 and 30, and in addition to the Easter Bunny some other special guests will be on hand during the hunt.  “The Good Zoo has been invaded by four life-sized, moving and roaring dinosaurs which can be discovered in the woods out near the Australian exhibit,” said Penny Miller, Director of the Good Zoo. “Come enjoy the Treasure Hunt and take a sneak peak at our new dinosaurs!”

 

The dinosaurs will be at the zoo through the summer and include a large Styracosaurus and her baby, a Juvenile T –Rex, a Dilophosaurus, a Deltadromeus and Parasaurolophus. “The Deltadromeus, whose name means ‘river runner’ has claimed the top of the wetlands waterfall as his prehistoric perch for the summer,” said Miller.  The Parasaurolophus is non-robotic so visitors can sit on it and take their photo or video, but all other dinosaurs are robotic and move and roar.

 

The Treasure Hunt is an annual favorite for children of all ages as the hunt is non-competitive so even very young children can participate.  The hunt is from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. each day.  “Every child who participates in the event receives a treasure map and an Easter bucket to hold their treasures,” added Miller.

 

Admission to the Good Zoo, which includes the Treasure Hunt, is $9.00 for adults; $5.75 for children ages 3-12; and free for ages 2 and under.  Good Zoo members are free but members’ children that participate in the hunt must purchase a ticket for $4.00.

 

Activities at Oglebay for Easter Sunday, March 31, begin with the Easter Sunrise Service at the Anne Kuchinka Amphitheater at 7:00 a.m.  In the event of inclement weather, the sunrise service will be moved indoors.

 

An Easter Buffet will be offered at the Ihlenfeld Dining Room at Wilson from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.  The cost is $29.95 for adults; $15.50 for ages 11-14; $12.50 for ages 5-10; and complimentary for ages 4 and under.  Reservations for the dining room can be made by calling 304-243-4080.

Madison Zoladz, a 12-year-old from Wheeling, will have her light display idea come to life for the 2013-14 Winter Festival of Lights at Oglebay.  Her design was selected from over 95 entries in this year’s Festival of Lights New Idea Contest.  “We are looking forward to adding Madison’s design of a Christmas Tree Farm to the Festival of Lights,” said Andy Barger, Director of Planning for the Wheeling Park Commission and Chairman of the Oglebay Festival of Lights Committee.  “It was a very difficult decision.  All the designs were wonderful and we were so pleased to have such a great response.”  In addition to having her design come to life, Zoladz received a $50.00 Oglebay Gift Card and a one-year family membership to the Good Zoo.

 

Charlize George, also of Wheeling, was the winner of the ages 10 and under category with her entry of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge during the Fourth of July Fireworks.  Michelle Orcutt of Logan, West Virginia, won in the adult category with her entry of Santa on Vacation in the Tropics.  Both of these winners received a $25 gift card and a one-year individual membership to the Good Zoo.

 

The designs were reviewed by members of Oglebay’s Festival of Lights Committee and the entries were judged on creativity, colors, originality, appeal to a broad audience, and how well the design would convert to a light display.  The top ten designs will be hanging at Wilson Lodge until March 17.  “We want to thank everyone that participated in the contest,” added Barger.

In 2004 new displays at the Winter Festival of Lights included two special designs by area fourth grade students: “Christmas Kittens” and “Playful Pup”. These displays were the winners of a Festival of Lights New Idea Contest that invited school children to submit ideas for new light displays. We received over 90 entries for new ideas! The “Lighthouse” display was the winner of the next New Idea Contest and was introduced to the show in 2006. It was created by a local sixth grade student.

 

We are having another contest so if you have a great idea enter our Festival of Lights New Idea Contest and your idea could come to life at the 2013-14 Winter Festival of Lights!  All artwork should be 22″x 14″ on standard poster board. (This is one-half of a sheet of poster board). Every entry must have name, age, address, phone number and email printed on the back of the poster. Do not use copyright characters such as Sponge Bob, Cookie Monster, etc. Artwork can be in color or black and white and animation can be included. You can include a written description of your idea but do not use words in your actual display.

 

Artwork should be delivered to the Good Zoo office by January 6, 2013, between the hours of 11 am and 3 pm. The winner will be announced by January 31, 2013. Grand Prize: $50 Oglebay Gift Card, a one-year family membership to the Good Zoo and their idea created into a light display for the 2013-14 Winter Festival of Lights. Prizes will also be awarded to the top entry for ages 10 & under, ages 11-18, and over 18. Everyone that enters will receive one free admission to the Good Zoo in 2013. The top ten entries will be displayed at Wilson Lodge from February 1 to March 17, 2013. All creative concepts become the property of the Wheeling Park Commission.

Visit our You Tube page for a glimpse of this year’s all-new Light & Music Extravaganza!

Animation at the Winter Festival of Lights was taken to a new level with the addition of the Light and Music Extravaganza at the Good Zoo in 2006. Designed by noted lighting animation engineer Carson Williams, this dazzling show was the first display at the Festival of Lights to be created entirely of LED lights.  The success of this show prompted Oglebay to commit to use LED lights on all new displays and to begin converting the existing displays from traditional lights to LED.  LEDs are much more environmentally friendly than traditional lights as they use 85% less energy and last five times longer. 

 

The popular Light and Music Extravaganza has been totally reworked this year and is better than ever with new music, new choreography and more lights. The Extravaganza takes place nightly on the zoo patio, featuring more than 35,500 LED lights choreographed to exciting holiday music.

 

The zoo at Oglebay also has their annual holiday model train display at the state’s largest O-Gauge Model Train Exhibit and holiday laser shows at the zoo’s Benedum Theater. Admission to the zoo is $8.00 for adults and $5.50 for children ages 3-12, and this admission includes the Light and Music Extravaganza on the zoo’s patio. 

 

The Winter Festival of Lights is viewable Sunday through Thursday until 10:00 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday until 11:00 p.m. A per car donation is requested and is valid for the entire festival season.  Visitors making a $20.00 donation will receive a DVD of the Festival of Lights and Oglebay story. Trolley tours are offered several times each night beginning at Wilson Lodge.

The popular “Deer Hunters Widows Weekend” returns to the Oglebay Palm Room. On November 22, 23, 24 and 25 all “widows” of hunting season are invited to the Palm Room to “hunt” for the perfect Christmas gift.  “Customers can even save a few bucks by selecting a discount coupon out of the decorative deer!” said Marilyn Archer, Garden and Greenhouse Manager.

The Palm Room is full of ornaments for the holidays, unique plants, live mixed green wreaths, gardening gifts, solar and electric lights, plus 21 varieties of poinsettias ranging in pot size from 2 3/8” to 10”.  Traditional red, white and pink, plus Winter Rose and novelty glitter poinsettias, are available this year.  “The plants make festive gifts dressed up with decorative pot covers and bows,” added Archer.

 

The Palm Room is open on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Friday, November 23 and Saturday, November 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; and on Sunday, November 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Greenhouse personnel will be on hand to answer plant and gardening questions. For more information, call the Oglebay Greenhouse and Gardens at 304-243-4098.

 

 

This weekend is a great time to visit all of the Shops of Oglebay  including the Christmas Shop at the Speidel Golf Club. The Christmas Shop is open only during the Festival of Lights and offers a large selection of one-of-a-kind decorations, ornaments and holiday collectibles.  Gift cards are available at all shops, at the Visitors Center and online.  Gift cards can also be ordered by calling 800-624-6988, ext. 4010.

November 9^th marked the beginning of the 27^th year for the Winter Festival of Lights at Oglebay.  This holiday tradition began in 1985 with just five light displays and landscape lighting covering about 125 acres over a three-mile drive throughout the resort. Since then, the show has grown into one of the nation’s largest light shows, covering more than three hundred acres over a six-mile drive throughout the resort.  Seventy eight larger-than-life light displays are now part of this glowing show.

 

Four years ago, the Winter Festival of Lights entered a new “green” era with the commitment to use energy-efficient LED lights in all new displays and to begin converting all existing displays to LED.  “We are proud to announce that all the displays at the Festival of Lights are now LED!”  said Caren Knoyer, Marketing Director for Oglebay.  “We expected the conversion to take five years so we are actually ahead of schedule.”  LED lights use 85% less energy than traditional bulbs and last five times longer, ensuring that the Winter Festival of Lights will be glowing for another 27 years.

 

The Gardens of Light is located in the Oglebay hilltop and gardens area, and features 150 hanging baskets of light plus thousands of lighted flowers, trees and shrubs, combined with distinctive holiday music.  Knoyer said that the best way to enjoy the Gardens of Light is to take a stroll along the brick path that leads from Carriage House Glass to the Mansion Museum.

 

Carriage House Glass, the first stop on the Gardens of Light tour, features a large selection of decorative glass and other collectibles. Carriage House Glass is also home to the sparkling Oglebay Institute Glass Museum featuring an extensive collection of West Virginia glass and glassblowing demonstrations. The Gardens of Light continues next door to the Visitors’ Center and the new Farmhouse Sweets and Treats Shoppe.  Just outside the Visitors’ Center lies the magical Christmas Tree Garden.  Introduced in 2003, the Christmas Tree Garden consists of 30 live trees decorated with various colored lights.  Situated in the center of the Christmas Tree Garden is the Nativity Display.  The life-size Nativity was designed and created by a local artist, and has been a much-loved display at the Winter Festival of Lights since 1985.

 

The red brick walking path leads from the Christmas Tree Garden to the Greenhouse, Palm Room and Garden Center Gift Shop, where visitors can find live holiday flowers, garden gifts and silk floral arrangements. The final stop on the Gardens of Light tour is the Mansion Museum.

 

The Winter Festival of Lights is one of America’s largest holiday light shows.  It will continue through January 6, 2013.