This page pictorially chronicles my summer of 1998 pilgrimmage to the one and only Slinky Factory in Hollidaysburg, PA. Here is the ad put out by the factory itself, front and back:
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It was a beautiful day as we approached the factory. My friend Molly had agreed to take me to the place where every official slinky in the world has been produced. After navigating some residential neighborhoods, we finally saw the sign that I had waited to see for so long:
Much to my surprise, I quickly discovered that any employee of the Slinky Factory can proudly claim that he or she works on ... Slinky Ave.!
After exploring the area for a few minutes, I stood in front of the Slinky Toy Outlet, trying not to be overwhelmed by the wonder of my surroundings:
After a little more exploring, we came across a treasure: an old Slinky Toy Outlet sign lying against the wall of the factory. As I held the sign in my hands, I felt the power of the millions of slinkies that had passed through the factory doors flowing through me:
After leaving the factory, we journeyed to the Slinky Action Zone, another must stop on any slinky pilgrimmage:
As you can see in the background of the last photo, the entrance to the Slinky Action Zone is a giant slinky! Molly, a slinky veteran, stood inside the amazing structure, well aware of its power and majesty:
The creators of this giant slinky were intelligent people, and they quickly realized its one weakness: giraffes. Though the structure is more than adequate for any person to walk through, it just wasn't built to handle giraffe traffic. So, this sign was printed on the door to ensure the safety of the giant slinky for generations to come. Though the partial ban on alligators is a bit unclear, I believe it stems from a general discomfort that most people feel in the presence of the animal.
After exploring the Slinky Action Zone to our hearts' content, Molly and I moved on. I believe my thoughts at the time can best be summed up by a quote from Darth Vader: "This will be a day long remembered." Taken completely out of context, it seems very apt for describing my slinky pilgrimmage. :)