The "A Trip To Spooky Nook" Story

Front of the Spooky Nook Sports Complex

It was an ordinary guy.  Just picked up my grandson, Caden, for a few hours of fun and running errands while both his mom and dad work.  Since it was close to lunchtime I asked him if he would like to head to Roots sale, a farmer's market between East Petersburg and Manheim, just off PA Rt. 72N.  Market is open on Tuesdays during the year and features local produce, baked goods, meats and general junk.  I knew he enjoyed the Gyros that they make at one of the indoor stands and we could visit the animal auction and see what was for sale today while we eat.  But, kind of got delayed on the way as we were driving on Spooky Nook Road towards Manheim.  As we approached the old Armstrong World Industries facility on Spooky Nook Road, where Armstrong used to make ceiling tiles, Caden told me that his friend Max went to football summer camp at the place.  Then I remembered that the huge building was going through a $25 Million renovation and had been selected as the new home of the National Women's USA Field Hockey team until 2022.  Asked Caden if he had ever been in the building and after getting a negative response from him, I turned my '96 Mazda into the parking lot for a visit.  

Click on this image to enlarge so you can see the floor-plan.

The building is an immense rectangle about 40 feet high which covers more than 700,00 square feet on over 50 acres of land.  Impressive to say the least!  Parked the car and headed in the main entrance to the building.  WOW!  

The vast lobby of the complex with climbing facilities
to both the right and the left of the main desk.

The field house lobby was certainly impressive.  Greeting desk was directly in front of us with rock climbing walls that reached the ceiling on both sides of the entrance.  Asked one of the young girls who was working at the desk if we could look around the facility and take some photos.  Asked me if we would like a tour and I responded by telling her we would be fine on our own if we were allowed to do that.  No problem, so off we went.  To our left was a large snack bar with a one level sporting goods store while directly in front of us was an arcade an indoor adventure center.  

One of the second-floor hallways Caden and I walked
that have tennis on the left and baseball on the right.

In a hallway on the far right were the offices of Orthopedic Associates of Lancaster.  What a perfect spot for them to be located.  To the near right were steps to the second level which we climbed and were greeted with some remarkable sights.  4 turf fields for soccer, hockey, lacrosse, football, dodge ball and other turf sports, many batting cages and pitching lanes for baseball and softball on turf surfaces, a dozen basketball/volleyball courts and 6 full-sized tennis courts, all with nets that dropped from the ceiling of the field house to the ground.  

Free weights are featured in this workout area.

Second floor was also home to a series of dance and aerobics studios, fitness center and weight center.  Throughout the field house were locker rooms.  Caden and I saw one young boy getting tennis lessons, another boy taking batting practice, group of guys and girls playing soccer, people working out in the weight area and fitness center while a small group were playing a game of boccie ball.  

Basketball/Volleyball courts all with scoreboards.

And this is all taking place in one-half of the building, since the other half is still under construc- tion.  As we returned to the front desk I asked where the field hockey fields that the USA Field Hockey group were going to use for their practices.  I was told that directly to the rear of the building they were working on two outdoor field hockey fields, one to be covered by a climate-controlled dome for use throughout the year.  

Baseball field with turf infield.

Lancaster has long been a hotbed for field hockey with a few of players on the national team coming from this area.  My interest in that sport dates back to the early '90s when my daughter played goalie for the Manheim Township High School team that played in the district playoffs a few times.  

Soccer and field hockey fields can be seen in this pix.

The owner of this fabulous facility is Mr. Sam Beiler, former owner of Auntie Anne's soft pretzel chain.  He bought the Armstrong facility for $11.25 million in 2011 and started the renovations the following year.  This first class facility will draw world-class athletes to Lancaster for training and tournaments.  I will make a visit back to the field house after they announce the opening of the second half which will also contain additional indoor field hockey fields.  Well, Caden finally got his gyro, but after enjoying our self-guided tour of Spooky Nook Sports.  It  was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.