Local amusement park needs your help

DELCO, NC (WWAY) — If you’ve driven down Highway 74 through Delco, you’ve probably seen the house with all the colorful animals out front. But you might not have known that it was actually an amusement park called Grahamland.

For Hubert Graham, it started out with building fiberglass lighthouses, and eventually turned into something much more.

“You have oxen, you have bears, you got mules, you got Jolly Green Giants, you got BooBoo Bears,” said Graham. “You got longhorn cattle, you got bulls, you got giant chickens, you got giant pink flamingoes…”

And the list goes on.

Grahamland is a roadside amusement park right on the county line between Brunswick and Columbus. Folks can come to the park and explore acres of fantastical creatures. Now the park wants to incorporate rides and even a mini golf course to complete the attraction.

“It will be a place of employment and a place where people can come, exercise, bring their kids, sit on animals,” said Graham.

But they need your help to make that dream a reality.

“The fundraiser is on gofundme.com and we want to add the miniature golf over here to the left, we got more wagons, we want to pave the driveway, we want to bring in a gift shop,” said Graham.

All of the creatures are made on site and by hand from recycled fiberglass from boats. Graham said it takes about six days to see an animal through to completion. Once they’re done, Betty Rose Dolce hand paints each and every one.

“Without her being here I don’t think Grahamland would be as successful as it has been or look as good as it does,” said Graham.

Who says you have to drive hours for amusement park fun? Grahamland wants to bring the entertainment right here to the Cape Fear.