The current site of Ambler Real Estate was originally known as the Village of Wissahickon after the North Pennsylvania Railroad's Wissahickon station was established there in the mid 1850's. In 1856, there was a disastrous train wreck less than two miles from the station where two trains collided head-on. This was the deadliest railroad catastrophe in the world up to that time, as 59 people were killed instantly and dozens of others died from their injuries. Mary Johnson Ambler was a Quaker woman who resided near the Wissahickon station and rushed on foot for two miles to the crash site with first aid materials. The service she provided while caring for the injured was so impressive that after her death in 1868, the North Pennsylvania Railroad changed the station's name from Wissahickon in her honor. Eventually, the name of the city itself also changed. For more information on the city's historical background, refer to https://www.boroughofambler.com/historical.
The city has several recreational opportunities for residents of Ambler Pennsylvania Homes, including several wonderful parks. The nine acre Borough Park in the center of town provides a peaceful area to relax by the Rose Valley Creek, while Knight Park offers basketball courts, a baseball diamond, a picnic area with tables and a large playground. Pickering Field has a soccer field and several baseball diamonds where many of the town's sporting events take place. The city's newest park is Ricciardi Park, which is dedicated to James Ricciardi who served the town as a member of the Borough Council for more than 30 years. This pleasant park contains a multi-purpose court, playground and walking trail. The city's Parks and Recreation Department offers several programs throughout the year at the parks, including a free summer series of movie nights. Additional information on the city's parks can be found at https://montcoresource.com.
The city is home to two excellent entertainment venues, the local Theater and the Act II Playhouse. The local Theater originally opened in 1928 as a Warner Brothers movie theater and was recently renovated into a community, non-profit theatre. It specializes in independent, art, and foreign films, but also hosts special events ranging from Saturday Kid's Matinees to classic Hollywood films. Information about the theatre is available at https://amblertheater.org/. The Act II Playhouse is a 130-seat professional and intimate theatre that was founded in 1999. It features an entertaining variety of comedies, musicals and dramas throughout the year. For the Act II Playhouse's schedule, tickets and other information, refer to their website at https://act2.org/cms2/.
A number of events take place throughout the city each year. Restaurant Week actually takes place twice per year, both in January and July. During these fabulous events on Main Street, more than a dozen of the city's restaurants provide delicious meals at special prices. Specific restaurants taking part of the event as well as their fixed price specials can be found at https://montcoresource.com/ambler/ambler-restaurant-week/. Other local events include small business Saturday, a Holiday Parade and Holiday Shopping Night.
