Theme Park Guides | Kennywood

Guide to Kennywood

Kennywood opened on May 30, 1898, at the end of the Monongahela Street Railways Company line, which leased land from the Kenny family to create the park. The park added several attractions in its first few years: a carousel (1899), casino hall (1899), dance pavilion (1899), bandstand (1900), the Old Mill ride (1901), and the Figure Eight Toboggan roller coaster (1902). It was primarily a weekend entertainment and picnic destination for working-class families.

The Kennywood Entertainment Company was created in 1906 to operate the park when F. W. Henninger and Andrew McSwigan acquired it from the railway. The company expanded over time with the acquisition of Idlewild Park (1983), the opening of Sandcastle Waterpark (1989), the acquisition of Lake Compounce 1996), and the acquisition of New Hampshire’s Story Land (2007). The group would control the park until 2007, when it was sold to Parques Reunidos. Palace Entertainment is the subsidiary of Parques Reunidos, which operates all United States parks.

Travel Tips

• Depending on traffic, it’s typically a 40-60 minute ride to Kennywood from Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT).

• Idlewild & SoakZone is about an hour east of Kennywood. Lakemont Park, home of the world’s oldest roller coaster, Leap-the-Dips, is about two hours east of Kennywood.

Must-Do Attractions

• The Auto Race is a 1930 Travers Engineering miniature car ride that is the last of its kind.

• The Ghostwood Estate is a 2008 trackless, interactive haunted house dark ride from Halloween Productions and ETF Ride Systems.

• Jack Rabbit is a classic 1920 wooden roller coaster designed by Harry C. Baker and built by John A. Miller. The coaster is famous for its “double down” or “double dip” ride element.

• The Kangaroo is a last-of-its-kind “flying coaster” flat ride built by John Norman Bartlett. It was originally pending removal in 2020, but due to its popularity, it was refurbished and reopened for the 2022 season.

• The Merry-Go-Round is a 1927 William H. Dentzel carousel originally commissioned by the U.S. Government for the 1926 Philadelphia Sesqui-Centennial Exposition. It’s the last carousel built by Dentzel, and its music is provided by a 1916 Wurlitzer style #153 Military Band Organ – the oldest of its kind.

• Noah’s Ark is a 1936 walkthrough attraction by Herbert Paul Schmeck of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. It’s the world's last operating attraction of its kind and was remodeled in 1996.

• The Old Mill, constructed in 1901, is the oldest ride at Kennywood. It had various overlays throughout the years, including "Panama Canal," "Hardheaded Harold's Horrendously Humorous Haunted Hideaway,” and "Garfield's Nightmare.”

• Phantom’s Revenge is a 2001 D.H. Morgan Manufacturing steel Hypercoaster famous for its heavy use of terrain.

• The Racer is a 1927 wooden racing coaster designed by John A. Miller and built by Charlie Mach. Uniquely, the track uses a Möbius loop layout, which means both trains share one continuous track.

• Steel Curtain is a 2019 S&S steel looping coaster themed after the Pittsburgh Steelers NFL team. It features nine inversions, including the world’s highest inversion at 197 feet.

• The Turtle is a 1927 Traver Engineering Company flat ride featuring six cars that move counter-clockwise on a circular track over three hills and dips. It’s the last ride of its kind.

• The Whip is a 1926 W.F. Mangels 16-car open-air whip flat ride. It’s the oldest flat ride in the park.

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