Since 1899, Pittsburghers have known the joys of Kennywood. But what do out-of-town visitors think of this trolley park turned amusement park?
This week five Post-Gazette interns — one Pittsburgher and four from outside Western Pennsylvania — sought to find out. Surprised at first by the mix of new and old attractions in the park, the out-of-towners soon discovered that Kennywood offers something for everyone — even people who think they don’t like roller coasters.
We went looking for five things to love, but that wasn’t enough. So here are 10 things we loved about Kennywood, in no particular order:
The Phantom’s Revenge
Nothing says Pittsburgh summer like driving over the Rankin Bridge and seeing that first glimpse of the Kennywood skyline — the Phantom’s Revenge — in the distance. Even more exciting and awe-inspiring is the view from the top of the coaster. After a nearly minute-long climb up that first hill, riders take in the whole of Kennywood and surrounding communities. Working steel mills, which look daunting up close, appear small from this vantage point, and it’s easy to feel all powerful .... Then you fall.
The rest of the ride is a whirlwind of hills and screams as riders zip over and under other coasters throughout the park. Retaining pieces of its predecessor, the Steel Phantom, the ride is one of the most exhilarating in the park.
Jack Rabbit
The Jack Rabbit is one of the park’s three classic wooden coasters. Although it only reaches 45 miles per hour, the 70-foot drop still catches experienced coaster riders off-guard. Get ready to be pushed around in your seat as the tracks twist and turn, but you can’t prepare for the feeling you’re about to fly out of your seat at the bottom of the dips. Considering what a rush it was for both the roller coaster enthusiast in our group and the less enthusiastic coaster riders, it’s easy to see why this ride has remained a favorite since it was built in the 1920s.
Aero 360
You’re sitting in a bright orange seat, restrained by a back harness, when suddenly the floor drops beneath your feet. The arrow-shaped ride swoops back and forth like a pendulum, preparing to take you around the loop of the Aero 360. Just when you’ve become accustomed to the rhythm of being swung in an arc 80 feet above the ground, the ride stops. Your body is suspended high in the air, eyes looking down at spectators and legs straight up toward the sky.
It’s absolutely terrifying, but instead of staggering away swearing you’ll never do it again, you find yourself begging the ride attendant to let you stay on for the next ride.
Log Jammer
We were promised that we wouldn’t get too wet on the Log Jammer, one of the three water rides at the park. But what we weren’t told (but probably should have realized on our own) was that cramming five 21-year-olds into one car would leave us all soaked.
Even though we got a lot wetter than expected, we all enjoyed the twists and turns through the more wooded areas of the amusement park. This is a great ride for people of all ages.
Ghostwood Estate
This ride isn’t very scary, but that’s probably the best part. In direct contrast to rides that go for thrills and excitement, Ghostwood Estate is all about competition. Guests go through an eight-room haunted house armed with blasters and try to knock off (again!) some scary characters. Go with a group of friends and things will get very silly, very quickly.
4-D Theater
Even if you haven’t seen any of the “Ice Age” movies, experiencing “Ice Age: No Time for Nuts 4-D” at Kennywood might have you adding them to your Netflix queue. At nine minutes, this movie is like Saturday morning cartoons on steroids. It’s an experience for at least four senses as 3-D images of Scrat the squirrel chasing his beloved acorn through time are coupled with bubbles, water squirts and air blasts. Because this attraction just opened Wednesday, the lines might be long.
The Black Widow
For someone looking for the biggest adrenaline rush possible, the Black Widow is the perfect ride. Not only does it swing 146 feet from the ground in a pendulum motion, but also the 40-person circle rotates counterclockwise the entire time.
If you’re facing outward, the upswing can be somewhat peaceful and serene as you experience the feeling of weightlessness while facing a blue sky filled with puffy white clouds. But that feeling of serenity can quickly change into delightful terror when you rotate to face downward as you hurtle toward the ground at 68 mph. The entire rotation offers an amazing view of Lost Kennywood and the rest of the park.
The Thunderbolt
The Thunderbolt is a classic coaster that started out as The Pippin in 1924. Working up to a maximum speed of 55 mph, the ride is extremely smooth for a wooden coaster. The tallest drop is 90 feet, and there are just enough dips and swerves to make for an adrenaline-pumping, entertaining ride without being intimidating. It’s great hands-up, screaming fun.
Musik Express
One of the beauties of Kennywood is its ability to tie together new and old: An ornate 1927 merry-go-round with an almost century-old organ sits comfortably next to 21st-century roller coasters.
Musik Express is a circular ride that takes riders up and down along a fast-paced track — really fast, so get ready to be cozy with your seat partner — accompanied by blaring music. It’s the kind of ride that kids will love and adults will remember riding at the state fair when they were growing up. It’s also a reminder that sometimes simplicity wins.
The Exterminator
Tucked away in the very back corner of Lost Kennywood is the Exterminator. This indoor coaster, designed to look like a defunct power plant, is full of twists and turns meant to frighten and disorient the rider. Compared with other rides, this one is fairly tame, but the spinning car and unexpected hills keep riders on their toes.
For added thrills, the park turns out all the lights for Phantom Fright Nights in October, making the ride more like the set of a horror film than a roller coaster. Lights on or off, this ride is definitely worth checking out.
First Published: August 1, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
