Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh

Thank you to Kennywood Park for hosting our family’s visit.  All opinions are my own. 

When we decided to spend a few days in Pittsburgh at the end of the summer, a visit to Kennywood Park was at the top of our list.  Our kids love amusement rides and wanted to try a new area park this summer.  Kennywood was founded in 1898 and opened as a trolley park recreation area in 1899.  It is located in West Mifflin, which is about 20 minutes southeast of downtown on land that was previously known as the Kenny farm.  It is one of two parks that has been designated as a National Historic Landmark because it features rides and structures that are more than 100 years old.  Kennywood has been recognized by Theme Park Magazine and Golden Ticket Awards, and this classic amusement park reminded me of our annual trips to Geauga Lake outside of Cleveland when I was young.  Our family loved our day at Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh and hopes to make this trip an annual tradition.

Kennywood Park entrance

Kennywood Amusement Park – An Ideal Vacation Destination

Our visit to Kennywood Park was a marvelous, nostalgic day spent riding rides together.  It was only about a 2.5 hour drive from Cleveland and very affordable for Ohio visitors.  A current promotion for Ohio residents offers $34.99 admission. We added visits to several area attractions during our three-day, two-night stay in the Steel City and had a lovely time.

Raging Rapids

Kennywood’s Best Rides

Kennywood’s Thrill Rides

Swing Shot

While we did not ride Steel Curtain on this visit due to the length of the lines and kids not yet ready to attempt record breaking coasters, there are many other thrill ride options.  I get nauseous when there’s too much spinning or swaying, but there’s something about my stomach dropping that reminds me of childhood.  I rode Cranky’s Drop Tower with my boys twice, and Kennywood also offers 18 water and thrill rides.

Kennywood’s Roller Coasters

Kennywood features seven roller coasters, including Steel Curtain, which opened in July 2019.  Steel Curtain is named to honor the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 1970s defensive line and is a record breaking coaster that features the world’s largest inversion, a 197 foot corkscrew that recently received a rave review in cleveland.com.  The Steel Curtain is the first amusement attraction themed off of a professional sports team, but I predict that the trend is likely to catch on across other top amusement parks.   Maybe Kennywood was inspired by Cedar Point’s 2014 offer to name a roller coaster after LeBron James if he returned to Cleveland?  The yellow and black Steel Curtain will serve as the anchor of Steelers Country, a themed-area honoring the famous football team.

Steel Curtain

Kennywood’s roller coasters are a big draw, and the lines for each were long.  Because we visited on a popular summer day with limited time, we only rode the Thunderbolt, a wooden roller coaster that dates back to 1924 and was last renovated over 50 years ago in 1968.  I enjoy wooden coasters, and Thunderbolt offered the perfect thrill level for my two boys and me.  The only unusual “rule” is that single riders are not permitted.  For safety reasons, each rider needs to have a partner.  One of us had to locate another singleton on each of our two rides.  We made sure to get on at the same time, and my younger son happened to find another nine year old boy, and they chatted as they waited and throughout the ride.

Thunderbolt

Kennywood Family Rides

With kids in all three major height categories – under 48 inches, under 54 inches and over 54 inches, we appreciate that Kennywood offers some fun rides that we can enjoy as a family.  Our first ride of the day was the Merry-Go-Round.  There are also several rides in Kiddie Land and Thomas Town that the whole family could ride together.  Auto race was a particular favorite, and the five of us piled into three separate cars and rode around the track one after another.

Elephant Parade

Kennywood’s Kiddie Land

Kennywood’s Kiddie Land featured 15 classic rides for kids under 48 inches.  The section reminded me of Memphis Kiddie Park, a Cleveland-area amusement park geared specifically to young children.  My older son was able to join our youngest on several rides in Kiddie Land, and we all hopped on to the Crazy Trolley together.  My kids’ favorites included Elephant Parade, Orbiter and Whirlwind.  My daughter rode with her two arms stretched high into the sky on almost every ride at Kiddie Land.  She’s still a little nervous about kiddie coasters, though and skipped Lil’ Phantom.  Maybe next year….

Orbiter

Kennywood’s Thomas Town

Kennywood’s Thomas Town section opened in 2018 and featured the Journey with Thomas train ride and four other family attractions.  We really enjoyed this revamped space. My oldest was a pretty serious fan of Thomas when he was about three.  He watched the videos, read the books and even owned some Thomas trains, or at least a few of the ones featuring his name.  We took him to a Day Out with Thomas event back in 2011, and he was over the moon.  By the time our daughter was born three years later, both boys had pretty much moved passed their Thomas fascination.  Videos were out of rotation, and while we still own a few Thomas story books that we have read to our daughter, they have never been her favorites.  As soon as we entered Thomas Town, our daughter jumped right in with great enthusiasm.  The kids first rode Flynn’s Fire Training, a unique ride that gives riders the opportunity to shoot water while moving up and down in a protective basket.  We had never seen anything like this, and we loved it, even if my husband ended up soaked.

Flynn’s Fire Training

Diesel drivers is definitely for the under five crowd.  My daughter dubbed it “too slow.” However, we enjoyed several trips on Harold’s Helicopter Ride together.  My daughter also loved the Journey with Thomas train ride and repeated, “Chugga, chugga choo-choo,” for the entire ride.

Journey with Thomas

While my husband took our daughter on Journey with Thomas, the boys and I rode Cranky’s Drop Tower twice.  I loved the view of Kennywood as we traveled up and down the tower.  Thomas Town also includes an indoor play area for younger kids.  We hadn’t expected a need for socks, and my daughter was quite worried when she learned that she couldn’t climb the indoor structure without them.  We did see one mother take off her own socks and give them to her son, but neither my daughter nor I were wearing socks.  Luckily, Kennywood predicted this dilemma, and the attached gift shop sold single pairs of Thomas-themed socks for a mere $4.  My daughter was absolutely thrilled with her “souvenir” and now asks to wear her James socks every day.

Souvenir socks

Kennywood’s 4-D Theater

Kennywood’s 4-D Theater plays two 4-D films daily.  We caught a shortened 15-minute version of San Andreas, a 2015 thrill movie that we are now likely to request from the library.  Watching a short film is a great way to get out of the sun for a few minutes, and the 4-D experience made us feel like we were on a ride.

Where to Eat when Visiting Kennywood

Kennywood offers many dining options.  My friend recommended Parkside and Potato Patch, but our entire family got a collective hankering for shakes and sandwiches when we saw the Johnny Rocket sign.  It ended up being a longer than expected wait to get our food, but our shakes, chicken, burgers and fries complimented our amusement park experience perfectly.

Kennywood’s Johnny Rockets

Kennywood Park Vacation Logistics

• Kennywood Hours:  Kennywood hours vary by month and day, and the Kennywood calendar is available online.
• Kennywood Admission:  Kennywood gate prices range from vary for weekday and weekend visits and are available on the Kennywood website.  Kennywood discount tickets are available on the website and at Giant Eagle grocery stores.
• Time Spent at Kennywood:  We spent about 7.5 hours at Kennywood Park.  It was nonstop fun, but we were definitely exhausted at the end.
• Kennywood Height Requirements:  Each ride has its own posted height requirements.
• Kennywood Weather:  It’s always important to check the weather and be prepared before visiting Kennywood.   Don’t forget to apply and reapply sunscreen.
• Kennywood Events:  Kennywood Park offers a variety of events throughout the season.  The Fall Fantasy Parade occurred during our visit.  We caught a bit of the parade but on our way to take advantage of the short line for Thunderbolt.
• Kennywood Park Map:  Make sure to pick up a map before setting off to explore Kennywood.

Live show in Thomas Town

A Family Day at Kennywood Park

Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the perfect location for a family outing because it blends classic carnival rides with record breaking thrill rides.  Our first family trip to Kennywood was a highlight of the summer because we all love riding rides and sharing quality family time together.