Kennywood - has anyone ever been?

[Belle0101]

I'm sure it doesn't compare with Disney but I was just wondering if it was clean & family friendly. I remember hearing about it on the Travel Channel, mostly the coasters. Also, where is it?

Thanks!

 

[LUVDSNY04]

I'm only 2 hours from Pittsburgh but have never been to this park. It's 10 miles outside of Pittsburgh and our eighth grade goes there for a field trip and they have a great time. I'm sure some locals will be able to help you out better.

 

[evilqueenfan]

I have been there many many times. I live about 1/2 hour away. It is a very clean and family friendly park. It has quite a variety of rides, from KiddieLand up to SkyCoaster (a bungee jump type of ride). There are quite a few coasters, including wooden as well as the newer loop type. There really is something for all ages, including stage performances by dancers and singers. It of course is not Magic Kingdom but is certainly a park well worth visiting.
It is right outside of the city of Pittsburgh, maybe about 8 miles. It is $29.95 admission or $13.95 after 6PM. I drove by it yesterday afternoon and it was PACKED!
If I can answer anything else, please feel free to let me know.

 

[swea_pea1]

We used to live about 15 minutes from Kennywood, and while it's no Disney, it's still a lot of fun. We haven't been in about 4 or 5 years and we miss having a reasonably priced place for the kids to go (now the closest is King's Dominion). They used to even have a very cheap rate (like $4.95) for people who didn't ride. Sometimes we'd stop after work, buy tickets for the rides instead of the "all day" price and just ride the coasters real quick.

It's also pretty family friendly....I don't think I even bought food there until I went in my teens. We used to bring a cooler full of food, lay it on a picnic table and cover it with a tablecloth.

The Jack Rabbit is the best coaster! It's old and rickety and when you go down the double dip...WHOA! If you're sitting in the last car, you'll fly about 8 or 10 inches out of your seat.

 

[olena]

I've been there a few times. It's a nice place with some 'throw-back' rides mixrd with some modern thrills. I especially love the Thunderbolt and Jackrabbit.

 

[disneysteve]

DW and I were there once in 1993 and loved it. It was a great old park, clean, and well maintained. We're always telling DD about it (since she wasn't around yet when we went). Our niece is starting college at Carnegie Mellon in the fall so we're hoping to take a trip out to visit her in the spring and do Kennywood while we're out there.

 

[DebbieB]

4800 Kennywood Blvd., West Mifflin, PA 15122 412.461.0500

I live about 30 min away and have been going there all my life. The coasters are awesome. 3 are old fashioned wood (Jack Rabbit, Racer, Thunderbolt), 1 is steel (Phantom's Revenge). They took the inversions out of the former Steel Phantom when they redid it as Phantom's Revenge (it was too fast with the inversions, people avoided it, you would get your head boxed in between the shoulder restraints) but they left the best part, the 2 big hills at the start.

It is a nice, old fashioned park, over 100 years old.

http://www.kennywood.com/

 

[Ranatra]

Originally posted by DebbieB
I live about 30 min away and have been going there all my life.

Same here! And I love this park!

Give his park a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed!

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by DebbieB
The coasters are awesome. 3 are old fashioned wood (Jack Rabbit, Racer, Thunderbolt), 1 is steel (Phantom's Revenge). They took the inversions out of the former Steel Phantom when they redid it as Phantom's Revenge (it was too fast with the inversions, people avoided it, you would get your head boxed in between the shoulder restraints) but they left the best part, the 2 big hills at the start.

They changed Steel Phantom? How unusual. I've never heard of a park doing something like that. Even though its been over 10 years, I do remember it being quite a head banger. It didn't bother me too much but my wife who is 5'1" had a problem with it. She would only ride it once. I did it a 2nd time by myself.

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by disneysteve
They changed Steel Phantom? How unusual. I've never heard of a park doing something like that. Even though its been over 10 years, I do remember it being quite a head banger. It didn't bother me too much but my wife who is 5'1" had a problem with it. She would only ride it once. I did it a 2nd time by myself.

They changed it 3 years ago. The first two hills are the same, it still goes through the Thunderbolt but instead of up into the loops it goes up into a big sideways turn, you feel like you are flying, back down again, then back up through the thunderbolt and then through some short "jump out of your seat" bunny hills. No longer has the shoulder restraint, just a seatbelt plus a bar that goes over your legs. I do like it better.

 

[candykisses]

We live about a hour away and go at least once a year. You're right it isn't Disney, but it is a nice old park.

It's very pretty with alot of trees and flowers. And it's clean, unlike some of the other parks around here.

The wooden roller coasters are alot of fun. Nice air time.

I think you'll enjoy the park if you go.