Episode 37: Kennywood (Transcending Tradition)

Kennywood, located just outside Pittsburgh, PA is one of America's finest traditional amusement parks.  I last visited in 1998 as a budding coaster enthusiast when Steel Phantom had loops.  That ride has since been reimagined into Phantom's Revenge, and the park's added the Sky Rocket launched coaster, and Steel Curtain, an innovative multi-looping monster to stand alongside their historic trio of wood coasters.  Plus, I have family in Pittsburgh, and it was great to catch up with them in addition to returning to this timeless gem.

Join me for my first-time reactions to Steel Curtain and Phantom's Revenge, as well as re-rides on the park's timeless classics and more!  

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Transcript

Regional amusement parks dot the American landscape making countless memories every summer. We’ll never forget our inaugural spin on a carousel, or when we first succumbed to peer pressure to white knuckle a roller coaster.  The allure of Ferris Wheels and funnel cakes draws families in for one special day each year to take part in this time-honored tradition. 

Established in 1898, Kennywood in West Mifflin, Pennsylviania transcends mere tradition.  It’s a Pittsburgh institution, an icon, and a source of pride permanently welded to the soul of the Steel City.  Here, you’ll find antique attractions from the 1920’s beautifully integrated among cutting edge thrill rides, with several having been re-imagined over the years.  Old meets new in a park that seamlessly combines preservation and innovation, cultivating new thrillseekers without alienating their ancestors.   

I first visited in 1998 as a budding coaster enthusiast when Steel Phantom had loops.  Now I’m back to relive the classics and experience the latest additions. 

Welcome to Episode 37 of Coaster Redux.  My name is Erik, and this is the story of my revived roller coaster fandom. For years, I’d all but forgotten my coaster obsession from high school and college, but since the pandemic, I’ve been on a mission to ride as many new coasters as I can.  I know as a roller coaster fan that one of my favorite parts of the hobby is getting the reaction of somebody coming off a ride they’ve never ridden before.  That’s what I want to share with you. 

And with that, join me for my first rides on Steel Curtain and Phantom’s Revenge, re-rides on their legendary wood coasters, and more, all accompanied by a side of Potato Patch fries. Kennywood is calling my name, and I’m heading back to Pittsburgh on Coaster Redux.      

Summer was slipping away as July faded into August, and back to school ads flooded the airwaves.  A stark reminder that daily operations at most theme parks were coming to an end.  I’ve done major road trips the last three summers, but this year the timing never quite worked, and there wasn’t a route that made sense for an adventure on that scale.  I’ve ticked off most of the major parks in the U.S. by now, so my model for travel will likely transition to more frequent short hops to specific destinations. 

That said, I’d been talking to my brother about meeting up at Cedar Point for quite some time, and with Top Thrill 2 running pretty reliably and Siren’s Curse now open, I needed to get back to Sandusky.  I considered flying in for a very quick trip, but fares and schedules didn’t work for the block of time we had available.  Then I considered another angle.  Kennywood was near the top of my U.S. hit list.  I last visited when I was 15, and Phantom’s Revenge was one of the very few elite American roller coasters I’d yet to ride.  And, their new-for-2019 Steel Curtain was back up and running, sitting dormant all last year for major repairs.  Plus, I’ve got family in Pittsburgh I haven’t seen in several years, so I decided to road trip it.

I’d leave Friday and drive half way to Pittsburgh, which happens to be Charlotte, NC.  I’d pop into Carowinds for a couple of rides then spend the night.  Saturday, I’d drive to Pittsburgh and hang out with my aunt, cousin, and her family,  visit Kennywood on Sunday, then drive to Cedar Point on Monday.  My brother and his husband Marcus would meet me there Tuesday afternoon, and we’d have all day Wednesday in the park.  Then I’d have two days to get home before I had to work on Saturday.  Whirlwind trip?  Yes.  But I was psyched to hit the open road, visit family, and ride some truly hype-worthy roller coasters.

Prep for the trip included new tires for my car and the usual wash and detail before departure.  There’s nothing like stepping into an immaculately clean vehicle to start a long journey.  Come bedtime on Thursday night, I was fully packed, and ready to hit the road early.

As the clock struck 7 am, I was on the road, fueled by my favorite Dunkin’ iced coffee and a sausage egg and cheese on English.  Much of this drive would be a repeat of my first coaster road trip back in 2022.  The first leg was 700 miles and ten hours of drive time.  It’s mostly flat and devoid of scenery, but I find solace in cruise control and a good podcast while the miles tick by.  I want to shout out Coaster Cuzzies.  I’d listened to them a few times here and there, but really enjoyed CoasterBro’s Texas road trip episode and Airtime Myke’s Japan trip report.  I ended up binging their most recent episodes for much of this trip.  If you haven’t listened to them, I highly recommend!

I left Florida, cruised through Georgia, and entered South Carolina.  The fresh southern greenery was impressive as I hung a left off I-95 onto 26 where there’s major roadside construction with gorgeous red clay soil below soaring green trees.  It’s a welcome change of scenery.  I only tapped the brakes a few times for minor slowdowns before approaching Charlotte.  Carowinds is a frequent road trip stop for me because it’s a healthy full day drive from South Florida and so many other parks are easy jaunts from here.    

Despite visiting on my April road trip, I’m always happy to be back, and the pair of big B&M’s flanking the state line always get me fired up.  It was just after 6 pm, and the park was open until 9.  Plenty of time to grab a few rides before retreating to my hotel.  Of course Fury 325 is the park’s stand-out attraction, and my main reason for this stop, yet as I approached the parking lot, I saw trains running on Thunder Striker while the green giga remained dormant.  

Then, as I walked towards the gate, empty trains began cycling on Fury.  It was probably coming online after downtime, so I scanned my pass and beelined it to the hive.  The world’s tallest roller coaster with a lift hill, and the greatest creation from the Swiss firm Bolliger & Mabillard, Fury 325 is one of my all-time favorite rides.  It’s got an incredible first drop, followed by a divine mix of airtime and whip over 6,600 feet of track.  I covered Carowinds in-depth in Episode 4 if you’re interested.

Today, Fury was a literal walk-on with three trains running and no grouper assigning seats.  I hopped in row 2 left, where I’ve previously had my best rides.  This one didn’t disappoint, but it wasn’t running as fast as my past experiences, probably due to just coming back from downtime.

I left Fury and headed to the back of the park.  I wanted to ride Afterburn, their B&M invert from 1999 that I skipped back in April.  It’s basically a mini-Montu and it’s been a while since I’ve ridden.  Despite single train ops, I only waited two cycles before climbing into the second row right, and Afterburn kicked!  It’s still mostly smooth.  The whip through the Zero-G roll and Batwing are epic, but there’s a bit of a headbang in the final corkscrew.  It’s still fun, and a top level invert.

I headed back downhill towards Copperhead Strike, hoping to recapture some of that Mack Rides magic from Stardust Racers at Epic Universe back in June.  As I meandered through the queue line warning us to beware of snakes in the area, the ride went down for weather.  I checked my radar, and thunderstorms were quickly enveloping Charlotte, so I decided to cut my losses and make a break for my car to avoid getting drenched.  I’m glad I did.

The skies opened up just as I reached the parking lot, and I was content with my two rides at Carowinds.  This was basically a bonus stop, and one I’ll make many times in the future.  Any day I get to ride Fury is a good day, and I was happy to check into my hotel after a long drive.

I settled in and microwaved a meal-prepped dinner I brought along before heading to bed.  Tomorrow was another travel day and I needed to be fresh for the twisting hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The morning brought delightful weather for the next leg of my drive.  I was excited as I remembered the drive from Carowinds to Cedar Point on my first road trip was among the most beautiful I’ve undertaken.  I grabbed a coffee and breakfast sandwich from the Marriott buffet and proceeded northbound.  I-77 skimmed across Lake Norman, and the shoreline was filled with stunning lake houses, pontoon boats, and marinas.  Then the coastal plain gave way to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I started winding up spectacular emerald vistas.  Two tunnels are blasted through steep ridges as the road traverses switchbacks through the West Virginia landscape.  

I left 77 and merged onto US highway 19 before eventually crossing the New River Gorge, one of the highest bridges in the world with the river a colossal 876 feet below the span.  The view was gorgeous (pun intended), and I marveled at the intrigue of being unable to see the bottom from my car.  The remainder of the drive was a relaxing cruise through the Appalachian landscape, and I finally arrived at my Aunt Barb’s house at about 5:30.  

It was great to reconnect with her, my cousin Lauren, her husband Jason, and meet their two children.  We settled in for a relaxing evening in their gazebo perched high on the riverbank, and enjoyed hamburgers and hot dogs from the grill.  Jason, a fellow beer enthusiast, grabbed me a special six-pack from the local Penn Brewery themed to Kennywood attractions including Jack Rabbit Wheat, Thunderbolt Malt, and Old Mill Dark.  They were all amazing, and a reminder that Pittsburghers take their beer as seriously as they do their Kennywood.  After hours sitting riverside and catching up, we all retired for the evening.

The morning dawned with grey skies and looming thunderstorms.  Lauren had been on the fence about joining me at Kennywood as this Sunday was her last before returning to the classroom for a new school year, and she knew her four and six-year olds wouldn’t take kindly to her going to the park without them.  Over breakfast in the kitchen, she laid out a plan for a stealth mission, with Jason and my aunt taking the kids home and entertaining them while we visited Kennywood on the down low.  We’d head to the park and rendezvous back at her house for dinner.

Plans set, we hopped into my car for the 30 minute drive crisscrossing the city’s rivers to West Mifflin.  If you’re not familiar, Pittsburgh’s downtown is located where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers converge to form the Ohio which flows west creating its namesake state’s southern border, along with those of Indiana and Illinois before merging with the Mississippi.  The park location on the south bank of the Monongahela was originally owned by Anthony Kenny.  Known as Kenny’s Grove, the popular picnic site was leased by the Monongahela Street Railway in 1898 with a carousel, casino, and dance hall added.  Trolley parks like this were common at the time as these companies sought to increase weekend ridership by creating leisure destinations at the end of their lines.

The railway soon sold the park to the local Henniger and McSwigan families, who continued adding amusement rides over the years.  Kennywood is known for its three classic wooden roller coasters: Jack Rabbit, The Racer, and Thunderbolt, each of which are immaculately maintained.  Steel roller coasters followed, along with modern flat rides to make the park a destination capable of entertaining visitors for a full day and beyond.

Without going too deep into history, the ultra-condensed version is that the local families formed the Kennywood Entertainment Company and built Pittsburgh’s Sandcastle Water Park in 1989, and acquired nearby Idlewild Amusement Park in Ligonier, Lake Compounce in Connecticut, and Story Land in New Hampshire.  They sold all these properties in 2007 to Parques Reunidos of Madrid, Spain who operated them under their American subsidiary, Palace Entertainment before they sold their holdings to Herschend Family Entertainment in March 2025.  Now Palace was regarded as one of the worst park operators in the U.S., and we coaster enthusiasts relish in the idea of beloved parks like Kennywood and Lake Compounce falling under the Herschend umbrella, as their care and attention to detail at their flagships Dollywood and Silver Dollar City blur the lines between regional theme parks and travel destinations with unparalleled atmosphere, quality food, excellent operations, and exciting investment.  Not to get ahead of myself, but I’m excited about the future of Kennywood going forward.  

Anyway, Lauren and I crossed the Rankin Bridge and I got my first glimpse of Steel Curtain.  The black and yellow structure looked like a K’Nex roller coaster neatly tucked against the hillside with Phantom's Revenge and Thunderbolt located just below.  We turned onto Kennywood Boulevard and ventured off the main road for a steep climb up the ravine to the free parking area.  Big thumbs up for that, and the view looking down on the whole park was incredible!  If you haven’t been to Pittsburgh, the hilly terrain is truly remarkable, and as we’ll soon see, it’s one of Kennywood’s defining features.  We lubed up with sunscreen and proceeded down an escalator to the gate.

A day ticket bought online was only $48 with taxes and fees, and with no charge for parking, it’s a great value! Lauren and I descended through the preferred parking lot to the entrance, hoping for a relatively quiet day, but that hope was quickly quashed.  

The line for security was over 100 feet long on both sides of the metal detectors, and as we claimed our place, it wasn’t moving.  I walked ahead to see if we were in a line for tickets or something, and that wasn’t the case.  We had no choice but to sweat it out in the sun.  Security typically hustles people through, and we arrived about 30 minutes after rope drop, so they should have been staffed to the max.

After about 15 minutes, the line began moving very quickly.  We guessed it was probably an issue with the metal detectors that caused the delay, but once they were up and running, we breezed through to the entry plaza.       

Kennywood has a beautiful front gate.  A lone carousel horse is surrounded by a brightly colored flower garden with a traditional yellow rotunda featuring the park’s logo.  Ticket booths lay beyond, but as Lauren and I had already bought our tickets, we breezed through the turnstiles before one of Kennywood’s signature quirks, a tunnel beneath the main road leading into the park.  

The Sky Rocket Premier launched coaster was the first to catch our eyes, but I was anxious to try the park’s newest installation, Steel Curtain.  Knowing it has a history of downtime, I was inclined to grab this credit first.  We entered the Lagoon area with the massive SkyCoaster looming above a central pond where you could rent a paddle boat.  The Jack Rabbit and Racer wood coasters are right there with Steel Curtain creating the backdrop.  Despite being early in the day, there was an electricity in this area I’ve rarely felt in an amusement park.  So many attractions are clumped together, and the kinetic energy is mesmerizing.  The two woodies rumble to the right.  Aero 360, a Zamperla looping flat ride inverts beneath Steel Curtain’s zero-G stall.  The photo ops were endless, but I typically try to get my rides in before worrying about my next Insta story.

The Racer’s wait was posted at 15 minutes, and Lauren suggested we ride that since it’s known for the longest lines in the park.  I was happy to have her local knowledge so we hopped in the tiny switchbacks located right along the midway.

Opened in 1927, the Racer is the world’s oldest mobius roller coaster.  While the ride has two racing tracks, they form a continuous loop meaning the station is in the middle of the circuit and you disembark on the opposite side of the platform from where you boarded.  Most racing coasters have two independent tracks that never intersect, and many of them don’t race all the time.  Kennywood ensures that the Racer lives up to its name every day.  Its PTC three-bench trains with four cars each dispatch in tandem every time with nothing more than a buzz bar holding riders in place.  The entire structure is painted burgundy red, and it’s been coated recently, so it looks super fresh.  

Lauren and I climbed into the back row, and before long, we were off.  The trains split apart after leaving the station and turn around to enter the lift.  The hills are separated on the ascent as the tracks reconvene in the center at the unload platforms.  The trains crest the 72 foot lift hill and complete a short first drop where they meet up for the ride’s first flat left hand turn.  I was on the inside, and on my last ride back in 1998, everybody reached out to the other car to slap hands with fellow riders.   I did this, and nobody reached back.  I guess it’s not a thing anymore, and that’s a shame.  

We completed the turn and were right up against Steel Curtain before probably the ride’s largest drop to near ground level before a bunny hop and a reverse to the left.  We drop down again, turnaround right and pitch back down for a zig zag bunny hop before a final right turn leading into the brakes.  

Our train won and the Racer was pure fun!  Kennywood does a great job maintaining this ride.  Not only does it run smoothly, but the red paint looks clean from all angles.  Imagine the task of applying that to every plank, calwalk, and bent?  It’s extraordinary.  I just wish people were still up for slapping hands.  That interaction made the Racer so much more magical.

We emerged back onto the midway, and Steel Curtain was next on the agenda.  Lauren and I walked next door into Steelers Country, a new area created in 2019 to generate hype around the new roller coaster while paying respect to the local football team.  

Now I’m from Boston, and we New Englanders are passionate about our Patriots, and if ever there was a city to compare with our enthusiasm, it would be our AFC rivals in Pittsburgh for the Steelers.  The logo stands proud at the entrance to a wide open pathway leading directly to this record-breaking roller coaster.  The wait was posted at 45 minutes, and two trains were running.  Lauren and I watched as the two black and yellow cars with pigskin seatbacks rushed by above, and I thought the wait time was overestimated.  I guess we’ll see.              

Steel Curtain opened in 2019 setting the record for the most inversions in North America at nine.  It’s also Pennsylvania’s tallest roller coaster at 220 feet.  Manufactured by S&S Worldwide, it’s known for a mix of airtime moments and innovative inversions.  The kind of coaster I really like.  The ride operated sporadically since opening, suffering major downtime following the pandemic and was closed for the entire 2024 season for major repairs, leaving us enthusiasts wondering why a simple roller coaster with a lift hill was so problematic.

The answer was the ride’s support structure.  The K’Nex coaster needed additional supports which were added during the down year with Steel Curtain re-opening in 2025 to reliable operations.  Having ridden over 250 roller coasters, this one looks spectacular and unique, with a corkscrew halfway through its first drop, more funky inversions, and airtime moments.  

As Lauren and I traversed the switchbacks, thunderstorms approached the area.  We were probably only 15 minutes away from riding, but it went down for weather and the crew recommended leaving the queue.  We walked halfway across the park looking for open rides and checking weather apps before returning to a beer garden next to Steel Curtain to hunker down until the impending squall passed.

It was a spectacular thunderstorm with driving rain and ferocious wind, and we were sheltered with a clear view of Steel Curtain’s entrance, keeping an eye peeled for breaks in the rain and resumed operations.

About 30 minutes later, there was a hint of blue in the sky, and guests began queueing up for the Curtain.  We didn’t rush to join.  It was still sprinkling and there wasn’t a hint of operations resuming.  Once the rain stopped, we grabbed a place in line, and before long, they opened the queue.

We ended up in about the same place as when the rain started, and the wait was a solid 30 minutes until boarding.  The switchbacks for Steel Curtain are located beneath the second half of the ride with nets above to catch loose articles as the trains thunder above.  At least there’s a good show to watch as we make our way to the station.  

We finally climbed the stairs to the platform and encountered a grouper.  We were assigned row 8, so backish on the 12 row train.  So Lauren’s ridden thrill coasters before, but it’s been a while for her, and she was nervous.  It’s mostly the heights that get to her and once she’s off the lift hill, she enjoys the ride.  We climbed into the S&S train, buckled the seatbelt and waited for the ride ops to lower the lap bar.  They’re very comfortable, and despite having shin guards, they’re right up there with Intamin or Mack.  With everything checked, we were off.

The train rolls out of the station and immediately engages the lift up to 220 feet.  It starts slow, for some reason waiting for the train to fully engage the incline, before speeding up.  The speed increases, but not by much.  As the locals would say, the Mon is to the right, and the park is to the left.  As for me, I was psyched to experience this super unique ride, and hoped it wouldn’t horrify my cousin.

We disengage at the top and begin heading down.  You take a shallow dip before a corkscrew, inversion one, leading into a steep descent to ground level.  S&S calls it the Drachen Fire drop, paying respect to a similar element on the defunct Busch Gardens Williamsburg Arrow looper.  It’s a cool element, but I think the height is wasted and you don’t get a great stomach-in-your-throat moment here.  It just feels like an inversion, and not one that’s 220 feet tall.  

You rocket down and zag left before pitching up into a Banana roll.  It’s kinda like a flatter version of a cobra roll, inversions two and three.  What I like is that it’s super high and you’re going really fast, and there are some surprise laterals on this element.  Same for the sea serpent which follows, inversions four and five.  Again, it’s like a cobra roll with the second half a mirror image so you exit the same way you entered.  

You bank slightly left and climb into a sweet airtime hill providing wonderful flojector before a snappy dive loop, inversion six, reversing direction into a Zero-G stall, number seven.  It’s short but punchy, and then you rise up into a bunny hill, and snap through inversion 8, a corkscrew left, before a banked helix above the queue leading into the ninth inversion, a cutback before a hop into the brakes.   

I looked over at Lauren and she was smiling.  I was so happy I didn’t drag her onto something she didn’t enjoy, and Steel Curtain is awesome!  It’s a smooth dynamic roller coaster with excellent pacing, and a great mix of inversions and airtime.  The trains were super comfortable, though I will say there’s a minor rattle.  It wasn’t the most forceful coaster I’ve ridden, but it was really fun!  Inversion-focused rides typically aren’t my favorite, but I really enjoyed this.  I’ll need another ride on it for sure!

We returned to Steelers Country beneath clearing skies in search of our next ride.  We noticed that Thunderbolt had been closed all day, so we decided to check it out and see if there was activity around the ride.  We walked through the shaded grove home to the Kiddieland rides before arriving in the Kennyville section.  Thunderbolt’s white spaghetti bowl lay dormant and there was no activity in the station or around the ride.  Looks like it’s closed for the day which was a real bummer.  It’s Lauren’s favorite coaster in the park, and I remember loving it years ago.  

Thunderbolt is a terrain coaster in the truest sense.  Opened in 1968, it travels across a ravine reusing track from the 1924 Pippin roller coaster.  The trains from National Amusement Device are iconic with unpainted aluminum bodies that used to feature headlights.  You load and unload from the left side, leaving the right side closed in because all but one turn on the ride is to the right, and with no seat dividers, riders are shoved hard against that side with unrelenting laterals.  

The layout is equally unusual.  You depart the station and drop straight down the ravine before turning around on the opposite side, dropping again, and climbing the lift.  At the top, you drop down in front of the midway and careen around the spaghetti bowl section.  Two laps going up and down with wicked sustained laterals.  You return to Pippin track for the finale, a second trip across the ravine, where the final drop is the ride’s tallest at 90 feet before returning to the station.  I remember riding it multiple times back in ‘98, and I was really disappointed to miss riding it this trip.

It was mid afternoon, and despite having a big breakfast, we couldn’t resist a Kennywood staple, Potato Patch french fries.  They come with a rich cheese sauce, and you can opt to top them with bacon crumbles as well.  We stuck with the cheese, and they were so flavorful because of their freshness and remnants of the skin remaining.  They’re not seasoned at all, so I recommend grabbing a few salt packets from the condiment area to sprinkle on top.  Good stuff.

After the snack break, we climbed uphill to ride Phantom’s Revenge.  This roller coaster travels the same ravine as Thunderbolt, and like its smaller wooden neighbor, it’s got an unusual layout, and re-uses part of an older attraction to create the ride we know today.  

In 1989, Cedar Point opened Magnum XL-200.  Manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, it was the world’s first hyper coaster with a height of 205 feet, and a top speed of 72 mph.  It proved so popular that Kennywood sought to beat Magnum’s height and speed records.  They contracted Arrow to build Steel Phantom. Opened in 1991, and took advantage of Kennywood’s unique terrain.  While its lift stood 160 feet tall, its second drop was a whopping 225 feet down the ravine passing directly through Thunderbolt’s structure where its train reached 80 mph.  

After an aggressive pull up, Steel Phantom navigated a vertical loop, a Batwing, and a corkscrew before returning to the station.  Park President Harry Henniger proclaimed that Steel Phantom’s speed record would never be beaten because its massive second drop was taken with the train already traveling at high speed before beginning that epic plunge.  

Steel Phantom answered Magnum’s call, and the Coaster Wars of the 1990’s and 2000’s were off.  Taller, faster, loopier.  Build it bigger and they will come.  But the Phantom had a fatal flaw.  While guests marveled at the sheer speed of the first and second drops, its four inversions were designed with 1970’s technology and were uncomfortably rough.  I got to ride the original in 1998, and I completely agree.  Contemporary looping roller coasters from Swiss firm Bolliger & Mabillard inverted smoothly due to computer-aided heartline design.  Steel Phantom gave its final rides in 2000, a mere nine years after opening, to make way for a new experience.

Kennywood contracted D.H. Morgan Manufacturing to refurbish Steel Phantom into a new and improved version.  Dana Morgan, son of Arrow founder Edgar Morgan was well suited to the task, having built three hyper coasters for the Cedar Fair chain.  The lift hill, first and second drops were retained, but the remainder of the coaster was reborn in 2001.  Phantom’s Revenge debuted with a sweeping helix over Thunderbolt and a finale of bunny hills jam packed with airtime.  The track was re-painted bright green and the Phantom was back in black presiding over the ride entrance.

Having enjoyed the original on my last visit, especially the first and second drops, I couldn’t wait to experience the refurb.  It’s one of the last coasters in the U.S. making most enthusiasts’ Top 25 lists that I haven’t ridden, and it’s a one-off mash up of Arrow and Morgan design, meaning there’s nothing else like it.

We entered the queue below the structure of the first drop.  It’s oddly placed far from the station, in the infield encircled by the lift hill and spiral descent.  The wait was posted at 45 minutes, and the queue looked almost full.  Lauren and I waited a few minutes without moving, envying the Speedy Pass users who were fast tracked to the station.  Two large sets of rectangular switchbacks lay between us and the merge point.  From there, a single file concrete bridge followed the lift hill to the station, and the park seemed to want to keep that walkway clear of waiting riders.

After about ten minutes of not moving at all, the attendant opened the flood gates.  By the time the line was stopped, we were already into the second rectangle.  Halfway there.  I started doing math on the throughput.  They’d just let about 100 riders into the station, and that bridge was clear.  Two trains were running with 7 cars of four.  28 riders per train, so after four dispatches, they could clear half the queue.  Fortunately, the Phantom crew was on their A-game, and about 10 minutes later, we were walking across that bridge towards the station.

It’s a bare bones wood structure, but you get the best views of the ride from the back of the platform before choosing your row.  There are no groupers here, so we could take our pick of seats, and no air gates separate waiting riders from moving trains.  It’s merely assumed that common sense prevails.  We queued for the back.    

Then, a train stopped on the lift, and an attendant came over the PA.  While the train was stopped, one of the ride ops climbed the lift stairs, and confiscated the device from the offender, and returned to the station.  Before operations could resume, a park security officer was called to the unload platform to eject the guilty party from the park.  Kudos to Kennywood for taking such decisive action against cell phone violators to guarantee guest safety.

The delay was short, and before long, Lauren and I stepped into the back row of one of the coolest roller coaster trains I’ve ever seen.  Morgan maintained the original Arrow chassis, but constructed new bodies and restraints for them.  The squared off Arrow nose was replaced by a rounded shark-like snout, and the backs of each car flare up creating a rear spoiler.  The result is a low, streamlined vehicle unlike the boxy three-row cars found on Morgan’s traditional hypers.  The restraints are even better.  You have a seatbelt, and a super tiny lap bar that folds inward across your lap from the outside leaving plenty of room for airtime.  Ratcheted in tight, we departed the station to see what the new Phantom could do.

As we engage the lift, we’re greeted by the classic Arrow clanking.  No other coaster manufacturer makes this sound, and it’s super nostalgic.  It’s not a speedy ascent though, so we get time to take in the Monongahela River view, with the whole park in front of us.  At 160 feet, we bank left like so many Arrow loopers and swoop down to ground level.  It’s a fun drop with a few laterals, but it’s really about getting up to speed.  That mission accomplished, the Phantom levels out onto straight track before an abrupt pitch up and a lightly banked right turn before that main event, a 228 foot plunge through Thunderbolt’s structure.  And at 85 mph, it’s a wicked headchopper!  

Then the positives come on hard as you pull up and bank hard left in a sweeping 540 degree fan turn before whipping back right for a second pass beneath the Thunderbolt.  You level out, and whip over two bunny hops next to the station, and get a first taste of ejector airtime.  They’re quick pops, but they’re intense!

You turn slightly left, just barely ducking beneath the brake run, and enter a double down with incredible ferocity.  Then the train hugs the ground in a low left turnaround before rising into a final hop into the brakes.     

Phantom’s Revenge is such a cool ride, and a perfect fit at Kennywood.  It’s just got so much character in its quirks that as a package it just works.  It’s got big drops, amazing views, and an outta control airtime finale.  Plus, those trains just seal the deal.  It’s also smooth and re rideable, while having a bit of that millennial bite.  Lauren had fun too, again emerging with a smile after initial nerves on the lift hill.

So we were three rides in for the day.  Not as far as we wanted to be, but that rain storm cost us dearly in the morning.  The park was really filling up as well.  Apparently there was a parade scheduled for the evening featuring a number of school marching bands, and the midways were flooded with those students enjoying the rides before they had to don their uniforms.

Heading back towards the entrance, we decided to stop at the Golden Nugget for another Kennywood icon, their chocolate dip cone.  It’s a square block of vanilla ice cream dunked in chocolate and topped with sprinkles or peanuts.  I opted for peanuts and the combo kinda reminded me of a Reese’s cup.  Treats in hand, we headed towards the Jack Rabbit, the oldest roller coaster at Kennywood, and another I was stoked to ride again.

Opened in 1920, it’s another terrain coaster that undoubtedly inspired Thunderbolt’s unique design.  Again, the lift hill is in the middle of the ride as the track dips into a ravine allowing for large drops without building tall.  A 45 minute line was posted, but it moved along quickly with two train ops.  

As we approached the station, the attendant asked if there was a party of two in line.  We got to bypass a handful of guests, and lucked out securing a back seat ride.  Now Jack Rabbit’s trains are what make it truly special.  Each pair of riders share a seatbelt, and there is no movable lap bar.  Merely a fixed steel bar that easily sits 8-12 inches above your thighs.  It is padded with foam, possibly a pool noodle or pipe insulation, and that’s wrapped with electrical tape.  I gotta imagine the task of re-taping them has been a rite of passage for many-a junior maintenance worker.  The seats themselves are beautifully upholstered in brown with no seat dividers.  It’s vintage coasting at its finest, and what’s more?  Jack Rabbit was among the first roller coasters to employ up-stop wheels to keep the trains on the track, and let me tell you, they’re absolutely necessary!

You roll out of the station and turn around just feet from the queue, and engage a straight section of track before the first drop down the ravine.  You rise up and turn around in a tunnel before another drop across the ditch where you pick up the lift hill.  You climb to the ride’s max height of 40 feet and turn around again.  And here’s where the Jack Rabbit earns its name.  You drop into a double down, and while there’s some good float on the first dip, you level out and then get absolutely ejected on part two.  The seatbelt is literally the only thing keeping you onboard.  I knew it was coming, and it still caught me off guard!  

You make another turnaround above the tunnel, and like Thunderbolt, Jack Rabbit concludes with its largest drop at 70 feet, but it ain’t got nothin’ on that double down, and that’s just fine.  You enter the unload platform, exiting on the right just behind the load platform.  

So other than that double down, the Jack Rabbit is pretty mild, but I love to think how wild it must have been in 1920.  I guarantee nobody had ever felt ejector airtime back then, and that this coaster is still going strong today without complex mechanical restraints is a testament to Kennywood’s maintenance team, and park leadership for prioritizing preservation.  Plus, just imagine the generations of Pittsburghers who have enjoyed this ride exactly as it is.  Lauren showed me a photo of her four year old daughter with a mix of joy and sheer terror on her face from her first ride.  This is a classic that needs to endure in this age of lawyers and liability.  

As we left Jack Rabbit, it was almost time to leave in order to make dinner.  We didn’t have a hard departure time as Lauren could call Jason and let him know we were leaving so he could start the meal, but we couldn’t stretch it too far.

We hopped in line for Sky Rocket.  It was long, and slow moving, and I’d already been thinking about the next day.  Cedar Point was only 3.5 hours, and I basically had the entire day for that short trip, so decided I would come back to Kennywood for a few hours tomorrow before driving to Sandusky to get some more rides in.  While it had been a good day, I didn’t feel like I’d gotten my fill.

We left the line for Sky Rocket, hiked back to my car, and drove to Lauren’s house where we met Aunt Barb, Jason, and the kids for dinner.  Jason made phenomenal barbeque ribs on the grill along with baked salmon that was super delicious.  We enjoyed dinner, drinks, and conversation before Barb and I returned to her house for the night.

Monday dawned with bright sunlight, but I admittedly slept longer than I’d anticipated.  I guess the long days on the road combined with park visits were catching up with me.  Barb and I shared coffee and breakfast before I got underway, and it was so great to catch up with her, albeit for a short weekend.  

There were road closures on some of the highways as I headed east towards Kennywood, so rather than taking the interstate, I was routed through the eclectic neighborhoods on the south bank of the Monongahela.  I snaked through one-way streets climbing steep grades flanked by aged brick buildings.  Some were storefronts, others apartments, and all were classic Pittsburgh.  I pulled into the Kennywood parking lot, and made my way down the valley towards the entrance.

I decided to pick up where I left off yesterday and take my first ride on Sky Rocket.  Opened in 2010, this was the first Sky Rocket model from Premier Rides.  The type is their current mainstay with three-row cars, LSM launches, and smooth inversions.  They’ve since built eleven Sky Rocket II’s, the familiar cloned layout like Tigris and Tempeso at the Busch Gardens parks, as well as several custom models: Full Throttle at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Ice Breaker at Sea World Orlando, and most recently, Alpen Fury at Canada’s Wonderland.

This prototype is located right at the park entrance and is placed alongside Kennywood Boulevard.  Its blue track and grey supports start and end directly above the queue line with the layout stretching beyond in a shaded grove.  The launch track runs parallel to the queue, and it’s awesome to watch people react to the acceleration.  I waited about 30 minutes, and while this was a Monday just before the start of school, the park was pretty packed.  Probably lots of kids and families getting their last summer hurrah.

The station is simple with a wooden roof covering the platform.  It was a free-for-all to select our rows, and I chose second to back.  While the trains are equally tight to enter as later models, Sky Rocket does not include seatbelts or Comfort Collars, so dispatches are speedy with operators only needing to check the lap bar.

You turn around to the left out of the station, and enter the rolling launch up to 50 mph.  It’s fun, but far from the punchiest I’ve experienced.  Then you climb straight up the 95 foot top hat.  The train stalls at the top due to a holding trim brake, but once released, you get an awesome ejector pop in the back.  

You whip through a cutback that feels more like an overbanked turn, then sky rocket through a zero-G roll, and this took me by surprise! This inversion has wild whip and crazy airtime.  It might be the best zero-G roll I’ve ever experienced.  It’s kinda like a mini version of the Mosasaurous Roll on VelociCoaster at Universal Orlando, and if you know me, that crazy high praise.  Well done Premier.

You turn around to the right and climb into a mid-course brake.  You drop to the ground almost vertical, and bank left in another turnaround before entering a corkscrew.  It has some sweet hangtime, but from here, Sky Rocket fizzles.  You reverse course again to the right and enter a zig zag track like Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens Tampa, except it’s high off the ground, and pretty slow.  You turn around again and hit two small bunny hills with very little airtime before entering the brakes.

So I didn’t know anything about this coaster going in, so my expectations were pretty low.  That said, the first two thirds of Sky Rocket was shockingly great!  It’s butter smooth, there’s plenty of airtime, and that zero-G roll is a killer moment!  While this short coaster dies out in the end, it’s still great fun, and a great fit in Kennywood’s line-up bringing the thrill of launches and inversions in a compact package.  

I pulled up the app to plan my next ride, and noted that Phantom’s Revenge was closed.  Bummer, I’d seen it running when I parked.  Thunderbolt also remained closed, so I headed to Steel Curtain to get another ride.  Like yesterday, the line was posted at 45 minutes, and it took every bit of that to approach the station.  I gotta commend Kennywood for how they built this queue because the trains rip overhead every few minutes, and it’s great for building anticipation.

As the switchbacks narrowed approaching the stairs to the platform, I noticed a major flaw in the park’s operations.  Attendants were giving unusually high priority to Speedy Pass users, keeping the stand-by line crawling.  Those who bought skip the line passes were ushered onboard with zero wait, while we were allowed into the station onesie twosie.

I respect and understand that those folks forked out beaucoup bucks for the privilege of skipping the line, but this bias was egregious.  With no less than 30 people between me and the merge point, I watched the same party ride Steel Curtain twice.  Surely, they can wait a cycle or two so the stand-by line keeps moving.  A father who brought his teenage son to the park before he went back to school shared my frustration.  He said, “If I can only come here and ride three or four rides in a day without paying to skip the line, I’m not going to come back.”  

Despite my frustration, I got a second ride on Steel Curtain in the second to back row, and again, I loved it.  Super original layout, great variety of elements and forces, though not overly intense, comfortable trains, smooth ride, and it would be supremely re rideable if the line weren’t so long.

I meandered about the park taking photos and videos for Instagram, which, if you haven’t followed me @coasterredux, I’d highly recommend it if you enjoy the podcast.  I post videos from my park days, and you’ll see where I’m heading next.

Anyway, I returned to the midway and headed towards Phantom’s Revenge.  It was still marked closed, but I wanted to see if there was any activity around the ride.  Occasional test trains were sent through the course followed by nothing.  I really wanted another ride on this before leaving the park, so I decided to camp out in the neighborhood and keep watch.

I took a moment to roam around Lost Kennywood.  Situated in the shadow of Phantoms lift hill, it’s themed to turn-of-the-century amusement parks with a nod to Pittsburgh’s Luna Park which closed in 1909.  The area is beautifully landscaped and filled with flat rides with a massive fountain and the Pittsburg Plunge Shoot-the-Chutes at its center.  A dying breed of water rides, this oversized log flume creates a massive wave with every splashdown, and it’s a blast to watch.     

The marquee roller coaster in Lost Kennywood is Exterminator, an enclosed and themed spinning wild mouse from Reverchon.  I loved it my last visit, but with the line burgeoning beyond two hours, I’d have to skip it.

I lamented the removal of Pitt-Fall, a 251-foot Intamin drop tower that once dominated this area, and scared the pants off me years ago.  The epic drop was enhanced by stunning views of the surrounding area.  It was replaced by a Zamperla Giant Discovery called Black Widow in 2012.  It looked awesome with swings beyond 180 degrees.  But if I was gonna do a pendulum ride while waiting out the Phantom, it had to be SwingShot, an S&S Screamin’ Swing, my bar-none favorite style flat ride.  Opened in 2006, this one is on the smaller side, but that faster than gravity swing propelled by compressed air is second-to-none.

I stepped into the queue which was posted at 20 minutes.  The switchbacks were unshaded, but I had a front row view of Phantom’s lift to see if it would re-open.  While I baked in the sun, the ride vehicle passed overhead at 50 mph providing periodic bursts of air flow.  The bummer?  Only one side was operating.  

They had two people working the ride to check restraints with a third at controls.  Why couldn’t they run both sides?  The line barely moved, again due to Speedy Pass users getting too much priority.  I watched the same party ride two cycles in a row as the stand-by line filled to capacity.  The park was busy, and with Thunderbolt and Phantom’s Revenge both down, there was a substantial glut of guests seeking other experiences.  As I approached the loading gate, two more test trains ascended the purple peak before me, and I hoped I’d timed this perfectly.

Finally my turn to ride SwingShot, I climbed aboard, and lowered the curved lap bar from the side.  Properly secure, the compressed air came to life, and that unnatural airtime led to pure euphoria as the swing perfectly undulated above the midway.  It’s such a unique sensation with blissful floater airtime at each apex.  It feels like it should be a roller coaster, but because you’re not rolling on track, there’s no vibration.  It feels like flying, and if you haven’t ridden one of these, you’re seriously missing out.

A line had formed by Phantom’s entrance with anxious thrill seekers hoping to be the first to ride if and when it re-opened.  I joined the line and waited a few minutes before somebody came by saying it would be at least another 30-40 minutes.  It was 3:30 pm, about the time I was planning to leave the park, as I still had a three and-a-half hour drive to Cedar Point.  I also hadn’t eaten lunch.  I wanted to eat on the road to save time and money versus dining in the park, but given the current situation, I revised my plan.  Grab lunch now, and if Phantom isn’t open by the time I finish, I’d call it a day.

I headed towards the Carousel Burger Company.  Housed inside the park’s original carousel building, I was craving a simple cheeseburger and fries.  I sat down to dine, and my burger was fine.  Standard theme park.  Not great, but not bad.  The fries, however, were right up my alley.  They weren’t fresh from the Potato Patch, but they were those nice fresh crispy ones that I’d typically prefer from a restaurant.  

Feeling refreshed and hydrated, I returned to Phantom’s Revenge to find the ride in operation and the queue completely full.  With two train ops, I knew exactly what to expect from yesterday.  While the line looked lengthy, it would move quickly.  I wasn’t disappointed.  After about 25 minutes, I stood on the concrete bridge heading to the station, and the train ground to a halt on the lift hill.  It was deja vu.  Phantom’s Revenge was stopped again because a rider took their phone out on the lift hill.

It was going to be another 15 minute delay while the ride-ops locked out the lift, climbed the stairs, confiscated the phone, and waited for security to arrive before restarting the ride.  Yesterday, I applauded this vigilance, but today I noticed a lack of announcements in the station warning about this.  Sure, there was a sign on the unload side stating a strict zero-tolerance policy for phones on the ride.  People in parks have their pleasure blinders on and aren’t focused on signage.  During this shut-down, people around me were like, how were we supposed to know this wasn’t allowed.  

Welcome to 21st century America.  There’s no common sense or personal responsibility.  On a ride of this scale, a stray phone could cause serious injury, to a rider behind you or below.  As coaster enthusiasts, we know this, but our GP counterparts remain blissfully unaware.  While I applaud Kennywood for their no-nonsense handling of loose articles on ride, I think an announcement would be helpful on top of the sign.

So operations finally resumed as the guilty phone user took the walk of shame.  I queued for row two, and as I was about to board, a mother sitting in the train waiting to dispatch had her phone out snapping pictures of her kids just in front of her.  I had an uncharacteristic Karen moment, and yelled to her to put her phone away.  She looked at me dumbfounded.  You just can’t fix stupid.

Alas, I finally sat down in row two on Phantom’s Revenge just before 5pm.  The ride was wonderful.  You get a little pop of air over the hill before the big second drop.  The view is amazing owing to the slightly raised back row on each car.  The airtime at the end is bonkers, and this coaster is the real deal.  It’s short, but it’s got all the goods.  Nothing about it is conventional.  It’s truly one-of-a-kind, just like everything else at Kennywood.  

I made the lengthy trek uphill to my car feeling content with my time here, but wishing I had more.  I got to ride the park’s latest additions, and they were awesome.  Kennywood has such a well-rounded coaster collection.  It’s not the world’s biggest, but everything they have is great.  No filler.  Every coaster they have is well worth a ride, and there’s no gaping hole.  Wood coasters?  World class.  Airtime?  Got it in spades.  Inversions?  Steel Curtain’s got the most in North America, and that zero-G roll on Sky Rocket’s amazing!  Family-friendly?  High-thrill?  Nostalgia?  Check.  Check.  And check.  

I want to come back.  I need to come back.  I didn’t get to ride Thunderbolt or Exterminator.  Plus there are those legendary classics I just didn’t have time for.  Noah’s Ark.  The Old Mill.  There’s just so much to do here, and I think Kennywood’s earned a solid spot as one of my favorite parks of all time.  They’ve truly got something for everyone, and I believe the future of the park is bright.  

Herschend Family Entertainment operates two of America’s finest theme parks, Silver Dollar City and Dollywood.  They’ve made incredible cosmetic improvements to Kentucky Kingdom with a new coaster coming next year.  They pride themselves on quality and thrive on innovation while preserving their history, and I left Pittsburgh content that Kennywood is in the best possible hands.

I settled in for the 189 miles drive to Sandusky.  I had my sun visor down as I traveled west through the Ohio countryside in the golden hour, and it was wonderful.  I exited I-90 onto Milan Road, beneath an orange sky.  Just like my first road trip back in 2022, I could see the blue lift hill of Millennium Force in the distance as the light faded.  I pulled into the Marriott Fairfield I remembered from before ready for the first page in a new Cedar Point experience..                                                                      

Join me for the next episode for two full days at Cedar Point.  I’ve got two new roller coasters to ride, and I’ll be joined by two special people, my brother Karl and his husband Marcus.  I’ll get my first rides on Top Thrill 2 and Siren’s Curse, as well as their first rides on everything the park has to offer.  I’m going back to America’s Roller Coast, next time on Coaster Redux.