Kennywood

A Pittsburgh Tradition

If you were fortunate enough to grow up in Pittsburgh, or are a transplant like me, you know the phrase “Kennywood’s Open!” can only mean one thing (well maybe two, but I’ll explain that later) ~ that it is summertime! Kennywood is the city’s amusement park, full of history and tradition. For my girls, the end of the school year meant a big trip to the park on their school’s “day”. It was a celebration of the end of school and the beginning of summer with all the fun and adventure that sweet summertime holds. A great majority of kids from the district would be there running from ride to ride with their friends. I’m sure the feeling was glorious!

Although I’m not an historian, I will give you a quick fifty cent version of Kennywood’s history. It was originally part of a farm owned by Anthony Kenny known as Kenny’s Grove overlooking the Monongahela river, and was a popular place for residents to picnic during the Civil War. Andrew Mellon, who owned a street car company, leased the land to create a trolley park. In the late 1800’s/early 1900’s, they added a carousel, casino hall, dance hall, and the park’s first roller coaster, the Figure Eight Toboggan. Once the trolley company no longer wanted to manage the park, the managers from the trolley company leased it and called it Kennywood Park. That was the beginning of over 120 years of entertainment for generations of families.

Kennywood entrance on a busy summer day.

When I walk onto the park property, I can’t help but feel like a kid again. The hype starts from the ski lift type ride from the parking lot (if the lot is full and you are parked way in the back) that leads to the ticket office, to the tunnel under the road that leads you into the park itself. These days during that little trip, I can’t help but watch the families with small children who are almost as excited as they are on Christmas Day. The anticipation of what’s on the other end of the tunnel is almost too much for them.

Kennywood was once they were called the roller coaster capital of the world. They have a great mix of old-school, wooden roller coasters (like my favorite – the Racer) and new, intricate track coasters (like the Steel Curtain). The park has a little bit of everything for every type of rider, young to old, easy riders to risk takers. The old carousel still sits in the middle, like an anchor to the park. I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t love to ride it. If you are a daredevil, take a leap on the sky coaster which is the bungee ride that will send you flying over the lazy river.

The old school Racer, Noah’s Ark Fun house, and Paddle Boats are all fun!

After working up an appetite from riding, you can go into the cafeteria for a lunch or dinner, stop at the ice cream stand, or even grab some Mexican fare. No trip would be complete for my family if we didn’t go to the Potato Patch and get some of their famous fries. Nothing beats a big basket of fresh cut french fries with gooey cheese on top!

Before you know it, the day will be over, and you will have made a memory that will last forever. No matter how old I get, I will love going to Kennywood to enjoy the sites, sounds, rides and games that make summertime so sweet!

Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you the other meaning to “Kennywood’s Open!”. It is a Pittsburghers polite way to let you know that the zipper on your pants is down. So if you are in town and hear that, you might want to check!