Kennywood is an amusement park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just southeast of Pittsburgh. The park opened on May 30, 1898, as a trolley park attraction at the end of the Mellon family's Monongahela Street Railway.
It was purchased in 1906 by F. W. Henninger and Andrew McSwigan, both of whom later formed the family-owned Kennywood Entertainment Company. In 2007, the company sold Kennywood, along with four other parks, to Parques Reunidos' Palace Entertainment subsidiary. In early 2025, the park was again sold to Herschend.
The amusement park features various structures and rides dating back to the early 1900s. Along with Rye Playland Park, it is one of two amusement parks in the United States designated as a National Historic Landmark. Kennywood is also one of thirteen trolley parks in the United States that remain in operation.
Location Kennywood is approximately from Downtown Pittsburgh, in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. The park is along Pennsylvania Route 837 (Green Belt), known as Kennywood Boulevard as it passes through the borough. The closest Interstate connection is Exit 77 (Edgewood/Swissvale) on Interstate 376. The Mon–Fayette Expressway will eventually go past Kennywood, which could potentially prompt an expansion of the park when it is completed.
Historically, the park is across the river from the location of the Battle of the Monongahela on July 9, 1755, where British general Edward Braddock was mortally wounded, ending his expedition to capture the French Fort Duquesne during the French and Indian War. George Washington was a colonel to Braddock, and fought at the battle before they retreated. Later the land on the bluff above the Monongahela River was part of a farm owned by Anthony Kenny. Around the time of the American Civil War, the site was a popular picnic grove for locals, known as "Kenny's Grove".
History
A tree-filled portion of a farm overlooking the Monongahela River near Pittsburgh owned by Anthony Kenny, known as "Kenny's Grove", was a popular picnic spot for local residents during the American Civil War. In 1898, the Monongahela Street Railways Company, partially owned by prominent banker Andrew Mellon, seeking to increase fare profits on the weekends, leased the land from the Kenny family in order to create a trolley park at the end of their line. The company's chief engineer, George S. Davidson, designed the original layout of the park and served as its first manager. A carousel, casino hall, and dance pavilion were added in 1899. A bandstand was constructed in 1900, while the Old Mill was constructed in 1901, and the park's first roller coaster, the Figure Eight Toboggan, was added in 1902.
After less than a decade, the trolley company no longer wanted to manage the park. The standing manager, Andrew S. McSwigan, along with partners Frederick W. Henninger and A. F. Meghan, leased and operated the park as Kennywood Park Limited beginning in 1906.
From its origin as a working-class picnic entertainment destination, the park grew in the first half of the twentieth century into a popular attraction that combined thrill rides with recreation venues such as swimming pools and dance halls.
Kennywood ceased to be served by streetcar when Mon Street Railways successor Pittsburgh Railways Company converted the route serving it, the lengthy #68 Duquesne-McKeesport line, from trolley to bus on September 15, 1958.
On December 12, 2007, Kennywood Entertainment announced that it would be selling Kennywood Park, along with four other amusement parks in the Northeastern United States, to Parques Reunidos, a company based in Madrid, Spain.
On March 18, 2025, it was announced that Kennywood had been purchased by Herschend.
Kennywood uses the slogans "Welcome to the family", "America's finest traditional amusement park", and "Make a new memory", although from the 1960s through the early 1990s the slogan was "The roller coaster capital of the world" (a title which is now used by Cedar Point). Kennywood features three wooden roller coasters still in working order (Jack Rabbit, Racer and Thunderbolt), along with three newer steel coasters (Phantom's Revenge, Sky Rocket and Steel Curtain) and one indoor coaster (The Exterminator).
The park holds several events throughout the year, including Phantom Fall Fest.
Park timeline
1898: Kenny's Grove purchased on December 18 by Monongahela Street Railway Co. 1899: Kennywood Park formally opens on May 30 with a G.A. Dentzel carousel, a dance hall, and the Parkside Cafe 1900: Park's first coaster Figure Eight Toboggan opens 1901: Old Mill and Casino restaurant open 1903: Steeplechase opens 1904: Steeplechase removed 1905: Dip-the-Dips Scenic Railway opens 1906: Figure Eight Toboggan renamed to Gee Whizz Dip the Dips 1907: Old Mill is rethemed to Panama Canal 1910: Racer opens, Dip-the-Dips Scenic Railway removed 1911: Speed-O-Plane opens, fire occurs at the park 1912: Panama Canal rethemed to Old Mill Rapids Gorge after being damaged in the 1911 fire 1913: Original G.A. Dentzel carousel replaced by T.M. Harton model 1915: Old Mill Rapids Gorge rethemed to Old Mill 1916: Wurlitzer Band Organ is purchased to provide music for carousel 1917: Old Mill is rethemed to Fairyland Floats 1919: The Whip opens 1920: Jack Rabbit opens 1921: Gee Whizz Dip the Dips and Figure Eight Toboggan removed, Fairyland Floats rethemed to Tour of the World 1922: Dodgem opens 1923: Speed-O-Plane removed 1924: Pippin and Kiddieland open 1925: Swimming pool opens 1926: 1910 Racer removed, The Whip replaced with newer model, Tour of the World rethemed to Old Mill 1927: T.M. Harton carousel replaced by William H. Dentzel model while retaining Wurlitzer Band Organ, new Racer debuts, Tumble Bug opens, Kiddieland moved to current location 1928: Brownie Coaster and Tilt-A-Whirl open 1929: Dodgem removed 1930: Auto Race and Laff in the Dark open 1931: Tickler roller coaster opens 1934: Tilt-A-Whirl removed, Fun on the Farm opens 1935: Teddy Bear coaster and Skooter open 1936: Noah's Ark and Loop-O-Plane open, Fun on the Farm removed 1937: 13 Spook Street and Kiddie Old Mill open 1938: Ridee-O opens 1940: Rockets opens 1941: Daffy Klub replaces 13 Spook Street 1945: Olde Kennywood Railroad opens 1946: Original facade on Racer loading platform replaced 1947: Teddy Bear coaster removed, Jack Rabbit tunnel removed 1948: Little Dipper and Tilt-A-Whirl open, Auto Race is renamed Auto Ride, Auto Ride's hills are removed and cars are renovated, Tumble Bug receives new turtle-themed cars and is renamed Turtle 1949: Hurricane opens
1950: Roll-O-Plane and Loop-O-Plane removed 1952: Octopus and Tickler coaster removed 1953: Swimming pool closes and becomes U-Driven boat concession 1955: Rotor and Kiddie Cadillacs open, swimming pool reopens after renovation and is renamed Sunlite Pool, Daffy Klub removed, Little Dipper renovated and renamed Dipper 1957: Round-Up opens, Old Mill rethemed to Trip Around The World 1958: Wild Mouse opens, Rotor and Hurricane removed 1959: Skydiver, Rock 'N Roll, Twin Ferris Wheel, and Crazy Orbit open, Ridee-O removed 1960: Bouncer opens, facade on Racer loading platform redesigned, Wild Mouse removed 1961: Bandshell destroyed in fire, Calypso opens, Old Mill receives new boats 1962: Kangaroo opens 1963: Tilt-A-Whirl removed 1964: Tornado dark ride from defunct Freedomland opens, new Round-Up model opens named Satellite 1965: Rotor and Popover open, Laff in the Dark and Octopus removed 1966: Turnpike opens, Tornado removed 1967: Road Runner (Cuddle Up) opens, Ghost Ship dark ride replaces Tornado 1968: Pippin becomes Thunderbolt after renovation 1969: Noah's Ark remodeled, Loop-O-Plane, Roll-O-Plane, Rock 'N Roll, and Twin Ferris Wheel removed, inner helix "speed hill" removed from Thunderbolt 1971: Bayern Kurve and Roll-O-Plane open 1972: Le Cachot dark ride replaces Safari, Monster and Rotor removed 1973: Gran Prix and The Potato Patch open, Sunlite Pool removed 1974: Old Mill is rethemed to Hardheaded Harold's Horrendously Humorous Haunted Hideaway, Crazy Orbit is converted into Space Odyssey, Kenny Kangaroo debuts as park mascot, Monster removed 1975: Monster and Log Jammer open (the latter is the first multimillion-dollar ride in park history), Bouncer removed, Merry-Go-Round and organ are refurbished, fire burns down Ghost Ship and Road Runner 1976: Tilt-A-Whirl opens, Round Up replaced by Super Round Up, Monster is removed, Skydiver opens as Paratrooper 1977: Cinesphere opens 1978: Enterprise opens, Cinesphere renamed to Cinema 180, Rockets and Space Odyssey removed 1979: Monongahela Monster and Garden Stage open, Skooter removed 1980: Laser Loop opens 1981: Gold Rusher and Paddle Boats open 1982: Pirate and Ranger open, new PTC trains replace Wonder Bread trains on Racer 1983: Swing Around opens, Ranger and Loop-O-Plane removed 1984: Wave Swinger opens, Swing Around removed, Bayern Kurve is replaced, Dipper removed 1985: Raging Rapids opens, Super Round-Up is relocated to Idlewild Park, Roll-O-Plane removed 1986: Wonder Wheel opens, Bayern Kurve and Calypso removed, new water features added to Raging Rapids 1987: Musik Express opens, Turnpike electric cars added, Kennywood designated National Historic Landmark 1988: Flying Carpet and Rotor open, Tilt-A-Whirl relocated to Idlewild Park, Kennywood Memories is filmed and premieres in September 1989: Swing Around opens, Monongahela Monster removed 1990: Great Balloon Race and Parachute Drop open, original facade on Racer loading platform restored, Laser Loop removed 1991: Steel Phantom and Tri-Star open, Merry-Go-Round organ is restored, tunnel on Jack Rabbit restored 1992: Tri-Star removed 1993: WipeOut opens, Hardheaded Harold's Horrendously Humorous Haunted Hideaway rethemed to Old Mill 1994: Skycoaster and Bayern Kurve open, Rotor moved to Lake Compounce 1995: Lost Kennywood expansion is built on former location of Sunlite Pool, Pittsburg Plunge, Phantom Phlyer, and Roll-O-Plane open, Great Balloon Race moved to Idlewild Park, Parachute Drop removed 1996: Lil Phantom and Kenny's Parkway open, Noah's Ark renovated, Phantom Phlyer relocated to Lake Compounce, Auto Ride renamed Auto Race 1997: Pitt Fall opens 1998: Kennywood celebrates 100th anniversary, Centennial Midway opens for the 1998 season only, Le Cachot demolished 1999: Exterminator coaster opens, Wonder Wheel removed
2000: Aero 360 opens, Garfield and Odie become park mascots 2001: Steel Phantom renovated into Phantom's Revenge, Crazy Trolley opens 2002: Pounce Bounce opens, Phantom Fright Nights debuts 2003: King Kahuna (formerly Top Spin from Lake Compounce), Ham-on-Rye Theatre, and Volcano Valley themed area open, Enterprise renamed Volcano, Roll-O-Plane and Miniature Golf removed 2004: Old Mill rethemed to Garfield's Nightmare, Bayern Kurve removed 2005: New front gates built, free admission and individual pay-per-ride tickets discontinued and replaced with general admission passes, Merry-Go-Round and Wurlitzer Band Organ renovated, Swing Around, Garden Stage, Kiddie Cadillacs, and Ham-on-Rye Theatre removed 2006: Swing Shot opens, Flying Carpet removed 2007: Cosmic Chaos and SS Kenny open, Gold Rusher removed, park sold to Parques Reunidos 2008: Ghostwood Estate and new games building in Kiddieland open, WipeOut relocated to Lake Compounce 2009: Bayern Kurve opens, portions of Phantom's Revenge retracked, Turnpike and King Kahuna removed 2010: Sky Rocket and Kenny's Kabanas open 2011: Kandy Kaleidoscope, Parkside Cafe, and Star Refreshment remodeled, Merry-Go-Round horses and Wurlitzer Band Organ refurbished, Holiday Lights debuts, Noah's Ark rerouted, Pitt Fall removed 2012: Black Widow opens 2013: Carousel Food Court removed 2014: Johnny Rockets opens, Playdium Arcade removed 2015: 4-D Theater opens