10 Oldest Rides At Kennywood Every Pittsburgher Has To Ride At Least Once This Summer
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Beth Price-Williams
Author
Virtual hands up if you start counting down the days until opening day at Kennywood the minute you leave Holiday Lights in December? Going to Kennywood – during the summer, for Phantom Fright Nights, and for Holiday Lights – is just one of the best parts of being a Pittsburgher. We can ride plenty of amazing, modern rides. Then, we can hop aboard some of the old favorites like the 10 oldest rides at Kennywood.
Can you think of a better way to get a breather than with a relaxing meander around the Lagoon? Back in its earliest days, Kennywood visitors rowed around on a rowboat. A popular ride since 1898, the paddle boats offer picturesque views of the Racer and the Carousel. (You might even see a duck or two during your time on the water.)
Generations of us Pittsburghers have made our way through the Old Mill. However, most of us have known it by different names at different times. The popular ride, right at the beginning of the park, opened in 1901. Today, the ride has transformed into Garfield's Nightmare.
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You've probably whipped around the bend of the Whip's track with your hands in the air, right? Even as kids, most of us loved letting our hands off of the bars as we swirled around the bend. The Whip, in fact, has been a Kennywood favorite since it first opened in 1918. Tucked in Olde Kennywood, the Whip still features its original 16 cars.
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What's a trip to Kennywood without a ride on the Jack Rabbit? The popular wooden roller coaster debuted in 1920 and has boasted long lines ever since. Part of its popularity is thanks to the breathtaking 70-foot drop that double dips.
Which roller coaster in Kennywood is your favorite? The Racer, dating back to 1927, consistently features long lines. Did you know that if you start the journey around the track on the right side you'll finish on the left and vice-versa?
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The Turtle made its debut the same year as The Racer. (It was a pretty good year for Kennywood, huh?) Which of the six turtles do you always try to get? The one in the front? In the middle? Or, do you prefer the last turtle on the track?
We can all probably agree that Kennywood just wouldn't be the same without the sound of the organ and the ringing of the Merry-Go-Round's bell. Like The Racer and The Turtle, the Merry-Go-Round made its debut in 1927. Did you know it has more than 60 carved horses as well as chariots, a lion, and a tiger? Which is your favorite?
We may have said goodbye to the Turnpike years ago, but we still have the Auto Race. How cool was it to ride the Auto Race when we were kids? We felt like we were actually driving. It's still fun today - and a lot less stressful than driving in real life, wouldn't you say?
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Walk through the mouth of a whale and into the wonderful world of Noah's Ark. It's probably safe to say that the majority of Pittsburghers have traveled through the ark - making our way on moving floorboards and discovering surprises at every turn.
The Kangaroo's always popular. We can usually expect to spend plenty of time in line for our turn on the ride that's the only one of its kind left in the United States. Originally known as the Flying Coaster, the Kangaroo features just one huge jump off of a hill that makes us either yell or raise our hands - or both.
Address: 4800 Kennywood Boulevard, West Mifflin, PA, 15122
What are your favorite oldest rides at Kennywood? Join the conversation in the comments! Keep that nostalgic feeling going. Click here to view rare footage of Kennywood from the 1950s.
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