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Jack Rabbit
from $25.00
Here we have another Kennywood icon...the Jack Rabbit! This is one of Pittsburgh residents' favorite coasters, a beautiful old wooden beast from 1920 with a top speed of 45 mph, known for its 70-foot double dip that can make a rider feel as if the train is coming off the tracks...which thankfully, it isn't. Most of us know that if you want the best experience, you get in the last car; that's the one that lets you feel the most airtime! I can hear the creaking, clacking, and joyous screams just by looking at this piece; I hope you can, too!
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Racer
from $25.00
One of the great things about living in or near the city of Pittsburgh is the famed, historic amusement park, Kennywood. The park first opened in 1898 as a 'trolley park', but has since expanded into an exciting garden of an amusement park with many rides that cannot be found anywhere else in the country, including this one here, dubbed the "Racer". This wooden roller coaster is one of the oldest of its kind still functioning in the world, having been constructed in 1927. It was designed as a coaster featuring two dueling roller coaster cars. It appeared as though the green and blue cars raced one another at around 40 mph to the finish line, when in reality these two cars both ran on a single moebius loop track. Because the two cars were timed slightly different, it appeared as though they were racing one another to the finish line. The ride has been iconic to Pittsburghers, since generation after generation recall when they were children, and they took their first trip on the Racer, themselves. However, one trip was enough for me. I've got to confess, I'm not a roller coaster guy; they make me queasy! Even I can appreciate the artistry that goes into these rides though, how well-crafted they are, how they're able to stand the test of time, and how nothing else quite beats the rickety, borderline out-of-control feeling you can ONLY get on one of these old wooden beauties. Bah, now I'm hungry for a corn dog and some Potato Patch fries. If you're a Pittsburgher, you'll know exactly what I mean!
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Ride the Lightning
from $25.00
Everyone around here knows, and loves, the Thunderbolt. Another old and famed attraction at Kennywood, this ride was originally named the "Pippin" when it debuted in 1924, but renamed to the Thunderbolt in 1968. Featuring a maximum drop of 90 feet and a top speed of 55 mph, this old wooden coaster of course pales in comparison to its modern steel brethren, but still manages a rickety and out-of-control feel that simply can't be found anywhere else. For me, since I'm generally averse to roller coasters for fear of losing my lunch, most of my memories of this coaster center around the fact that it sits right next to the park's best eatery, the Potato Patch. Gotta love those cheese fries!
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Spin
from $25.00
Kennywood is a Pittsburgh icon; a part of all our lives, as the Rick Sebak documentary "Kennywood Memories" will attest. Virtually every one of us in Allegheny County have spent time here, basking in the sunlight, enjoying a corn dog and some Potato Patch fries, and no doubt relaxing at least one time per visit on this beautiful old carousel. The carousel was originally built in 1926 for the Philadelphia sesquicentennial celebration fair...but was not completed in time. So, rather than waste a perfectly wonderful carousel, it was moved in 1927 to Pittsburgh's Kennywood, where it has delighted generation after generation...but how often have any of us seen the ride like this?
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Thunderbolt
from $25.00
Everyone around here knows, and loves, the Thunderbolt. Another old and famed attraction at Kennywood, this ride was originally named the "Pippin" when it debuted in 1924, but renamed to the Thunderbolt in 1968. Featuring a maximum drop of 90 feet and a top speed of 55 mph, this old wooden coaster of course pales in comparison to its modern steel brethren, but still manages a rickety and out-of-control feel that simply can't be found anywhere else. For me, since I'm generally averse to roller coasters for fear of losing my lunch, most of my memories of this coaster center around the fact that it sits right next to the park's best eatery, the Potato Patch. Gotta love those cheese fries!