When it opens for its 126th season on April 20, Kennywood is continuing to do what the park excels at: making the old new again.
Pittsburgh’s amusement park got a host of improvements throughout the off-season, but at the front of the line are two new eateries and updates for three rides.
The old carousel building near the front of the park now hosts an all-American restaurant boasting a carousel theme. Carousel Burger Co. replaces retro burger joint Johnny Rockets, which had been in the park since 2014.
“We’ve changed it up quite a bit from previous years,” says Ed Reams, director of in-park revenue. “As you can see … we have some of what Kennywood’s known for — its history.”
Once the restaurant is open, carousel horses will flank menus hanging above its counter. Its menu is standard park fare: burgers, chicken sandwiches, tenders and fries and loaded cheese fries.
The new “wild and crazy” Carousel Milkshakes stand out the most, Reams says. The cookies-and-cream and strawberry shakes are not only massive, but topped with pastries that hang precariously over the cup’s rim.
Near Kennywood’s carnival game alley is Jeeters’ Pub. Named and themed after the park’s pink mascot from the 1970s, the pub will have eight Penn Brewery beers on tap and serve charcuterie boards, wings, pretzels, spiked frozen drinks and other small bites.
Kennywood’s partnership with Penn Brewery will also bring an official beer collaboration later in the season when Penn Brewery’s Strawberry Funnel Cake Shandy launches at the pub.
“There’s going to be a lot more to come than the flavors we get from Penn Brewery,” Reams says. “They’re always looking for new options from us as well as new suggestions from us.”
If you’re still digesting all that, you may want to take a break before hopping on these rides — especially if you paid Jeeters a visit.
Kennywood’s 50-year-old Gran Prix bumper car attraction got, well, bumped. In its place is the Potato Smash — a Potato Patch-themed attraction with new, custom cars and background murals.
“We could have easily … put new bumper cars on here,” says Rick Spicuzza, the park’s assistant general manager. “But we’re Kennywood so we wanted it to be quirky, we wanted it to be ‘cheesy’ and use that legacy brand of Potato Patch that everybody loves and craves.”
The 20 new cars are food boat-shaped, with cheesy fries sticking out of the top. Spicuzza says the ride’s grand opening may be delayed as the cars are manufactured in Italy, but “like all good food coming from Italy, it takes time.”
Elsewhere around the park, the iconic Aero 360 gained newly painted seats and an updated control system, the Lost Kennywood Gift Shop had a literal floor-to-ceiling glow up and generational favorite The Turtle received a full restoration.
Originally built in 1927, The Turtle’s last renovation was in the 1940s, Spicuzza estimates. The ride now has a new foundation, and all of the turtles were refurbished with shell paint jobs and new seats.
“This was actually manufactured in nearby Beaver Falls close to 100 years ago,” Spicuzza says. “We’re really excited that we got to do this refurbishment project. It’s just what Kennywood does really well — restoring classic rides.”
Tickets for the park’s opening on Saturday, April 20, are available, and the park will host additional events through the summer season:
- Bites and Pints Food & Drink Festival — returns Memorial Day Weekend and runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout June
- Celebrate Pittsburgh — every Saturday and Sunday in July
- Celebrate America — July 4 and 5