Past Rides

This page will be an ongoing project to try and compile the most comprehensive list of past Kennywood rides available online. If you have a suggestion for a ride to add to the list, photos, or information please either contact us on the forums or via email. Thanks!

Ride Name: Kenny's Parkway
Last Year Open: 2020
First Year Open: 1996
Replaced By: N/A
Ride Name: Bayern Kurve
Last Year Open: 2020
First Year Open: 1994
Replaced By: TBA
Ride Name: Volcano
Last Year Open: 2020
First Year Open: 1978
Replaced By: TBA
Ride Name: Paratrooper
Last Year Open: 2020
First Year Open: 1964
Replaced By: TBA
Ride Name: Log Jammer
Last Year Open: 2017
First Year Open: 1975
Replaced By: Steel Curtain

Kennywood’s first multi-million dollar ride, the Log Jammer was a classic flume water ride built by Arrow Dynamics. Although it was the park’s mildest water ride, it still offered guests the chance to cool off on hot summer days without getting drenched. The ride consisted of a 27-foot spillway and a final 53-foot high chute. The Log Jammer was the last remaining log flume with an intact spillway drop, seen here; all other parks whose flumes featured one had removed the feature.
Ride Name: Pitt Fall
Last Year Open: 2011
First Year Open: 1997
Replaced By: Black Widow

The iconic tower ride was the world's tallest freefall ride when it opened in 1997, replacing the Phantom Phlyer ride in Lost Kennywood. The Pitt Fall was popular, but eventually, decreasing ridership and extensive maintenance issues led to its retirement. Today, Black Widow thrills riders where the ride once stood. The Pitt Fall was sold to a ride broker with the intent of being built at another park. After undergoing a full refurbishment in Europe, the ride is currently on the market once again.
Ride Name: Turnpike
Last Year Open: 2009
First Year Open: 1966
Replaced By: Sky Rocket

The Turnpike originally opened with gas-powered, self driven cars on an Autotopia-like experience deliberately built next to Kennywood Blvd. In 1987, it received the more familiar electric vintage-style vehicles. The cars also began travelling the opposite direction on the track at this time. In 2009, the Turnpike was closed to make way for the Sky Rocket roller coaster. The park still owns the ride vehicles, and intends to build a new ride using them at some point in the future.
Ride Name: King Kahuna
Last Year Open: 2009
First Year Open: 2003
Replaced By: Kenny's Kabanas

King Kahuna kicked off an attempt by Kennywood to establish a new themed area called Volcano Valley using part of Kenny Lane. The demolition of the boardwalk restrooms allowed room for this ride, transplanted from sister park Lake Compounce in Bristol, CT. The age of the ride contributed to frequent maintenance issues, and that along with low ridership and popularity prompted its removal. The ride has yet to be replaced with another, though the fountain remains, and the queue area is now home to Kenny's Kabanas.
Ride Name: Wipeout
Last Year Open: 2008
First Year Open: 1993
Replaced By: Bayern Kurve

The Wipeout was originally brought in as a temporary replacement for the Enterprise (now Volcano) as it underwent a summer-long refurbishment. The following summer, it was moved to replace the Wave Swinger, which also took a summer off in preparation for its move to Lost Kennywood. Its popularity gained it a spot next to the Wave Swinger in 1996, where it remained until 2005. When construction work for the SwingShot began, the ride was moved (again) to replace the Bayern Kurve, which spent a few summers undergoing its own refurbishment. In 2009, the Kurve was ready to return to the park and it took its spot back from the Wipeout, which now operates at sister park Lake Compounce.
Ride Name: Gold Rusher
Last Year Open: 2007
First Year Open: 1981
Replaced By: Ghostwood Estate

The Gold Rusher opened on the second floor of the Sportland Games building as a dark ride themed to a gold mine. Memorable scenes from within included a giant spider, an oncoming train, a dynamite explosion and a large waterfall near the end. The ride originally opened with its loading station at ground level with a lift hill to access the upper floor, which was done away with to make room for the Raging Rapids in 1984. At the end of the 2007 season, the ride was gutted to prepare for Ghostwood Estate. Multiple props from this ride are still in use for Phantom Fright Nights and the equivalent Hallowboo event at sister park Idlewild Park.

37 Comments:

  1. I miss the gold rush and the turnpike a lot

    • Laser Loop was where the Phantom is now, operating from 1980 to 1990. The Dipper was a wood kiddie coaster that operated from 1948 to 1984 on the spot now occupied by the raging rapids, many other dark rides, fun houses, and flat rides. In its early years, Kennywood had a lot of side friction coasters but they were all gone by the 1920s.

  2. they forgot some of the woodies and a old metal one that stood where phantom is today idk the name of that ride 🙁

    • Matthew, there are many rides that are not on this list! It is an ongoing project which we will add to as time permits. The coaster which once stood where Phantom’s Revenge is located was called Laser Loop. Thanks.

    • Wasn’t one named the Jackrabbit?

  3. livluvsrosslynch

    This information is OKAY, but you guys forgot the lazer loop, roll-o-planes, laugh in the dark, le chaclot (is that spelled right??), old mill, kiddie land rides (like the swan ride) and a lot others, I am only 10 and I know what those are!!!!!!! Most of them were demolished in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, but i know more about them then you people aperently do!

  4. There are more rides than what is listed. Like the “Steel Phantom”, “Pippin'”, ect..

  5. I hope they get the Pit Fall back. I’m 10 and I am very tall so I got a chance to ride the pit fall it was my favorite. I was devastated when Kennywood said that they are replacing it. I love the black widow but I rather have the Pit Fall.

  6. How about the Laser Loop, Rotor, Round Up, Le Cachot, Ferris Wheel, and I think it was called Wonder Wheel. Cinema 180 was always fun for it’s time, kinda like Soarin at Walt Disney World.

  7. I miss the Pitt Fall. It was such an awesome feeling when you got to the top & saw the view. When you were up there, it seemed like it took so long to drop, but it really didn’t.
    I miss the Old Mill too. It was a nice, relaxing break from the fast rides.

  8. Kenny wood needs to restore the old Phantom to its original form, and bring back the Pit Fall Those were 2 of my fav rides. What were they thinking when they took the loops out of the Phantom?

    • They took out the loops from the Steel Phantom because people complained about injuries. I rode the Phantom soon after it was opened, actually several times because once I got over the heebie-jeebies the sight of the ride caused, it was awesome. But you did have your head wobbled and klunked against the padded shoulder cages. I was young and dismissed the head-thunking as part of the price of the thrill. But apparently others couldn’t be as “meh” about it.

  9. The flyer right across from the corn dog stand and also the pipin rooler coaster

  10. Just chiming in with the mention of the Monongahela Monster, which is similar to Idewilde’s Spider.

  11. Theodore Perkoski

    how about the dark rides. Zoomrang; Laught in the Dark; The Tornado;, and The Ghost Ship. lest I forget, The Enchaanted Castle. and the Rocketships over the lagoon.

  12. what about the turtle that was somewhere near the thunderbolt. is that gone?

  13. What was the other ride in the dome where they played rock music with strobe lights. I believe the ride was similar to the scrambler at Idlewild. I remember riding to Styx’s Renegade.

  14. Are the Kangaroo and the Caterpillar still there? They were next to the Paratrooper-type ride.

    • The Kangaroo is still at Kennywood, but the Caterpillar is not. The Caterpillar was more recently at Idlewild, but has since been removed indefinitely.

  15. What year did the rocketship ride debut and when was it taken down? Also, why was it taken down…I loved that ride and the tower looked great at night lit up with neon.

  16. Hello,
    Question for you,
    Did Kennywood ever have a ride called The Ranger.
    I believe it was located the pizza patio area
    at the old the Callipso location?

  17. The Monongahela Monster?

  18. Laser loop, le cachot, rotor, phantom flyers, that one ride that was above the stage (swing around?)

  19. I miss the turnpike raging rapids the log jammer and so many more I had such a fun time when I was a child going to Kennywood I wish I could have took my children on some of these rides especially the turnpike

  20. I really enjoyed the Turn Pike ride. Are they ever going to bring that back?

  21. What was the name of that other bumper car ride? Not the Gran Prix, this one was back near The Whip. The cars were driven around an oval track. Was it The Scooter?

  22. Hey new to the site

    Flying carpet > Cosmic Chaos
    Roll O Plane
    TRI Star
    La Cachet > Stage
    Ferris Wheel > Aero 260

  23. Really enjoyed the pool in the 60’s. The generation before mine got to enjoy the big band era. Benny Goodman etc…. ohh what a good time. finishing up with the Dairy Queen. Yeahhh
    .

  24. My husband (in his late 70’s) remembers a carousel type ride with jumping horses that went much faster than a normal carousel from when he was a kid. He thought it was called Racing Horses. Does anyone remember it?

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