Just like you were there: Kennywood Roller Coasters
I love roller coasters, especially well-designed ones that leave me thrilled at the end without a sore neck or back. Lucky for me, my 7 year-old son is now tall enough and willing enough to ride them with me so last weekend we said goodbye to summer break with a trip to Kennywood, a fun amusement park founded in 1898 that’s now a National Historic Landmark. Located about 12 miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh, Kennywood is close to the city and there’s lots to love – the history of the park, the heritage days that the park holds each summer to celebrate different cultures but, most of all, I love the roller coasters.
The Thunderbolt roller coaster at Kennywood Park near Pittsburgh.
While we’d visited earlier in the summer, we didn’t get to ride all the roller coasters or ride them all together. So, this time it would be all roller coasters, all the time! I spent a little extra money and bought the VIP Coaster Tour for us both. Having just come from a vacation to Disney World, the VIP Coaster Tour was like the Fast Pass of Kennywood. No lines, no waiting – it was awesome. We had a set schedule to ride the coasters – one per hour – which gave us plenty of time to do other things, too. We rode the Swing Shot a couple times, we rode the Wave Swinger and the Pittsburg Plunge; we ate pizza, popcorn, candy – I mean, really, it was the most amazing day with my little guy. And I even scored big at the Quarterback Challenge carnival game by throwing two footballs through a tire. The prizes? Stuffed poop emojis. My son was thrilled. Brownie points forever.
The prizes I won at the Quarterback Challenge carnival game.
But, back to roller coasters. Here’s my ranking! If you’ve never been to Kennywood and you want to feel just like you were on the coasters with us, then go for a virtual ride by clicking on the video links from Kennywood’s YouTube channel. Pretty awesome!
6. Exterminator
I rank this coaster last because, frankly, we didn’t even ride it and didn’t want to either. I’m not a fan of coasters in the dark and the theming of it didn’t appeal either so, while it may be a fun ride, I’m ranking it 6. It was the next-to-last coaster on our VIP tour so we just went to Johnny Rockets located inside the park to eat a leisurely dinner instead.
5. Racer
This is a fun ride – a classic, wooden coaster that’s been around since 1927. I love the concept of this ride where two carts race each other to the end, side by side. There’s a fun camaraderie that occurs between the people in the competing carts, making the ride feel very social. Definitely don’t miss the experience if you go.
Virtual Racer ride:
4. Jack Rabbit
What a joyous ride! It pops you right up out of your seat on the bumpy hills! This wooden coaster has been around since 1921 and is a must-do at Kennywood. This was the last ride we rode of the day and it was getting toward dusk so the lights came on in the park as we were riding. Nice way to end the coaster tour and our fun day together.
Virtual Jack Rabbit ride:
3. Sky Rocket
I went back and forth about whether to rank this coaster 2 or 3 because I really loved it. Sky Rocket is a smooth ride that shoots you “like a rocket” from 0 to 50 mph in three seconds up a super steep hill then sends you careening down over the other side at a 90 degree angle. There are some topsy-turvy, curvy tracks that make the ride super enjoyable. If only it lasted longer.
Virtual Sky Rocket ride:
2. Phantom’s Revenge
This coaster was our first on the VIP Tour and what a fun way to start the day! Phantom’s Revenge won out over Sky Rocket (just barely) because of the sheer speed and height of its tallest drop (up to 85 mph and 230 feet). It’s an exhilarating ride that provides one of the best views over all of Kennywood Park and leaves you with a big smile at the end.
Virtual Phantom’s Revenge ride:
And drumroll…
1. Thunderbolt
No question here for me – Thunderbolt is the best coaster at Kennywood. It has everything going for it – the nostalgia of wooden tracks, the thrilling “fun-right-out-of-the-gate” feeling you get when you immediately go down a hill after boarding, the sense that the ride goes on and on (it doesn’t feel too short at all) and you pop out of your seat on this ride, too. Simply classic, a do-not-miss ride if you visit Kennywood.
Virtual Thunderbolt ride:
Thanks for reading!
