Last Updated: April 18, 2025

There’s one sentence in Pittsburgh that can elicit feelings of excitement for the summer ahead but also fear of public embarrassment:  Kennywood’s open!  After reading that, hopefully some of you felt compelled to double-check your zipper just in case.  But the good news is that Kennywood Park is indeed back for its 127th season in 2025!  Having opened on April 12th, this is set to be its longest year yet, with the end of the season coming on January 4th at the conclusion of their annual Holiday Lights event.

Generations of Pittsburghers have made Kennywood one of their go-to summer destinations.  It invokes this feeling of nostalgia and tradition that few amusement parks can rival.  Of course, like many local kids, I would have an school picnic at the start of every summer, and from these trips, there are so many special moments that I hold on to.  We would often start or end our day with the Turnpike near the entrance for my first experience “driving” a car.  While that ride is long gone and its promised return seems more and more unlikely, I still cherish the times I rode it with my mom or grandma.  I can remember my hat flying off the first time I rode the Kangaroo.  And of course, with Thunderbolt having the tallest height restriction in the park at the time, I still feel the joy of finally crossing the necessary 52”.

Kennywood quickly became a special place for Martha and myself as we were dating, so with all that in mind, it’s where I ultimately decided to propose to her!  Of all these moments and memories, that will obviously top the list.  As the sun goes down over the park and the string lights kick on, there’s something about the ambiance of the entire place that makes all these emotions and moments flood back into my mind.  I can’t help but tear up on summer visits nowadays.  If you’ve never seen Rick Sebak’s iconic documentary Kennywood Memories that aired on WQED in 1988 or his 2019 follow-up That Kennywood Summer, I would highly encourage you to find them on YouTube if you want to understand Kennywood’s impact on Pittsburghers more fully.

Throughout its storied history, Kennywood is perhaps best known for its collection of classic wooden roller coasters.  But with the addition of the Laser Loop in 1980 and its eventual replacement with Steel Phantom in 1991, they showed that they were willing to push beyond conventions and make steel coasters the new go-to at the legendary amusement park.  With Kennywood soon to be under the new management of Herschend Family Entertainment and with Steel Curtain hopefully making its grand return in 2025, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to rank the eight roller coasters at the park and see how modern thrills stack up with enduring charm.

#8 – Exterminator

Starting off with one of the worst things I’ve ever experienced in my life, we have Exterminator.  Located in the very back corner of the park in the Lost Kennywood section, this is a wild mouse coaster, which emphasizes spinning and sharp turns.  I don’t do well with spinning, so naturally, this isn’t something I’d be drawn to.  But in addition to the nausea this leaves me with, it also has a habit of cracking my neck and back a few too many times.

I can still remember my first time on this with my mom all the way back in first grade.  During our Deer Lakes school picnic, we had run into Peter Ferrante, and he couldn’t stop hyping this thing up.  So we decided to try it out.  And for some reason, I keep trying it out in the two decades since, hoping that something will make me enjoy it all of a sudden.

Despite my own hatred of this ride, it’s managed to stay incredibly popular since its opening in 1999, which probably makes me dislike it even more.  And it doesn’t help that Martha loves this thing, so I’m inclined to get in line with her.  As a word of advice, never get in line if you can see the queue stretching outside.  This thing often has wait times of close to two hours.  So you’ll end up spending about an hour in the portion outside and another hour in the hot, muggy, concrete prison that snakes through a cramped single room inside.  But at least there’s a lone door open in the corner to let some air in while simultaneously reminding you of the fun you could be having literally anywhere else in the world.  The line is slowed even more by the fact that, since the pandemic, they have continued to limit the amount of riders that can sit in each rat.  With four riders per rat, you at least don’t get whipped around so much, benefitting the overall experience.

I will say that this thing is pretty well themed.  As I just mentioned, you sit in a rat and travel through a factory setting as you’re chased by exterminators.  In 2024, they restored the original 15-minute pre-show video in the indoor queue, so that’s a nice plus too.  But at least for me, that’s the extent of the positive things I can say.  Plenty of people enjoy this ride – I will never be one of them.

#7 – Lil’ Phantom

Lil’ Phantom’s placement on this list has more to do with my dislike of Exterminator than anything else.  Supposed to be the “little cousin” of the Phantom’s Revenge, this kiddie coaster circles around a few small banks and bunny hills.  While completely unremarkable, it’s somehow a more enjoyable experience than our previous entry.

#6 – Sky Rocket

Opened in 2010, Sky Rocket launches riders from 0 to 50 mph in three seconds and became the first coaster here since Steel Phantom’s closure in 2000 to feature inversions.  It takes you up a 95-foot hill at 90 degrees before stalling over the top and taking you down 90 degrees the other way.  The middle portion features some cutbacks, corkscrews, and a zero-g roll.  In the back section, you have a few S-curves and then bank into a series of bunny hops.  In the end, this ride is only about 70 seconds long, but it provides some nice inversions if you’re looking to introduce younger riders to more intense coasters.

I have some beef with Sky Rocket, though, which doesn’t necessarily affect its list position but are still sticking points for me.  My biggest issue is that its introduction at the front entrance tunnel meant the removal of my beloved Turnpike.  Had Kennywood brought that ride back in a couple years albeit in a different location, I would’ve been fine with it.  However, the Turnpike cars are still collecting dust in storage, and meanwhile, Sky Rocket didn’t even operate from May 2018 to July 2019 because of an electrical fire.  On top of that, I find this ride to be rather uncomfortable.  The overhead shoulder restraints coupled with tight shin guards leave me feeling bruised by the time I get off.  While this isn’t a bad coaster by any means, I have trouble ranking it any higher than this spot.

#5 – Racer

While Racer lacks the intensity or thrills that Exterminator or Sky Rocket have, this classic wooden racing roller coaster certainly makes up for it with uniqueness and charm.  It all starts with the beautiful facade at its entrance, which was restored to its original appearance in 1990.  As the ride begins, you’ll find that the two trains bank away from each other before climbing the lift hill.  When the race is over and you return to the station with either the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat, you’ll notice that you end up on the opposite side of the track from where you started.  That’s because this ride is set up as a Mobius Loop, so both trains actually share one continuous track.

There are two other features of this ride that really stand out to me.  The first, of course, is the “Don’t Stand Up” sign with skulls and crossbones at the top of the initial lift hill.  This is honestly the tamest coaster in Kennywood besides Lil’ Phantom, so there has to be some story behind why this sign exists.  But it’s an iconic fixture of the park nonetheless.  I also love that some parts of the track are so close together that you can reach over and high-five people in the other car.  When you’re racing against friends, it makes it all the more enjoyable!

#4 – Steel Curtain

There is much to be said about the brief but eventful history of Steel Curtain.  Themed after the Pittsburgh Steelers, this thing had a ton of hype behind it.  I remember sitting by the ocean at Myrtle Beach in 2018 to see the big announcement that this was coming to Kennywood.  While its addition to the back right corner of the park meant the demolition of the Log Jammer flume ride, I think the majority of people were optimistic about what was to come.  However, the fact that it was a prototype model by S&S, who had never designed a roller coaster of this size before, was cause for concern.

Steel Curtain set numerous records upon opening in July 2019.  At a maximum height of 220 feet, it is the tallest coaster in Pennsylvania.  Additionally, its nine inversions are more than any other roller coaster in the United States.  And with one of these taking place at 197 feet, it set the record for tallest inversion in the world, which still stands today.  With a max speed of 75 mph, this thing is fast once you get past the first minute climbing the lift hill (while “Renegade” by Styx blares in your ears), but it also has great smoothness to it.  For me, though, there’s a couple too many inversions as you get to the back half of the ride, leaving me feeling nauseous after most rides.  But again, everyone’s different.

This whole project has been plagued by issues, which is especially troubling given that it’s estimated to have cost around $20 million.  For starters, the entire “Steelers Country” section that was tied in with its opening never got off the ground.  They built a huge warehouse that was supposed to house a play area called “Steelers Experience”, but it never even opened.  Instead, it now hosts one of their Halloween haunted houses.  And because Steel Curtain was a prototype and a cost-effective option over more reliable manufacturers, it has perhaps been closed more than it’s been open.  In its first season, it went down for maintenance repeatedly.  Due to the pandemic, it didn’t even operate in 2020.  More issues in 2021-2023 made it shut down for weeks or months at a time.  Finally, the park didn’t even operate the ride in 2024 because it was deemed structurally unsound, but it’s set to make its triumphant return in 2025.  While this is a fun coaster that is sure to be a fan-favorite when it does eventually reopen, I can’t justify ranking it anywhere other than 4th given its laundry list of issues.

#3 – Jack Rabbit

The king of airtime, this 1920 roller coaster is one of the oldest in the world today.  It is quintessential Kennywood – perhaps the greatest example of what makes this park so endearing and timeless.  It’s like a rite of passage to ride this for the first time.  And because it has stood here for generations, you’ll likely have the special opportunity to take your children and your grandchildren on for their first rides too.

Jack Rabbit is no-frills, but that’s what makes it so special.  It’s built seamlessly into the rolling hillside.  While the drops aren’t big by any means, they’re fast and will send you flying out of your seat.  The famous double dip in particular is one of my favorite coaster elements that I’ve ever experienced.  I highly recommend both starting and ending your day with Jack Rabbit given its proximity to the front of the park and its re-rideability.  At night, the dark tunnel after its first drop coupled with the beautiful string lights at the top of the hill make for a memorable ride.

#2 – Thunderbolt

I struggled with placing the top two.  While Thunderbolt is ultimately my favorite roller coaster at Kennywood, I don’t think I can truly say it’s the best.  But it does come awfully close.  It ranks up there as one of the greatest wooden coasters in the world for sure.  Originally built as Pippin in 1924, most of this still remains today in its ravine section.  The two helixes in the front of the ride were added in 1968 when it was rebranded as Thunderbolt.

This is the only roller coaster at Kennywood that requires you to have a partner to ride.  They do have a single rider line you can wait in if you need to pair up with someone.  Additionally, smaller riders must enter first when boarding the train.  Because of the two sharp bends around the helixes, the person sitting on the right will get thrown into whoever’s sitting on the left.  Reasonably, they would rather the larger person get crushed.  These two turns, along with the immediate drop coming out of the station, make Thunderbolt a memorable experience and a must-ride on every visit.

#1 – Phantom’s Revenge

As you approach Kennywood, you can glimpse its foreboding presence off in the distance.  Its 160-foot lift hill looms over the rest of the park.  As a child, I had an equal mix of dread and eager anticipation to conquer the Phantom’s Revenge.  It was the biggest roller coaster I had ever seen, and little did I know that at that point in time, there were few in the world that even surpassed it.  When it originally opened as Steel Phantom in 1991, it set the record for longest drop in the world along with the title of fastest coaster.  And ever since its rebranding in 2001 that removed the inversions, headbanging, and over-the-shoulder restraints, it’s only gotten faster.  The intensity of the Phantom is incredible.

The climb up the lift hill here is a slow one, but it does a perfect job of letting anxiety build up before you hit the banked drop at the top.  Honestly, with the angle you’re at, it can feel like you might topple backwards.  So to take my mind off things, I always try to take in the beautiful views of the Mon Valley around me and I’ll also play a game of trying to find my car in the parking lot.  Unlike most roller coasters, the second drop is actually longer than the first.  After hitting a straightaway, you fly 228 feet down the hillside towards the river and straight under the Thunderbolt at a top speed of 85 mph, and then after hitting a turn, you go back under the wooden structure a second time.  I’m always prone to ducking at this point out of fear that my head is going to smack right off the Thunderbolt.  Luckily, that has yet to happen.  Once you make a loop around the Turtle below you, you’ll enter a few bunny hops with some thrilling airtime before re-entering the station.

I think the experience on Phantom’s Revenge is similar to that of Millennium Force at Cedar Point, although Phantom isn’t nearly as tall and spends double the amount of time on the initial lift hill, both of which weaken it in comparison.  But ultimately, neither needs gimmicky inversions or anything fancy to succeed.  They rely on speed and intensity to do the trick, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for in a roller coaster.  Phantom is the best that Kennywood has to offer, and it somehow feels even more intense after the sun goes down.  While all eight of the roller coasters listed are distinct from one another, Phantom’s Revenge has a wow factor that can’t be beat, propelling it to the number one spot at this legendary Pittsburgh amusement park.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:

Do you agree with my rankings of Kennywood roller coasters?  How would you rank them in a list of your own?  Making a first trip to the amusement park and have questions about it?  Let us know in the comments!