Family Guide to Kennywood: Best Rides for Kids and Parents

Why Kennywood Works for Families

Kennywood sits on a wooded hillside above the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh, and it has a quality that newer mega-parks lack: human scale. The park is compact enough to cover in a single day without a stroller marathon, walkways are shaded by mature trees, and there are genuine historic attractions that parents and grandparents remember from childhood. The three historic wooden coasters, Jack Rabbit (1920), Racer (1927), Thunderbolt (1968), can be ridden by the whole family with minimal height drama. That continuity between generations is the park's best selling point.

For Toddlers and Preschoolers (Under 36 Inches)

Kennywood Junction is the dedicated zone for the youngest visitors. Opened in 2018 and rethemed in 2025, it features five rides with no minimum height requirement:

• Kenny's Cargo Drop, which a gentle crane-themed drop ride, low intensity
• Parker's Cloud Cruisers, helicopter circle ride, similar to Dumbo
• Fire Bustin' Brigade, fire engine ride that sprays a small water jet
• Coal Haulin' Convoy, locomotive ride through the area
• Olde Kennywood Railroad, which the full park train that kids adore, with a live whistle

Beyond the Junction, the Merry-Go-Round and Noah's Ark (the funhouse walk-through) are accessible at any height. The Old Mill dark ride has no height restriction either and is an excellent rest stop, it is slow-moving, shaded, and air-cooled, making it a smart midday reset with a toddler who is melting down.

For Elementary Age Riders (36 to 46 Inches)

This is the tier that opens up the most variety at Kennywood.

• Jack Rabbit, Kennywood's oldest coaster is gentle by modern standards and perfect for a first "real" coaster. The famous double-dip airtime hill is memorable without being violent.
• Lil' Phantom, which the junior coaster directly adjacent to Phantom's Revenge. It gives younger riders a taste of what the big one feels like.
• Musik Express, which a fast spinning flat ride with fun music. Kids 50 inches and up who can handle moderate intensity love this one.
• Turtle, which the 1927 classic tumble-bug. Cars dip and rise over small hills while rotating. The view of the Monongahela River valley from the top is legitimately beautiful.
• Log Jammer, which the log flume, accessible at 42 inches. Expect to get moderately wet.
• Whip, which the classic flat ride that has been at the park for decades. Low-intensity and nostalgic.

For Older Kids and Tweens (46 to 52 Inches)

At 46 inches, Kennywood opens up significantly:

• Racer, which the classic wooden racing coaster. Ride both the forward and backward trains and compare notes with your kid. It has been at the park since 1927.
• Exterminator, which the spinning dark coaster tucked into the back of the park. Kids who think they want something scarier than the family rides but are not ready for full-on thrill rides often love this one. It is enclosed, so no sense of height.
• Bayern Curve, which a fast flat ride with strong lateral G-forces. More intense than it looks.
• Raging Rapids, which the river raft ride. Everyone in the boat gets wet to varying degrees. Go early or late to avoid the longest waits.

For Full Thrill Seekers (48 Inches and Up)

At 48 inches, the park's signature attractions become available:

• Steel Curtain, nine inversions, a record 220-foot loop, and a 0-to-75-mph launch. The park's showpiece ride.
• Phantom's Revenge, arguably one of the best steel coasters in the world. Reaches 85 mph through a wooded ravine. If your family rides one coaster all day, this is it.
• Pitt Fall, which the drop tower. Short but effective.

Family Scheduling Strategy

Arrive at opening. Kennywood opens at 10:30 AM on most days. The first 90 minutes are when lines are shortest, especially on weekends. Start in the back of the park (Exterminator, Phantom's Revenge) and work forward.

Eat at 11 AM, not noon. Every dining guide location has a rush between noon and 1:30 PM. If you eat at 11, you sit down immediately and get back on rides while everyone else is stuck in the food line.

Plan a midday break. From about 1 PM to 3 PM, the park is most crowded and the heat is highest. This is the window for Noah's Ark (shaded, slow-moving), the Old Mill (air-cooled), or leaving the park for a rest if you have young children. Kennywood allows re-entry.

Water rides in the afternoon. Raging Rapids and Log Jammer lines thin out in the last two hours of the day, and getting wet at 6 PM feels good after a hot afternoon.

Character Meets

Kennywood does not operate a character meet-and-greet program on regular operating days the way Disney parks do. During Holiday Lights (November through early January), guests can meet Rudolph, Clarice, Bumble, and Sam the Snowman, and there is a Dinner with Santa on select dates. Outside of seasonal events, there are no scheduled character appearances.

Strollers and Wagons

Strollers and wagons are available to rent at the Main Gate Gift Shop on a first-come, first-served basis. The park is mostly flat with a few sections that slope due to the hillside terrain. Stroller parking is available near most major attractions.