WEST MIFFLIN — New options and attractions will await visitors to Kennywood Park's 120th season.
The park opens to the public May 5, with May 6 featuring a special admission price of $18.98 in honor of the year Kennywood began. The park will be open weekends only until daily hours start May 24.
Get ready for:
Thomas Town
Four new family rides will debut themed around "Thomas The Tank Engine," the popular kids' story and animated series.
"We are looking at a midsummer opening right now with teams battling the cold, snow and rain of the last few months," Kennywood publicist Nick Paradise said.
The largest single-year addition in Kennywood history, Thomas Town will reside on a bluff overlooking the Monongahela River and the historic Edgar Thomson Steel Works in Braddock, a site Kennywood officials believe fits perfectly with Thomas' Island of Sodor setting.
Along with the new rides, Thomas Town will offer a retail center, soft-play area, Birthday Center and entertainment featuring Thomas’ friends Percy, James, Emily and Gordon. Sir Topham Hatt, controller of the railway on the Island of Sodor, will greet and take photos with guests.
Thomas Town lies within the path of The Olde Kennywood Railroad, a train attraction at the West Mifflin amusement park since 1945, which will be re-themed into a Thomas & Friends story.
Kennywood will have the second-largest permanent Thomas & Friends attraction in North America, trailing only the one in Massachusetts.
Sky Rocket in VR
Guests can upgrade their rides on the Sky Rocket coaster to wear virtual reality headsets, creating a whole new thrill ride experience.
After a test run last fall during Phantom Fright Nights, Sky Rocket’s Samsung Gear VR headsets will let riders enter a lifelike world painstakingly programmed to match the sensations produced by the roller coaster that launches from 0 to 50 mph in three seconds.
“Both Thomas Town and Sky Rocket VR show ways we look to stay on the cutting edge,” Kennywood general manager Jerome Gibas said in a press release.
Discount days
Thunderbolt Week will be May 28 to June 3, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the opening of "The King of Coasters." Admission for guests age 50 and older will be $19.68 that week, marking the year the Thunderbolt opened.
Kennywood Komicon on June 17, presented by the Ellwood City-based New Dimension Comics store chain, offers $25 admission (a $23 savings) for guests wearing a comic-book themed shirt.
Youth Association Days on June 17, July 6 & 23-25 and Aug. 14 provide discounted rates for youth sport/school/church/service groups and kids who wear their team jersey to the park.
Oldies Day on Sept. 9 includes vintage music and classic cars, with guests 55 and older getting in for $9.99.
Other special events
April 28-29 — Preview weekend open only to Kennywood season passholders.
May 16 & 22 — Education Days where physics, history, architecture and other classroom disciplines get tied in with park attractions.
May 19 — Asian Heritage Day.
May 27-28 — Ribs & Blues Festival. A new two-day festival with local bands and barbecue vendors.
June 3 — A 5K race led by mascot Kenny Kangaroo runs around the park, benefiting the Cancer Caring Center.
June 28-29 — Kidsfest with favorite superheros, princesses and cartoon characters.
June 30-July 4 — Celebrate America with nightly Zambelli Internationale fireworks over the Lagoon, plus the Weiner 100 dachshund races and a hot dog eating contest. Admission is free for veterans and active-duty military.
July 8 — Italian Day.
July 12 — Wrestling Day with amateur grapplers from the tri-state area will entertain in the pavilion area.
July 30 — Cheerleading Day. SkyCoaster gets the day off as local cheerleaders take over the Lagoon Stage, competing for coveted Kennywood Cheerleading Arrows.
Aug. 7 — Polish Day.
Aug. 4-21 — Fall Fantasy Parades with school and university marching bands and themed floats.
Aug. 21 — Final full weekday session.
Aug. 26 — First Responder Day with special displays and presentations from local police, fire and EMS departments.
Sept. 2 — Final full session. (Open weekends with some rides closed through Sept. 16).
Sept. 22 — Brews in the Park, a second annual event with a select number of favorite rides, like the Jack Rabbit and Thunderbolt, open from 1 to 3 p.m. followed by craft beer tastings.
Sept. 23 — Pittsburgh Pierogi Fest with select classic rides.
Fall & Winter Events — The Phantom Fright Nights haunted attraction lasts weekends from Sept. 28 through Halloween, with Nov. 23 the launch of the Holiday Lights attraction.
Daily admission is $41.99 for adults; $26.99 for juniors (46 inches and shorter); $19.99 for seniors 55 and older; $9.99 for "super seniors" 70 and older. Military pay $23, (retired military 55 and older, $17.)