Posted on 12/12/2007 6:14:26 AM PST by SoothingDave
Kennywood Park, the summertime mecca for generations of Pittsburghers in search of thrill rides, arcade games, old-fashioned family fun and gooey cheese fries, was sold yesterday to a Spanish company.
Kennywood Entertainment, a West Mifflin-based enterprise since 1898, will be taken over by Parques Reunidos of Madrid, which plans to leave day-to-day operation of the park in local hands.
The descendants of F.W. Henninger and A.S. McSwigan, who acquired the park from Pittsburgh Railway Co. in 1906, had been approached by amusement companies in the past about selling the local icon, but have refused. When Premiere Parks, an Oklahoma-based chain, made a lucrative bid for Kennywood in 1997, the company wouldn't sell because the buyer would have significantly changed the park.
What is different this time is assurances of maintaining the amusement park's image.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
Holy cow they unloaded the whole shebang! I hope they're getting more than the $200mil suggested in the article.
Never been to the Sandcastle Waterpark, but the "Sandbar" was a summer staple all through the 90s. I still have my "get in free for life" pass card somewhere.
I remember my school (North Allegheny) picnics were always at West View. I remember when they had pony rides. I think Kennywood had them also.
My school, Resurrection in Brookline (sadly closed now), also had their picnics at Westview Park. I absolutely CRAVED going there! I'd get so excited that I'd barf the night before! :)
I loved the Big Dipper, Racing Whippet, Davey Jones' Locker, Bumper Cars, Haunted House, Scrambler, Alpine Ski Ride (Is that what the overhead cable ride was called?). I also loved to pick up trash and put it in the big vacuum animals they had stationed around the park. (Stroke of genius whoever thought of that)
My mom always told me about the boat rides they used to have in the lake by the parking lot. I have no recollection of those.
I do remember that they had a "kiddie ride" area of the park, that had a "Little Dipper" and other assorted rides for younger children. I don't really remember being young enough that I had to ride those rides, but I do remember my little brother riding those rides. I think that's where the pony rides were at.
I probably started going there in around 1964 when I started first grade, and stopped in 1973 or so. Nearly our whole family went a few times, and we always picknicked at some big roofed-in areas they had. Those sure were good memories! I'll cherish Westview Park memories for ever.
Oh my God, they’ve killed Kennywood.
They closed the @#$%! Six Flags in Aurora OH. I’ve never been to Kennywood although I used to live 2 hours from Pittsburgh.
I remember...
The Racer
Jack Rabbit
Pippin
Noah’s Ark
the Rotor
Carousel with its Wurlitzer band organ
School picnics
Church picnics
Penny Arcade
Fond memories!
A great discussion I found regarding West View Park.
http://www.coasterbuzz.com/forum.aspx?mode=thread&TopicID=46894
I’m old enough to remember when Kennywood had live ponies to ride - I had one get spooked once and it started running - scared me half to death.
“I’m old enough to remember when Kennywood had live ponies to ride - I had one get spooked once and it started running - scared me half to death.”
Do you mind if I laugh? That’s funny!
If you’re still traumatized by it, I won’t. ;)
I think everything in the Arcade was really a penny!
I’m still facinated with carousels and carousel horses....they bring back memories of the one in Kennywood. It was so beautiful.
I haven’t been back for years, but my cousin from Crafton, who now lives in Florida, always says, “Let’s all go to Kennywood one day.”
Yes, it was fun.
Fond memories.
Does anyone recall Rainbow Gardens? It was out in White Oak. A much smaller park than either Kennywood or West View, but very nice and it had a great swimming pool. My best friend's Dad was in the Steel Workers union and he would sign me up as one of his kids for the union picnic. They took over the entire park for the day and it was ride all day and you didn't need no stink'n tickets. You could do those bumper cars 20 times in a row if you wanted! That was like an orgy to me. ;~))
They were! Do you remember those old nickelodeon machines? You cranked the handle and looked through the view finder and the still photos flipped by. I loved the one with the 200 pound 'hoochie coouchie' dancer that was probably filmed by Thomas Edison. What a woman!
I kind of laughed to because I'm old enough to remember walking my own kids around on the ponies at Kennywood. ;~((
The funny part is that they never wanted to ride the ponies but I insisted only because I loved to ride them when I was a kid. (I wanted to grow up to be either shortstop for the Pirates or Hop Along Casedy -- either one would have been fine by me.)
“Do you remember those old nickelodeon machines? You cranked the handle and looked through the view finder and the still photos flipped by. I loved the one with the 200 pound ‘hoochie coouchie’ dancer that was probably filmed by Thomas Edison. What a woman!”
ROTFLOL!
Yes, I remember it well! And we were entertained by it!
I also recall the fortune teller machine with a statue of a woman dressed like a gypsy.
Yes! And the one where you could test your strength. I wonder where those machines got too. I'd love to get my hands on one. They were cool.
“The funny part is that they never wanted to ride the ponies but I insisted only because I loved to ride them when I was a kid. (I wanted to grow up to be either shortstop for the Pirates or Hop Along Casedy — either one would have been fine by me.)”
My kids didn’t grow up in Pittsburgh, but I took them to the park a few times when visiting my folks.
Yes...growing up, I still remember my dad listening to the Pirates on the radio...hot summer nights, no air conditioner, a fan in the window....
I think I wanted to marry the Lone Ranger. I thought he was good looking....even with the mask. :)
We went to West View up until it closed, mostly because the old Thoroughfare supermarkets (also closed now) used to give away free ride tickets.
me too!!!
holy crap, i hadn’t thought of those things in DECADES! i remember them too. and remember there would be slovak days and Polish days etc. at the park?
my grade school, school picnics were at Rainbow Gardens. i went to St James the Greater Catholic School in Apollo, PA and we always went to rainbow gardens~!
“...i remember them too. and remember there would be slovak days and Polish days etc. at the park?”
My parents would take picnic baskets, with food mom cooked at home, to the covered pavilion, find a table with their friends, and tell us when to be back for lunch and dinner.
Then we were turned loose!
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