Kennywood Retiring Four Classic Rides

In an Instagram post from the park today, Kennywood announced that they would be retiring four of the park’s classic attractions during the current off-season.

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A post shared by Kennywood Park (@kennywoodpark) on Nov 3, 2020 at 11:00am PST

The attractions affected include Paratrooper, Volcano, Bayern Kurve, and Kangaroo.

“Maintenance and upkeep for these classic rides gets more difficult every year, and we have determined the best path forward is to retire them,” the park noted on Instagram. “While these attractions have created countless special memories for our Guests & Team Members over the years, change is a constant even within our Historic Landmark park. We hope you will join us in cherishing the memories with these rides. We look forward to adding new attractions that create new moments to treasure in future seasons.”

The Bayern Kurve, manufactured by Schwarzkopf, was actually the third Bayern Kurve installed at Kennywood. Residing at the park since 1994, the ride underwent a multi-year refurbishment from 2005-2008, and was sending riders around in a circle from 2009-2020.

The Paratrooper was also the third iteration of the attraction at Kennywood, and was installed in 1976.

Volcano, also known as Enterprise, originally came to Kennywood in 1978. It was manufactured by Huss, and recently underwent a refurbishment in 2016, where it was partially replaced by Lake Compounce’s former Enterprise.

Kangaroo’s retirement is truly the end of an era, as it was the last operating ride of its kind, anywhere in the world. It arrived at Kennywood in 1962. Riders traveled in a circle and “jumped” off a ramp, before making a slow descent in midair back down to the track, giving each guest the sensation of flying. It was designed by John Norman Bartlett.

While it’s always a sad day when a park retires classic rides, we’re excited for what 2021 and the years to come have in store for Kennywood! For more information, be sure to visit Kennywood’s website.

Tags: 2020 closure bayern kurve enterprise kangaroo kennywood paratrooper ride retirement rides closed volcano