How Pgh Became the Roller Coaster Capitol of the World

Kennywood's (almost) open! Both the historic amusement park and the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium are celebrating their 125th birthdays this year, and their origin stories have something pretty special in common. In the second of a two-part series, hear how Kenny’s Grove became our beloved Kennywood, how its stewards tow the line between preservation and modernization, and which rides helped usher in a new wave in amusement park shenanigans.

Special thanks Pittsburgh Magazine for sharing their work, and to our guest Mark Houser for bringing Pittsburgh’s past back to life. His next antique skyscraper rooftop tour is June 3-4. Tickets are available here.

And check out the Kennywood episode of Defunctland here. It’s super fun and weird.

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