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April 6, 2026

How Pittsburgh Became the World's Roller Coaster Capital

City Cast Pittsburgh

How Pittsburgh Became the World's Roller Coaster Capital

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Kennywood's almost open, and we're not talking about your fly! The amusement park's first day of the season is April 18. To celebrate, we're revisiting a conversation between host Megan Harris and historian Mark Houser about Kennywood's long and storied history. How did a picnic grove turn into the attraction we know and love today, and how do its stewards tow the line between preservation and modernization?

Special thanks Pittsburgh Magazine for sharing their work and our guest Mark Houser for bringing Pittsburgh’s past back to life. Sign up for one of his June skyscraper tours, and listen to Mark and Megan's self-guided audio tour of Downtown.

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

Come celebrate Pittsburgh with us on 412 Day! We'll be at Southern Tier Brewing on the North Shore on Sunday, April 12 from 11am-2pm. Find all the details about the free event and RSVP here.

**This episode originally published April 19, 2023.

Learn more about the sponsors of this April 6th episode:

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

City Theatre

Clearview FCU

Window Nation

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

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