A look around the NEW Kennywood Junction, debuting April 12

By: Mark Frazee | Content Manager

The 2025 Season is less than 10 days away, and all throughout the park, teams are hard at work testing rides, stocking stands and freshening things up. One of the offseason projects we're most excited for is the grand opening of Kennywood Junction! With work nearly complete, let's take a look around of what you can expect when Kennywood Junction debuts with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Opening Day, April 12.

What is Kennywood Junction?

First, a quick reminder of what exactly this area is: a small steel town neighborhood full of pint-sized thrills on five rides that families can experience together. Kennywood Junction features five family-friendly rides, a gift shop and indoor celebration room perfect for a birthday party, graduation or other special occasion. And to officially introduce the area, Kennywood Junction will be the hub of our new Eggcellent Celebration where you can meet Tuft the Kennywood Easter Bunny!

Ok, now for a look around...

Olde Kennywood Railroad

The star of Kennywood Junction is the return of our historic train ride, which will once again be called the Olde Kennywood Railroad with this new sign/logo:

You'll also notice this really cool, old-school artwork when you enter the line:

You'll be riding on one of two completely refurbished locomotives. Either the new Kenny Express...

or the historic Gimbels Flyer, which was first used in the 1939 New York World's Fair before arriving at Kennywood in 1945. As part of this year's restoration, the World's Fair design has been restored, along with a Gimbels Flyer logo on the side of the locomotive:

As you ride, you'll hear the story of Kennywood: from our humble beginnings as a picnic spot near the time of the Civil War all the way to the present day. Along your journey, you'll spot remnants from our past including the Turnpike, Log Jammer, Monkey House and Kiddie Cadillacs:

Longtime fans of our train ride will be happy to know the old rocking train is back, too:

The new Olde Kennywood Railroad promises to be a relaxing trip through time - a classic train ride for all ages to enjoy. And while the Olde Kennywood Railroad is the main attraction of Kennywood Junction, it's not the only!

The Rides of Kennywood Junction

Kennywood Junction includes four other family-friendly rides: the Fire Bustin' Brigade, Coal Haulin' Convoy, Parker's Cloud Cruisers and Kenny's Cargo Drop. Each of these rides will feature a uniquely-Kennywood twist.

Fire Bustin' Brigade

As you jump on the back of a fire engine and shoot water to extinguish flames, you'll train with local fire departments including Homeville, Munhall, Duquesne, Homestead and West Homestead.

Coal Haulin' Convoy

Each of the trucks have a new look... be sure to check out their license plates! A lot of actual coal has been added to the ride area, too. Big Kennywood aficionados may notice a few remnants of the Phantom and Log Jammer in the ride area, too.

Parker's Cloud Cruisers

Fly with Parker the Kennywood arrow up and down on the helicopter ride! Guests control the up-and-down movement of the helicopters.

Kenny's Cargo Drop

Kenny Kangaroo has a lot of cargo to move! Quickly take in the view before dropping and hopping up and down.

Each of these refreshed rides features new signage to tie the area together.

Junction Gift Shop, Celebration Room and Eggcellent Celebration

There are a couple other areas to explore in Kennywood Junction. In the back next to Kenny's Cargo Drop is the Character Junction, where you'll be able to meet Kenny Kangaroo and friends select times throughout the day. Then, browse for gifts in the Junction Gift Shop, which will be home to a number of photos of the area Kennywood Junction sits on from over the years. With its central location and air conditioning, the new, attached Celebration Room will be the perfect place to host a birthday party or other special occasion. One of the goals of Kennywood Junction is to tie this area to the rest of the park a little more. Side note: if you're interested in the Celebration Room or our birthday party packages, be sure to connect with our Group Sales team!

Kennywood Junction will also be the hub of our new Eggcellent Celebration this April! Meet Tuft the Kennywood Easter Bunny in the Celebration Room, take part in our park-wide Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt and even add a special brunch with Tuft before the park opens! The Eggcellent Celebration occurs every April operating day.

All Aboard for Opening Day

We invite you to join us for our Kennywood Junction's official ribbon cutting on Opening Day, April 12! Beyond what we previewed here, Kennywood Junction will include several fun and quirky features that truly bring this area to life. We can't wait for you to see it yourself starting next weekend!

For a limited time, save up to $40 on 2025 Season Passes and explore everything that's new this year again and again. See you soon!