Kennywood's Steel Curtain Rollercoaster Set to Reopen This Saturday
Kennywood's Steel Curtain rollercoaster, a centerpiece of the park, is ready to thrill once again, reopening to the public this Saturday morning.
After a year-long hiatus, the ride is set to make its comeback just in time for the Memorial Day weekend, a pivotal moment for the park as summer kicks off.
"The anticipation is building; we can't wait to put riders right here in these seats, really looking for that at 11:30," stated Lynsey Winters, Kennywood's Communications Director. "It's really going to be a great grand opening ceremony, with some elected officials, current and former Steelers players, and Miss Pennsylvania joining us. It's going to be a huge party."
As the unofficial start of summer approaches, Kennywood gears up for its busiest season. "We're open every single day beginning today through the end of August," Winters added. "We have Bites & Pints and our new stunt show starting this weekend, so it's really going to be an action-packed summer season."
With the much-anticipated reopening on Saturday morning, Winters advised eager fans to arrive early and get in line, as demand is expected to be high.
Tickets and season passes are available for purchase on Kennywood's website.
On Thursday, a select group of coaster enthusiasts experienced preview rides as the first cars ascended the track, launching riders at exhilarating speeds. "Yeah, it was pretty fast. It was pretty scary," remarked coaster enthusiast Tim Buck.
"Of all the steel coasters I've ridden all over the world, I can honestly say there is none like this one," said Bill Linkenheimer from the American Coaster Enthusiasts of Western Pennsylvania.
The Steel Curtain's reopening follows nearly a year of modifications after multiple closures. In 2024, the park announced that the ride would be shut down for the entire season for further adjustments.
During this downtime, Kennywood collaborated with third-party engineers and the ride's manufacturers to devise a long-term solution aimed at enhancing its longevity.
The ride faced several shutdowns during the 2023 season. Although it reopened in July 2023, it was soon announced that it would close again shortly thereafter.
Despite these challenges, allegations surfaced that Kennywood misled season pass holders last year by advertising the ride while potentially aware it would not open for the 2024 season.
A lawsuit filed in 2024 claimed that Kennywood and its parent company were aware of the Steel Curtain's impending closure but failed to disclose this information while selling passes that season.
"I understand that it may be one ride at this point, but that's a flagship attraction for the park," said Attorney John A. Biedrzycki. "It has the world's tallest inversion of any rollercoaster. If you're going to take the big marquee attraction out of the equation, you are diminishing the value of what these people paid for."
Kennywood and its parent company, Festival Fun Parks, have not commented on the ongoing legal dispute.
