Dutch Wonderland
Visit : www . dutchwonderland . com / Phone : 717-291-1888
Smack dab in the middle of Amish Country is Dutch Wonderland , Lancaster ( Lancaster County ); a children ’ s park that has something for everyone . With 36 rides , Duke ’ s Lagoon water play area , and live entertainment , the park promotes itself as the place “ Where Kids RULE !” The park has been voted one of the Top 5 Best Kid ’ s Park in the World by Amusement Today , an amusement industry trade publication .
Dutch Wonderland has a pair of roller coasters for the pint-size crowd : Joust Family Coaster and Kingdom Coaster . Other rides to try include the Sky Ride and Monorail to get a good overview of the park to help determine what to ride next and Wonder House ( an upside-down house ). The park also offers Dutch Winter Wonderland for the Christmas / holiday season , re-decorating the 48-acre property into a magical reminder of the season with rides , entertainment , and the Royal Light Show , a spectacular display of thousands of twinkling lights dancing to music !
Hersheypark
Visit : www . hersheypark . com Phone : 717-534-3900
The Sweetest Place on Earth can be found in Central Pennsylvania , Hershey to be exact . The town is home to the Milton Hershey legacy – the Hershey Company chocolate factory along with Hersheypark and other entertainment offerings , lodging and restaurants that are part of the separate Hershey Entertainment and Resort Company ( HERCO ). The organization supports the Milton Hershey School , a private philanthropic ( pre-K through 12 ) boarding school that is the largest residential education program in the US .
Hersheypark is home to a baker ’ s dozen of roller coasters along with 63 other rides for all members of the family . Some of the coasters to try include Sky Rush , a winged coaster with four across seating ; Great Bear inverted roller coaster , Storm Runner , a launched-lift roller coaster ; and Fahrenheit , with a 97 degree first drop . Wooden coaster aficionados don ’ t fret – there are three to satisfy your cravings : the venerable Comet , menacing Wildcat and popular Lightning Racer , a twin track coaster where both sides race and duel each other to the finish line . Lightning Racer was named the tenth best wooden roller coaster in the 2016 Golden Ticket Awards sponsored by Amusement Today .
Idlewild & SoakZone
Visit : www . idlewild . com Phone : 724-238-3666
Nestled in the Laurel Highlands near Ligonier ( Westmoreland County ) is the oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania and the third oldest operating amusement park in the United States . Idlewild was established by the prominent Mellon banking family in 1878 , and remained family-owned for over 100 years .
Today Idlewild is home to 40 rides including 16 water rides . The 1938 “ Rollo Coaster ” is a junior wooden roller coaster that packs a punch for young and old alike . Other rides and adventures not to miss include the Daniel Tiger ’ s Neighborhood Trolley ride ; the carousel ; Confusion Hill walk-through ; the Flying ACE ’ s flat ride and adult handcars , powered by your own muscle . Each September the Ligonier Highland Games takes place in the park . Competitions include the caber toss , stone put , and weight and hammer throw along with highland dancing , solo and band piping , drumming , Scottish fiddling , and Scottish harp competitions .
Kennywood Park
Visit : www . kennywood . com Phone : 412-461-0500
“ America ’ s Finest Traditional Amusement Park ” title belongs to Kennywood in West Mifflin ( Allegheny County ). Another park created by a trolley / traction company as a way to keep weekend ridership up in the early part of the last century ; it is only one of two listed in the National Register of Historic Places . Located only 8 miles from downtown Pittsburgh , Kennywood is home to three wooden roller coasters – the most of any park in the world until recently . The hilly Pittsburgh terrain was used to its fullest to create coasters that wouldn ’ t be feasible in most other parks . Kennywood has a baker ’ s half-dozen roller coasters for young and old alike , with a total of 46 rides .
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