Kennywood and Phantom's Revenge nominated for nation's best theme park and roller coaster
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. (KDKA) -- Kennywood and the Phantom's Revenge have been nominated for the nation's best theme park and roller coaster.
The park snagged the nominations in USA Today's 10Best Reader's Choice Awards for best theme park and best coaster.
Last year, Kennywood ranked ninth on the list of top amusement parks, and Phantom's Revenge got the eighth spot on its list.
"If you love a theme park with oodles of history and a collection of iconic rides, Kennywood is your place," USA Today writes about Kennywood. "Witness over 120 years of innovation in classic favorites that include wooden roller coasters like the side-by-side Racer, the intense Thunderbolt, and the circa 1920 Jack Rabbit. Plus, there's an unmatched collection of dark rides like the Old Mill and the last-of-its-kind Noah's Ark, as well as modern thrill rides like the Steel Curtain coaster."
As for Phantom's Revenge, USA Today highlights its 232-foot drop, 85 mph speed and the 3,365-foot-long track that takes riders "frighteningly close" to the Thunderbolt.
Kennywood is nominated among parks like Cedar Point, Disneyland Park, Dollywood, Hersheypark, SeaWorld Orlando and Six Flags Magic Mountain. Phantom's Revenge was nominated with coasters like Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point, Wildcat's Revenge at Hersheypark, Mako at SeaWorld Orlando and Fury 325 at Carowinds.
The park and coaster were nominated by a panel of experts, then 10Best editors narrowed down the field to the final set of nominees.
Voting for both lists ends on April 22 at noon, and the top 10 winners of each category will be announced on May 1.