Kennywood hard at work preparing for April opening
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. (KDKA) — There is an old saying, "Make hay while the sun shines."
At Kennywood, workers seem to take that saying to heart, working on both big and small fixes to get ready for the 126th season.
"Our teams have been working hard in the not-so-great weather," said Rick Spicuzza, assistant general manager of Kennywood. "But when it's like this, we kind of feel like everyone is out painting, getting rides together, doing a lot more than you typically wouldn't get to do at this time of year, especially in Pittsburgh. So, we are taking advantage of this nice weather."
The work includes a new track installation on the Racer, repairs on the Thunderbolt, freshening up paint on carousel horses and buildings, and giving a new look to an old classic like The Turtle — which is turning 97 this year.
"All the turtles came off the track," said Spicuzza. "We took them into the shop, we had them all redone with new paint. There's a new shiny texture on the outside. And all of the stuff that is maybe not so fun to see is, we put new cement footers in around the ride. It's really great to just bring back that classic ride this year."
The turtles also boast brown leather seats that make each car look like it has an actual shell. Improvements are also being made to the Kangaroo and the Whip, and New Jack Rabbit cars are in the process of being completed.
With just 46 days to go until its opening, everyone at Kennywood seems very optimistic about the season to come, even if some new things are still a secret.
"We do have a couple of exciting things coming up that we just can't talk about yet," Spicuzza teased. "But I think some of our big fans are going to enjoy some of the new things that we have coming up. I think you are going to see a friend from the past take up a new place here in Kennywood, and stay tuned because we are going to have a big announcement for that coming up."
Opening day is set for April 20, and the park will be open most weekends throughout the spring before going into weekly operations at the end of May.
If you are looking for a seasonal job, Kennywood is hiring, and so are sister parks Sandcastle and Idlewild.