This is a list of current and former attractions at Idlewild and Soak Zone, located in Ligonier, PA.
List of rides
editRide | Season | Manufacturer | Type | Ref(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opened | Closed | ||||
Carousel (1891) | 1891
|
1895
|
M.B. Parsons
|
Carousel
|
|
Ferris Wheel (1895) | 1895
|
Unknown | Unknown | Ferris wheel
|
|
Carousel (1896) | 1896
|
1898
|
T.M. Harton Company
|
Carousel
|
|
Carousel (1899) | 1899
|
1916
|
T.M. Harton Company
|
Carousel
|
|
Carousel (1917) | 1917
|
1930
|
T.M. Harton Company
|
Carousel
|
|
Merry Go Round | 1931
|
Operating | Carousel
|
||
Skooters | 1931
|
Unknown | Bumper cars
|
||
Swan Swing | 1931
|
1938
|
Kiddie ride
|
||
Auto Speedway | circa 1931-33 | 1942
|
Turnpike ride
|
||
Aeroplanes | 1934
|
1977
|
Flat ride
|
||
Dangler | circa 1931-35 | Unknown | W.F. Mangels Company
|
Flat ride
|
|
Motor Launch | circa 1931-35 | Unknown | Water ride
|
||
Whip | circa 1931-35 | 1938
|
Flat ride
|
||
Rollo Coaster | 1938
|
Operating | Philadelphia Toboggan Co.
|
Wooden roller coaster
|
|
Idlewild Express | 1939
|
1997
|
Dayton Fun House Corporation
|
Miniature train ride
|
|
Whip | 1939
|
Operating | Mangels
|
Flat ride
|
|
Rumpus | 1936
|
1947
|
Dark ride
|
||
Caterpillar | 1946
|
2012
|
Traver
|
Flat ride
|
|
Children's Merry-Go-Round | 1950
|
Unknown | Kiddie ride
|
||
Unknown kiddie ride | 1950
|
Unknown | Kiddie ride
|
||
Unknown kiddie ride | 1950
|
Unknown | Kiddie ride
|
||
Little Rascals | 1954
|
Operating | Kiddie ride
|
||
Rainbow Wheel | 1955
|
Operating | Kiddie Ferris wheel
|
||
Turtles | 1956
|
Operating | Kiddie ride
|
||
Paratrooper | 1964
|
Operating | Flat ride
|
||
Loyalhanna Limited | 1965
|
Operating | Miniature train ride
|
||
Round Up | 1960s | 1983
|
Frank Hrubetz & Company
|
Flat ride
|
|
Trabant | 1971
|
1982
|
Chance Rides
|
Flat ride
|
|
Scrambler | 1977
|
Operating | Eli Bridge Company
|
Flat ride
|
|
Spider | 1983
|
Operating | Eyerly Airplane Company
|
Flat ride
|
|
Ferris Wheel | 1984
|
Operating | Ferris wheel
|
||
Super Round Up | 1986
|
Operating | Frank Hrubetz & Company
|
Flat ride
|
|
Red Baron | 1989
|
Operating | Chance Rides
|
Kiddie ride
|
|
Tilt-A-Whirl | 1989
|
2015
|
Sellner Manufacturing Company
|
Flat ride
|
|
Balloon Race | 1991
|
Operating | Flat ride
|
||
Wild Mouse | 1993
|
Operating | Steel roller coaster
|
||
Ricky's Racers | 1998
|
Operating | Kiddie ride
|
||
The Howler | 2004
|
Operating | Flat ride
|
||
Paul Bunyan's Loggin' Toboggan | 2005
|
Operating | Arrow Dynamics
|
Water ride
|
|
Flying Aces | 2007
|
Operating | Flat ride
|
||
Tea Party | 2009
|
Operating | Zamperla
|
Kiddie ride
|
|
Tilt-A-Whirl | 2016
|
Operating | Helm & Sons Amusements
|
Flat ride
|
|
Adult Handcars | Unknown | Operating | Flat ride
|
||
Cattail Derby | Unknown | Operating | Kiddie bumper cars
|
||
Dino Soars | Unknown | Operating | Kiddie ride
|
||
Doodlebug | Unknown | Operating | Kiddie ride
|
||
Motorcycles | Unknown | Operating | Hampton Rides
|
Kiddie ride
|
|
Pollywog Regatta | Unknown | Operating | Kiddie ride
|
||
Scampers | Unknown | Operating | Kiddie ride
|
||
Skooters | Unknown | Operating | Reverchon
|
Bumper cars
|
Soakzone attractions
editRide | Season | Manufacturer | Type | Ref(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opened | Closed | ||||
Swimming pool | 1931
|
2010
|
Idlewild Manufacturing Company
|
Pool | |
Serpentine Slides | 1985
|
Operating | Water ride | ||
Rafter's Run | 1986
|
Operating | Water ride | ||
Little Squirts | 1992
|
Operating | Kiddie water ride | ||
Hydro Racers | 2000
|
Operating | Water ride | ||
Pipeline Plunge | 2000
|
Operating | Water ride | ||
Tipping Bucket | 2000
|
Operating | Water ride | ||
Captain Kidd's Adventure Galley | 2006
|
Operating | WhiteWater
|
Kiddie water ride | |
Wowabunga Family Wave Pool | 2011
|
Operating | Water ride | ||
Float Away Bay | 2013
|
Operating | Lazy river |
Adventures
editRide | Season | Manufacturer | Ref(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Opened | Closed | |||
Story Book Forest | 1956
|
Operating | ||
Mr. Roger's Neighborhood | 1989
|
2013
|
||
Bigfoot's Mudslide | 2008
|
Operating | Frederiksen Industries
|
|
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood | 2015
|
Operating | ||
Confusion Hill | Operating | |||
Alligator Swamp | Operating | |||
Bubbling Springs | Operating | |||
Jungle Catch | Operating | |||
Jungle Organ | Operating | |||
Net Climb | Operating | |||
Safari Hut | Operating | |||
Swinging Bridge | Operating | |||
Tree House | Operating | |||
Tunnel Crawl | Operating |
Rides from Kennywood
editIdlewild and SoakZone has a number of rides which also operated at Kennywood Park. Here is a list of these rides.
Ride | Seasons at Kennywood | Seasons at Idlewild | Manufacturer | Type | Ref(s) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opened | Closed | Opened | Closed | ||||
Ferris Wheel | 1959
|
1983
|
1984
|
Operating | Eli Bridge Company
|
Ferris wheel
|
|
Tilt-A-Whirl | 1976
|
1988
|
1989
|
2015
|
Sellner Manufacturing Company
|
Flat ride
|
|
Cattail Derby | 1986
|
Unknown | Unknown | Operating | Kiddie bumper cars
|
References
edit- ^ "In Society". The Pittsburgh Press. May 12, 1895. p. 6.
Before another week rolls around the picnic season at Idlewild will be ushered in. Everything is in shape for the opening and quite a number of new attractions will be found there. A unique Ferris wheel will be put in operation just below the grounds.
- ^ "New Merry-Go-Round to Be Placed at Idlewild". Latrobe Bulletin. March 26, 1917. p. 1.
A dozen or more carpenters are at work on a new pavilion which is being built, at Idlewild, for the housing of a brand new merry-go-round which the T.M. Harton Company, of Pittsburgh, proposes to install for the coming season.
- ^ "Idlewild Parr [sic]". Indiana Gazette. Indiana, PA. August 19, 1938. p. 9.
- ^ "Idlewild". Indiana Evening Gazette. Indiana, PA. August 28, 1939. p. 10.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Rollo Coaster (Idlewild and SoakZone)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- ^ "45th Valley Picnic To Be Held August 20". Ligonier Echo. July 31, 1936.
The park green has been beautified since last year and a new ride "The Rumpus" has been installed.
- ^ "2 Schools Plan Idlewild Picnics". The Indiana Evening Gazette. May 21, 1964. p. 14.
Biggest news of all is the addition of the famous thrill ride "The Paratrooper."
- ^ Borsodi Zajac, Frances (August 20, 2004). "Sheriff keeps peace at Idlewild's 19th century mining town". Herald-Standard. Uniontown, PA. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
In addition, there's a new ride this year that's grabbing a lot of attention - the Howler, a brushed aluminum funnel cloud set near the Guest Services building where eight sets of four-person, center-facing, open-seat cars seem to be suspended from the funnel. The Howler floats riders through the air while riders can decide for themselves how much spin their car will take.
- ^ Croushore, Jeff (May 24, 2005). "Idlewild Park Kicks-off 128th Season on May 26th With Cool New Ride; Paul Bunyan's Loggin' Toboggan makes a big splash in award-winning theme park" (Press release). Kennywood Entertainment Company. Retrieved March 7, 2016 – via PRNewswire.
Idlewild's new family-fun ride features a 534-foot trough through which log shaped boats seating 3-5 people will float on swift flowing water. Riders will weave through the rustic surroundings until they begin their 125-foot ascent to the top of the three-story tower. The thrill to riders will be the attraction's final splashdown.
- ^ "Idlewild & SoakZone Announces New High Flying Family Ride; New Flying Aces Ride to be Ready for Idlewild Park's 130th Season of Summer Fun" (Press release). Kennywood Entertainment Company. February 12, 2007. Retrieved March 7, 2016 – via PRNewswire.
...Flying Aces is an updated version of the popular Flying Skooters(TM) ride found in many amusement parks more than 50 years ago. Manufactured by Premier Rides, Inc., it consists of ten suspended planes, each holding two people. ... This is the first 10-car version of the ride manufactured by Premier Rides.
- ^ a b Croushore, Jeff (December 1, 2010). "New Family Wave Pool Coming to Idlewild & SoakZone for 2011 Season; New water attraction will appeal to entire family at World's Best Kid's Park" (Press release). Idlewild & SoakZone. Retrieved March 9, 2016 – via PRNewswire.
A multi-million dollar family wave pool will replace Idlewild's aging swimming pool built in 1931.
- ^ a b Robbins, Richard (June 9, 2011). "Idlewild Park unveils Wowabunga Family Wave Pool". TribLive. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
Park spokesman Jeff Croushore said the Wowabunga Family Wave Pool replaces the pool that had been used continually since 1931.
- ^ Croushore, Jeff (May 19, 2006). "Idlewild Park Dives into 129th Season on May 25th with Bigger, Better Waterpark; Million dollar investment made to help keep park's family fun lead" (Press release). Kennywood Entertainment. Retrieved March 9, 2016 – via PRNewswire.
Idlewild & SoakZone will dive into its 129th season on May 25th with an expanded waterpark in the form of Captain Kidd's Adventure Galley - named for the famous privateer and his immense warship.
- ^ Crawley, Dave (July 15, 2013). "Pittsburghers Get Carried Away On New Soak Zone Lazy River". CBS Pittsburgh. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
This year there is a new attraction: a 185,000 gallon lazy river called Float Away Bay. "It's over 600 feet long, which is more than two football fields," Croushmore [sic] said. "It's geared toward the whole family. Little kids can enjoy it. It's only 2 feet 4 inches deep. Parents can enjoy it because it's really refreshing, and grandparents as well."
- ^ a b Sostek, Anya (May 21, 2015). "Idlewild debuts revamped trolley ride; Daniel Tiger attraction succeeds Mister Rogers, just as on TV". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
It wasn't a beautiful day in the neighborhood, but a chilly morning didn't matter to preschoolers who enthusiastically sang, pointed and waved during the debut of Idlewild's newest attraction: a Daniel Tiger-themed trolley to replace its longtime Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ride. The ride will be available to the public Friday when Idlewild & SoakZone opens for its 138th season.
- ^ a b Crawley, Dave (May 20, 2015). "Idlewild Ready To Welcome Families To Newest Attraction, "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood"". CBS Pittsburgh. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
Now, the legacy lives on, in an animated show called "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." The "neighborhood" and trolley in Idlewild Park has been updated, according to Idlewild's Jeff Croushore.
- ^ Croushore, Jeff (May 6, 2008). "Idlewild & SoakZone's 131st Season of Summer Fun Begins May 22; New Bigfoot's Mudslide is award-winning park's fifth new attraction in five years" (Press release). Idlewild & SoakZone. Retrieved March 7, 2016 – via PRNewswire.
Bigfoot's Mudslide is a new family fun slide based on one of the most popular legends of modern time. Manufactured by Frederiksen Industries, Inc., the new slide will stand within Jumpin' Jungle, one of seven theme areas of the park, and will feature three 90-foot fiberglass chutes and a series of gentle dips and humps. Riders will slide on mats from an elevation of 20-feet above the Jumpin' Jungle floor.