Kennywood Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Monongahela Street Railway leased a picnic grove from its owner, Anthony Kenny, in 1898. This was the start of Kennywood Park, located about a dozen miles from Pittsburgh on a bluff overlooking the Monongahela River. The early trolley park had a dance pavilion, a merry-go-round, a casino, and landscaped gardens and shady groves. The casino and merry-go-round buildings are still in use.

In 1902 Frederick Ingersoll built one of the first figure-eight roller coasters at Kennywood. Other rides at the time included a Ferris wheel and an Old Mill.

The Ingersoll Brothers built a second coaster at Kennywood, the John Miller designed "Racer." It was built in 1910 for $50,000, and was the world's largest racing coaster at the time. A side friction coaster, it was torn down in 1926 and replaced by a Kiddieland.

Kennywood's Jack Rabbit

In 1920, just after establishing their partnership, John Miller and Harry Baker were hired to design a coaster for the park. The Jack Rabbit was the result. A ravine coaster, it was built for $50,000 and employed Miller's newly-invented safety system of wheels under the tracks. This great coaster features a double dip into the ravine after the turnaround coming off the chain lift.

Click here to read more about the Jack Rabbit in the news.

Four years later Miller on his own built the Pippin, an even better ravine coaster at the other end of the park. The Pippin was re-worked in the late 1960's by Andrew Vettel into the Thunderbolt. Vettel retained the ravine section of the ride and the chain-lift that comes after the first two dips and a turnaround.

Kennywood's Racer

In 1927, Miller built the Racer for Kennywood. It is a continuous-track racing coaster.