Blending old and new in an amusement park probably isn’t easy.
And it’s especially not easy at Kennywood, where Pittsburghers aren’t always up for change.
But as the park preserves its past, routine maintenance is necessary.
And, as such, the park’s 96-year-old, only-one-left-in-America Racer won’t open for Kennywood’s Phantom Fall Fest.
Its last day was Sept. 16.
In a blog post, Kennywood explains that the roller coaster’s lift hills need replaced and retracked. More than 1,000 feet of lumber will be used. The work will be completed by the park’s in-house team.
“They’ll start with the left lift hill this year, followed by the right lift hill next year,” Mark Frazee, Kennywood’s content manager, wrote in the post.
Of course, it’s not Kennywood’s only restoration project this offseason.
In August, the park announced that the Turtle would undergo extensive off-season work.
And, Kennywood returned the Kangaroo to the park, adding to its “commitment to preserving the park’s past while moving toward the future.”