Kennywood nominated for best amusement park, roller coaster in new USA Today polls
Kennywood has been nominated in two new USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards polls.
The park has received nominations for the best amusement park while the fan-favorite "Phantom's Revenge" roller coaster has been nominated again for the best coaster in the country.
The park and the "Phantom" finished in the top ten in their respective polls last year, according to a news release from Kennywood's parent company.
Votes for the best amusement park can be cast here and votes for the "Phantom's Revenge" coaster poll can be cast here. Those interested in voting can do so once daily through Monday, April 21.
Kennywood under new ownership
Last week, it was announced that Kennywood, with other Pittsburgh amusement parks Idlewild and Sandcastle, was being sold to Herschend Family Entertainment. The privately-owned entertainment company will acquire Parques Reunidos' more than 20 Palace Entertainment parks.
Herschend is the same company that owns many award-winning theme parks like Wild Adventures and Dollywood.
Many people who spoke with KDKA-TV last week said they are excited and cautiously optimistic about the new ownership group taking charge.
"I just think it's important that they put what the people of Pittsburgh want first and keep improving it, we all love Kennywood, there's no place like it Allegheny County so we want it to stick around and keep getting better," Jon Tirpak said.
In the announcement, Herschend said it was "committed to ensuring a smooth transition for employees, guests, and communities. No immediate changes are planned for daily operations as the company thoughtfully integrates these properties into its portfolio."
Both companies told KDKA-TV that the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, and the deal is expected to close after that.
Kennywood will officially reopen for its longest-ever season on Saturday, April 12.
