Who owns Kennywood now?

Palace Entertainment, Company That Owns Kennywood, Acquires Adventureland Resort In Iowa. PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The company that owns Kennywood is acquiring a new amusement park.



As of early 2026, Kennywood is under new ownership following a landmark acquisition in March 2025. The historic West Mifflin, Pennsylvania amusement park, along with its sister parks like Idlewild and Lake Compounce, was purchased by Herschend Family Entertainment. This move saw the parks transition from Palace Entertainment (a subsidiary of the Spanish firm Parques Reunidos) to the largest family-owned themed attractions corporation in the United States. Herschend, which also owns the world-famous Dollywood in Tennessee and Silver Dollar City in Missouri, is known for a "guest-first" philosophy and deep investment in heritage properties. For Kennywood fans in 2026, this change in ownership has sparked excitement regarding potential infrastructure upgrades and a renewed focus on the park's traditional "Pittsburgh" charm. The acquisition effectively solidified Herschend's presence as a major competitor in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regional theme park markets.

People Also Ask

Parques Reunidos spent about $330 million on that deal. Kennywood is Parques Reunidos' first large amusement park in the United States, although overseas it owns Mirabilandia, the second-largest amusement park in Italy, Bonbonland near Copenhagen and Bobbejaanland in Belgium.

MORE DETAILS

Park officials said the shooting followed an altercation between two groups of teenagers near the Musik Express ride at the park in West Mifflin, southeast of Pittsburgh. A 39-year-old man and a 15-year-old were taken to hospitals with leg wounds and the youth eventually arrested had a graze wound.

MORE DETAILS

Residents were outraged last month when they learned Kennywood had switched condiment loyalties from Heinz to Hunt's. Someone started an online petition to bring back Heinz. More than 8,500 people had signed the petition as of Wednesday.

MORE DETAILS

1970 - 1989: New Traditions. The 1970s were a time of change at Kennywood. Some traditions ended - the park's giant swimming pool, which opened in the 1920s, closed forever in 1973. The Ghost Ship dark ride - which was housed in the park's old Dance Hall - burned to the ground in 1975.

MORE DETAILS

Are you ready to scream? Phantom's Revenge is one of Kennywood's most thrilling and revered rides. True to the Park's inventive streak, this is no ordinary coaster. Reaching a whopping 85 miles per hour, it boasts several unique features that set it apart from the rest.

MORE DETAILS

Kennywood Park announced on social media Tuesday that it is retiring four of its rides. The rides being retired are the Kangaroo, Paratrooper, Bayern Kurve and Volcano.

MORE DETAILS

In 2021, Disney Parks and Resorts was the leading amusement or theme park company worldwide in terms of revenue, reporting a total of almost 17 billion U.S. dollars. OCT Limited – which operates theme parks and similar recreational experiences in China – had the second highest value with roughly 11 billion dollars.

MORE DETAILS

Kennywood Admission and Tickets Those 55 and older pay just $26.99 for a Senior FunDay pass. Children 2 and younger can enter and ride for free at any time. General admission without rides is not available.

MORE DETAILS