Kennywood, Steelers Team Up For New Steel Curtain Coaster

PITTSBURGH, PA - Kennywood’s new coaster will be the called the Steel Curtain and serve as the lynchpin of a new Steelers Country area at the West Mifflin amusement park. Kennywood and Steelers officials on Thursday revealed that the park’s much-anticipated new ride debuting in 2019 will be a black and gold steel coaster built on the site of the former Log Jammer and crossing over the park lagoon.

The coaster announcement was anticipated. What was unexpected was unprecedented news in the amusement and sports worlds. The Steelers will be the first NFL franchise to formally team with an amusement park for a team-themed area.

First, though, details on the ride, which has captured the imagination of coaster enthusiasts nationwide for months. The Steel Curtain

• Will be 4,000 feet long reaching speeds of 75 mph.

• Will have the world’s largest inversion of 197 feet.

• Will be Pennsylvania’s tallest coaster, with a maximum height of 220 feet.

• Will have 9 inversions, the most of any North American coaster.

Here’s a computer simulation of the ride:

Steelers Country will be built on the site of two pavilions and a wooded area adjacent to the Steel Curtain. It will feature an entry tunnel similar to the one at Heinz Field, interactive skill games, a new restaurant area, a Steelers fountain that will allow park guests to cool off on hot summer days, a dining area and a large scoreboard.

Kennywood and Steelers officials did not reveal the cost of the coaster or Steelers Country, although both praised the unique partnership.

“Being the first park to collaborate with a professional sports franchise on not only a themed area, but also a pulse-pounding, high-flying roller coaster is a great honor that fits in with Kennywood’s long-standing tradition of innovation,” Kennywood general manager Jerome Gibas said in a statement. “For that franchise to be our hometown Steelers, the most successful team in America’s most popular sport, it’s a sure touchdown.”

“We are very excited about the partnership with Kennywood,” said Steelers vice president of sales and marketing Ryan Huzjak. “Being able to connect the Pittsburgh Steelers with a family attraction like Kennywood is a natural fit for both organizations, and we are thrilled about the tradition and longstanding history the Steelers and Kennywood provide to families in and around the city of Pittsburgh.”

Here is Patch’s coverage of the press conference introducing the Steel Curtain and Steelers Country:

Images via Kennywood.

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