Idlewild Park, officially known as Idlewild and SoakZone, is a family amusement park tucked into the Laurel Highlands near Ligonier, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles east of Pittsburgh. Founded in 1878 as a campground along the Ligonier Valley Railroad by banking magnate Thomas Mellon, it is the oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania and is regarded as the third-oldest continuously operating amusement park in the United States, behind Lake Compounce and Cedar Point.
The Mellon family ran the park for decades before the Macdonald family took full ownership in 1952. Kennywood Entertainment Company purchased Idlewild in 1983 and expanded it significantly, adding attractions like a Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood-themed trolley ride designed with input from Fred Rogers, a Latrobe native. The park later passed to Palace Entertainment and Parques Reunidos before Atlanta-based Herschend, the family-owned company behind Dollywood, completed its acquisition of Idlewild in May 2025.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Ligonier, Pennsylvania
- Opened: 1878
- Founder: Thomas Mellon
- Current owner: Herschend (since 2025)
- Themed areas: About six, including Olde Idlewild, Story Book Forest, Jumpin’ Jungle, and Raccoon Lagoon
- Notable ride: Rollo Coaster, a wooden coaster built in 1938
- Recognition: Golden Ticket Award for Best Children’s Park, 2010-2018
Rides and Attractions
Idlewild’s roughly 40 attractions lean heavily toward family and young-children appeal rather than thrill rides. Its signature coaster, the Rollo Coaster, is a wooden classic built in 1938 by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters using lumber milled right at the park, and it remained Idlewild’s only roller coaster until the Wild Mouse arrived in 1993. Story Book Forest, added in the 1950s, brings storybook characters to life along wooded walking paths, while the SoakZone water park rounds out summer visits with slides and pools.
A Legacy of Family Ownership
What sets Idlewild apart from many regional parks is its unusually stable, family-oriented ownership history. It stayed in the Mellon family for roughly 75 years, then passed to the Macdonald family, before Kennywood Entertainment took over in 1983 and preserved its low-key, children-first character even as it modernized. That same philosophy carried through subsequent ownership changes, culminating in the 2025 sale to Herschend, itself a family-owned operator known for keeping its parks approachable rather than chasing record-breaking thrill rides.
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Idlewild Park FAQs
Is Idlewild Park the oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Idlewild opened in 1878, making it Pennsylvania’s oldest amusement park and the third-oldest still operating in the United States.
What roller coasters does Idlewild Park have?
Idlewild’s main coasters are the Rollo Coaster, a wooden coaster built in 1938, and Wild Mouse, a Vekoma coaster added in 1993.
Who owns Idlewild Park now?
Herschend, the family-owned company that also operates Dollywood, completed its acquisition of Idlewild and SoakZone from Palace Entertainment in May 2025.
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Photo: Mark Rauterkus / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.