Happy Hauntings for the Little Phantoms at Kennywood

by Janet Jonus

Kennywood Park transforms into a kid-friendly fall festival of FamilyFun during Happy Hauntings. Head out to Kennywood for rides, food, fall activities, and a not-so-spooky Halloween celebration.

Happy Hauntings is the best of Kennywood for kids. The Phantom and his super-scary crew are nowhere to be found during the day when Happy Hauntings takes place. Instead, kids and the young-at-heart can enjoy rides in Kiddieland plus Thomas Town and “bigger kid” rides too.

Happy Hauntings is separate from Phantom Fright Nights. Happy Hauntings is a daytime event from 1200-400PM. All guests have to leave the Park at 400PM. Happy Hauntings is for kids under 12. (Phantom Fright Nights is a separate event and is NOT for kids. If you want to attend Phantom Fright Nights it is a separate ticket and is for guests 13 and older. Phantom Fright Nights is truly frightening, with serious haunted houses and scare actors.) Happy Hauntings is a kid-friendly, family event.

Kiddieland is open with a rotating ride schedule. All of the rides aren’t open but plenty of the rides are up and running for the smaller spooks in your family. If you haven’t been to Thomas Town yet (check out our Know Before you Go Guide here: https://familyfunpittsburgh.com/thomas-town-is-open-at-kennywood-a-know-before-you-go-guide/ ) then this is your last chance before winter takes over. Practice your fire-fighting skills on Flynn’s Fire Training Ride. Take a spin on Harold’s Helicopter Tour. Chug around the track in a diesel engine with Diesel Drivers. Cranky will pull you up high over Sodor and drop you down on Cranky’s Drop Tower (a FamilyFun Favorite). Thomas should be chugging around the tracks on Journey with Thomas. Catch a special Happy Hauntings show at Tidmouth Sheds. Gordon, Emily, James, and Percy present Steel City Adventures: A Spooktacular Celebration. The kids can burn off some steam at Thomas & Friends™ Big Adventures Soft Play Area and pick up a Thomas Town souvenir.

There are five “bigger kid” rides open too! Kids can drive their parents around the track on AutoRace. Take a spin on the Paratrooper or the Merry-Go-Round. Swing on the Pirate Ship. For the brave-at-heart you can take on the famous double dip on the Jackrabbit.

The 4D Theater has a special showing just for Happy Hauntings. Enjoy magical mayhem with the Wishbone Family as they encounter Babayaga, an evil witch, at a local amusement park in Happy Family 4D.

There are two major rides open for the biggest kids and their parents. The Steel Curtain will be open during Happy Hauntings. Kennywood’s newest coaster will flip you upside, over and around with nine inversions. If you are looking for a small scare, Ghostwood Estates is open during Happy Hauntings too.

There is so much more going on at Happy Hauntings.

Hop aboard the Hootin’Holler Hayride for a fun tour of Kennywood Park. The pick-up is in front of the Parkside Café (known as Mortem Manor during Fright Nights).

Friendly monsters haunt the Mystery Maze in the Kiddieland Picnic Pavilions.

Kids can also go trick-or-treating near in the Villa on the Trick-or-Treating Trail.

There is special entertainment too. Catch Steel City Adventures: A Spooktacular Celebration in Thomas Town at 100, 200, and 300PM. Join Kenny Kangaroo and his Friends at the Garden Stage for the Spooky Sock Hop Dance Party at 100 and 230PM. Watch in awe at the hilariously magical Doc Dixon Magic Show at 130 and 300PM.

Food stands are opened during Happy Hauntings. Get some good eats at the Potato Patch, Lucky (next to the Potato Patch), the cold side of Pagoda, Pizza Warehouse, and Snack-o-Saurus in Kiddieland.

Happy Hauntings is ADA-accessible including the Hayride. The Service Center is closed during Happy Hauntings so all services are at the VIP Coaster Tour stand near the Kandy Kaleidoscope. Stop at the counter to get more information on ADA accessibility.

Kenny also hosts a special meal at Pancakes with Parker. on October 12th and 19th from 1100AM-1200PM before Happy Hauntings. Enjoy a kid-friendly breakfast buffet with Belgian Waffles, pancakes, bacon, sausage, hash browns, cheesy potato casserole, danish, fruit salad, orange & cranberry juice, milk, and coffee. You also get into Happy Hauntings up to 30 minutes early. Kenny’s Cookout costs $21.99 plus taxes and fees.

Happy Hauntings is designed for kids ten and under. Kids can wear costumes but they may have to take off parts of their costumes to ride specific rides. Adults are NOT allowed to wear costumes to Happy Hauntings. Admission to Happy Hauntings does NOT include Phantom Fright Nights. Phantom Fright Nights is NOT for kids.

Happy Hauntings is open from 1200PM-400PM on Saturdays and SUndays from October 5 through October 27. Tickets are $18.99 at the gate and $15.99 online plus fees and taxes. There are discounts for groups of ten or more. Kennywood Season Passholders pay $10 for entry to Happy Hauntings on Sundays. (SummerSavings, Bronze, and Senior Evening Passholders are not eligible for this discount.)

Parking is Free. Port Authority Bus 61C stops at Kennywood Park.

Kennywood Park 4800 Kennywood Blvd West Mifflin PA 15122 / 412-461-0500 / https://www.kennywood.com/https://www.kennywood.com/happyhauntings