Idlewild review

Idlewild is a small amusement park about an hour east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It’s mainly aimed towards kids – preschoolers, even. Even if you don’t have kids, it’s fun to see such an old (ca. 1878) park with some classic attractions that you don’t see anywhere else. And if you look, you can find a thrill or two. I visited as part of a two-for-one ticket deal with Kennywood.

Idlewild

Let’s walk through the different sections of the park, starting with the Story Book Forest and moving towards Soak Zone water park.

Story Book Forest

Walk through a storybook (literally!) and into the world of Mother Goose, Gepetto’s workshop, and all manner of nursery rhyme figures. Opened in 1956, this classic attraction obviously appeals to the littlest of kiddos, and you might even meet some live characters. I was a little surprised to find Mother Goose, Peter Pan, and Red Riding Hood inside the book when I entered!

You walk around a good-sized area, encountering figures like Little Miss Muffet, Old King Cole, and the Seven Dwarfs. And most of the set pieces you can walk right inside, like a schoolhouse (complete with a dunce in the corner), the crooked house, and the cabin of the three bears. The path culminates in a giant castle with a courtyard, a golden throne, and a gift shop.

It’s honestly kind of fun to look at, a nice walk away from the rest of the park, and just something you don’t see every day. I saw figures like this before at Holiday World a long time ago, so maybe this type of thing used to be more common in amusement parks. It makes me think a little bit of a mini-golf course.

Jumpin’ Jungle

The Jumpin’ Jungle is also unique in the theme park world, a playground area with climbing nets, bridges, and a slide. This area is great for older kids to get out some energy and have more active play. There’s also a small covered arcade area with a few games nearby.

Hootin’ Holler

The Hootin’ Holler neighborhood is right at the entrance. This western-style historic village features a lot of wood buildings hosting a BBQ restaurant and saloon, a general store, and a train station. The train takes you back to the Daniel Tiger area across the Loyalhanna Creek.

Other attractions include the Howler spinning ride and Paul Bunyan’s Loggin’ Toboggan. The flume wasn’t operating during my visit, and I didn’t try the Howler – it’s kind of a group activity.

However, the best attraction in this area, and perhaps in the whole park, is Confusion Hill, an old-fashioned “miner’s hotel” where you’ll get a spiel and some optical illusions. This is one of those mystery spot/gravity hill places where water appears to run uphill, and everything is on an extreme slant. And, of course, there is an outlandish story to go along with it.

I enjoyed it tremendously, especially as it was a bit of a surprise. The attraction was closed for most of the morning, but I found it open as I left and got in on a tour. If you’re here, I highly recommend it! It’s silly but fun. And the cast members do a great job.

Olde Idlewild

Olde Idlewild is where the majority of the thrill attractions can be found, including the 1938 Rollocoaster and the original 1931 carousel. The Rollocoaster isn’t much to scream about, a simple out and back loop with a few minor hills. The other roller coaster, the Wild Mouse, is arguably more exciting and pretty high off the ground! It can be jolty, and the staff is good about warning you where the brake stops are so you can brace yourself.

There are also several spinner rides – I found the Paratrooper and the Tilt-A-Whirl to be slow, but the Scrambler and the Spider were super fast! I will never skip a Spider attraction again. It is the best ride there.

You will also find Skooters bumper cars, Flying Aces (though they say not to “snap” the cars, so it’s a pretty tame ride), and a kiddie Baloon Race. A Round-Up is also there, but it wasn’t operating during my visit.

Central to Olde Idlewild is a fountain surrounded by picnic tables and food and sweets counters. There are also games nearby. And while there are a few snack places scattered around, this is where the main food options are. There are also several large picnic pavilions up on the hill if you want to bring your own food.

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood/Raccoon Lagoon

Across the creek from Old Idlewild are the rides for the little kids. On Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood side, there is the other stop for the train station. I will say that leaving from this station to go to the entrance is a longer ride. Coming from the entrance to here is much shorter.

You can also take a friendly neighborhood trolly through Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, arguably the highlight attraction in the park for the small set. The guided ride lets fans of the animated tv show meet all the characters – presented as minimally animated flat set pieces. I will say it’s a delightful journey.

On the Racoon Lagoon side is a Daniel Tiger stage show and several rides for little kids. There are teacups, a miniature car ride, and lots of little spinning rides. Kid-sized bumper cars and classic hand-crank rail cars round out the options.

Soak Zone

Way in the back of the park is Soak Zone, the water park. It’s small, with one body slide and two tube slides, a mat racer, a wave pool, and the worst lazy river I’ve ever seen! It all looks a little homemade (except for that terrible lazy river, which looks like a budget install), including a little splash area at the back of the pool. A tipping bucket is good for getting kids soaked, though there’s no play tower under it; it’s just the bucket! But there is a pirate-themed play tower off in the corner, which looks more fun.

I walked around, but it didn’t look enticing enough and was way too crowded for me to change clothes and try it out. It was wall-to-wall people. I think if you build almost any kind of water park, it will be mobbed all summer.

Food

You can get Auntie Anne’s pretzels and Dippin’ Dots ice cream at Idlewild. Plus, there’s a proper ice cream and candy shop, kettle corn, funnel cakes, and pizza. The main stop for food is in Old Idlewild with burgers, hot dogs, Philly cheesesteaks, and turkey or chicken sandwiches. I bought a turkey hoagie that was $10, came with no sides, and was pretty terrible. Especially the pre-packed veggies that had already turned gooey.

There are also snack stops in Soak Zone and Racoon Lagoon and a Potato Patch french fry location. I’m not 100% sure all these places are open all the time. I certainly don’t remember the Potato Patch, but maybe I was trying to be a little healthy that day.

Parking/Amenities

Parking is free at Idlewild. From the entrance and past the ticket cabins, you meander back to one of several parking lots. Lot A is right at the entrance to Hootin’ Holler with Story Book Forest to your right and Old Idlewild to your left. Lots B-D are back behind all the large picnic pavilions. And there’s even an E & D lots that are tucked somewhere behind the Rollocoaster.

Oddly enough, the main restrooms in Old Idlewild are brand new, large, and pristine. Definitely the best bathroom I’ve seen in a park! There are more restrooms and a bathhouse back by Soak Zone and near the Daniel Tiger stage.

And a note about being on your phone – Idlewild is firmly old-school. There’s no phone app or wifi available in the park. You really are in the backwoods at this location. Which isn’t totally bad, your family might be more apt to look at each other for a change!

BEES

Sometimes, in an amusement park, you’ll find some bees hanging around the trash cans and whatnot. The bees at Idlewild are out of control! I got stung as soon as I walked into the park, and they overrun the trash and food areas. I’m not sure what Idlewild isn’t doing that other parks are, but they definitely need to handle the bee situation.

Tickets, Hours, & Events

Ultimately, Idlewild is a mildly fun, classic park. And if you have preschoolers in your family or fans of Daniel Tiger, this is definitely the park for you.

If you’d like to experience Idlewild for yourself (bees and all!), Idlewild is open until October 31 on the weekends for Hallowboo (11:30 am – 6 pm.) They ceased regular (non-Halloween) operation on September 12, and Soak Zone’s last day was September 6. I can’t go back on the calendar, but I assume they open starting in May. Regular operating hours are 10:30 am – 7 pm for the park and 11:30 am – 6 pm for Soak Zone.

One-day tickets cost in the neighborhood of $50 at the gate, with discounts online. Right now, they are selling Hallowboo tickets for $40 at the gate, or $35 online, $30 for seniors age 60+. When I visited, I bought a combo ticket for Kennywood and Idlewild for $74. Make sure to check out the current options before your visit!

I can’t say I 100% recommend Idlewild for adult visitors. It’s best for families. But it’s a fun experience. I enjoyed Confusion Hill and seeing some older rides in action. It certainly was good enough to warrant an add-on to my Kennywood ticket, but I don’t think I’d do it again.