Thrills, Chills and Good Times

Every June, at the end of the school year, the Brookline community holds it's annual community picnic at a local amusement park. The tradition dates back to the early 1900s. The picnic is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, and in the early days by its predescessors the Brookline Board of Trade, then the Business Men's Association.

The first picnic was held at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin. The following year, the venue was moved to West View Park in Bellvue. It remained at West View until 1977, when the aging park closed. From 1978 to the present, the picnic has returned to Kennywood Park, the Roller Coaster Capital of the World.

Although the Coaster Capital title is in no way meant to signify that Kennywood can compare to the mega-parks like Six Flags, but as local parks go, the historic trolley park ranks as one of the finest in the land. On the third Wednesday of June, the good citizens of Brookline descend upon Kennywood Park for a day of thrills, chills and good times with friends and neighbors.

For many years, tickets were handed out to all of the local students near the end of the school year. Additional tickets would be available at boulevard stores or at the park itself. In simpler times, picnic day was more of a ritual event, and it seemed that the entire community would turn out for the big day.

The First Brookline Community Picnic

One old-timer recalled the birth of the School Picnic.

"The community picnic has remained a feature in Brookline to this day, but it seems to have lost a little of the luster of the old days, when picnic day was generally the only day of the year that families would make the trip to the amusement park.

"In the old days, most people didn't have their own cars, or if they did the husbands used them to go to work. Families would meet on picnic day at one of the designated stops and board the streetcars for the long trip to the park.

"One of the big stops was Creedmore. There would be hundreds of folks gathered there, all dressed up in summer clothes and carrying big baskets of picnic lunches.

"The first picnic Brookline ever had was at Kennywood Park. The only trouble with that was that it was so late for the kids getting home on the specials. By the evening, almost all the kids were tired, but no one was crying, because a young fellow named Joe Butch got up in the front of the street car and sang song after song. After that first attempt, the picnics were all held at West View Park."

Trolley Parks

Kennywood and West View Park were but two of several "trolley parks" established by the end of the Pittsburgh Railways trolley lines. They became very popular places for companies and communities to hold picnics due to the easy access via the trolley service.

Kennywood Park, designated a national historic landmark in 1987, has roots dating back to 1898, when a picnic grove was leased by the Monongahela Street Railway Company for use as an amusement park. The land was sold to private interests and chartered in 1906. Nearing 100 years old, the park has weathered the passing of time and kept pace with the advancements in the industry. Today, it is a unique blend of the past and present, and it's historic coasters are highly rated among roller coaster enthusiasts.

But, back in the early days, Kennywood was a little far to travel by rail. West View Park, opened on May 23, 1906, was located right on US Rt 19 and accessible (right to the park entrance) via the 19-Bellvue trolley in about half the time, for the price of a nickel.

Sixty-Some Years at West View Park

Year after year, Brookliners flocked to West View for the big day. Kids waited with baited breath for their parents to get ready, or if lucky rushed off to the nearest trolley stop to make an early trip with their friends.

West View Park had its golden years, and was well known for its thrilling rides, haunted houses, dance halls, tree lined Midway and of course, Kiddieland. The park had three roller coasters, The Dips and the Racing Whippet for those over the line, and the Little Dipper in Kiddieland.

Other rides scattered throughout the park were The Tumble Bug, The Cuddle-Up, Ride-N-Laff, The Mirror Maze, The Whip, The Ferris Wheel, Scoota Boot Rides, Row-Boat Rides, Tilt-a-Whirl, Bumper Cars, Loop-O-Plane, Chair-O-Plane, Flying Scooters, Round-up, Alpine Sky Ride, the Haunted House, the Swings, the Antique Car Ride, the Merry-Go-Round, and the Railroad Ride.

There were also the games on the Midway and in the Penny Arcade Pavilion. They included the Milk Bottle Game, Huck La Buck, Penny Pitch and Dart Balloons. Other favorites were the Shooting Gallery and fishing. And, who can forget Davey Jones Locker and the Pirates Cave?

Dancing and roller skating in the West View ballroom were also very popular. Neon lighting and air conditioning were added in 1948, converting the dance pavilion into Danceland. Vaughn Monroe, Tex Beneke, Les Brown, Guy Lombardo, Harry James and the Dorseys appeared for one night stands before rock and roll and "Over-19" record dances appeared in the 1960s. The popular Alpine Sky Ride was added in 1965 and operated as a concession by its builder, John T. Gibbs.

Trolley service was discontinued in 1965 and Danceland was completely destroyed by fire in 1973. After the tragedy, the decline of this once proud family park was swift. At the end of the 1977 season West View Park closed permanently.

My recollections go back to the late 1960s when I was nearing ten. I don't remember much about Kiddieland but did spend a lot of time there. As I got older I would go down to the Midway with my friends while mom spent the day in Kiddieland with my younger sisters. Riding the Dips was always my favorite, followed by the Racing Whippet. We'd ride them over and over. The Alpine Sky Ride was another favorite, as we could ride above the Midway and holler to those we knew, or just look around. The Bumper Cars were another repititious ride, and Davey Jones Locker was cool. Late at night we'd ride the Ferris Wheel and marvel at the lights. Tradition dictated that we got ice cream and then waited in the long line to ride the Antique Cars just once before we left for home. Those were fun times.

West View Park may now be a relegated to the status of shopping center, but for generations of Brookliners, it was a magical place that brings back a flood of fond memories. The legendary park may be gone but it will never be forgotten by those fortunate enough to have spent by-gone summer days wandering the Midway.

The Midway at West View Park - 1942
Gone, But Not Forgotten

Kennywood Park - Home of the Thunderbolt

It was the summer of 1978 and Pittsburgh was on the verge of being named the "City of Champions." Those of us who lived in Brookline were on the verge of our first trip to another place with a nickname. That year it was announced that the school picnic would be held at the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World." For many, this would be their first trip to Kennywood Park, and a few wondered if it would be equal to, greater than, or less than West View.

Busses were chartered and the locals headed to the designated departure areas. Somehow, the thought of something new put a buzz in the air, and those who had experienced Kennywood before reassured everyone that this would be worth the trip. The skeptics soon found out what they had been missing. Kennywood turned out to be better and more exciting than West View, and a new chapter in the picnic tradition was born.

Kennywood Park is the home of the Thunderbolt (formerly the Pippen), the Jack Rabbit and the Racer. As technology moved into the age of the steel coasters, Kennywood added the Laser Loop, which ran from 1980 to 1990. The Loop was dismantled in favor of the lightning fast Steel Phantom, complete with loops and a top speed approaching 90 MPH. A recent renovation has tranformed the Steel Phantom into the Phantom's Revenge, a smoother but no less speedy coaster. There is also the stomach churning Exterminator and the Lil' Phantom in Kiddie Land.

This former trolley park is steeped with tradition, and boasts some rides that are nearing 100 years of age. The Whip and the Carousel, Noah's Ark and the Old Mill (now Garfield's Revenge) are historic landmarks, and age has done nothing to dampen their charms. The Jack Rabbit was built in 1920, the Pippen in 1924, and the Racer in 1927. The Pippen was altered to produce the Thunderbolt in 1960, retaining much of the original track. The amazing race car track was built in 1930 and is the only one of its kind still in existence.

<Click Here For More Old Photos of Kennywood Rides>
(Past and Present)

In fact, on its 90th anniversary, Kennywood opened a new section called Lost Kennywood, dedicated to the rebirth of some of Kennywood's classic rides, like the Pittsburg Plunge, the Whip and the Swings. At night, colorful lighting illuminates the large reflecting pool and is a wonderful place to relax and rest after a long day.

The park management team does a good job of keeping up with the changes in the amusement industry and each season they seem to open up a new and exciting attraction. Rides like the Kennywood Arrow, the Sky Coaster, the Pit Fall, the Volcano, the Exterminator, and now Garfield's Revenge (converted from the Old Mill in 2004) were added. A Ski Lift now transports visitors to and from the upper parking lots, or just serves as another attraction, giving round-trip riders a birds-eye view of the park as it slowly descends towards the park entrance. These are perfect compliments to age-old favorites like the Kangaroo Hop, the Coal Mine, the Raging Rapids, the Log Jammer, the Turtle, The Musik Express, the Bumper Cars, the Kennywood RailRoad, the Antique Cars and, of course, the Roller Coasters!

There are also plenty of games like the Cat Rack, and plenty of places to get snacks, ice cream and hot meals. The Pavilion, the Pagoda, and the almost famous Potato Patch are like fine cuisine, well almost. Rounding out the entertainment is a group of live performers that liven up the Kennywood stage for a large crowd of spectators.

Each year, Brookliners prepare for that special June day, and the kids are up early with anticipation of the thrills to come. The tickets are no longer free, but reasonably priced discount tickets are available at most Boulevard stores.

The Brookline Community Picnic has always been one of the most anticipated days of the calendar year, and for good reason. It is one of those special days when Brookliners come together as one big family at one of the nicest family amusement parks in the country, Kennywood Park. As traditions go, "Kennywood Day" ranks as one of Brookline's finest.

To learn more about present-day Kennywood Park, go to www.kennywood.com.