Kennywood Memories

Sure the documentary is extremely dated today (since Kennywood has changed so much since it was made) "Kennywood Memories" is one of my favorite documentaries made by WQED's Rick Sebak (who also made quite a few others as well). The documentary showcases the rich history of the amusement park in West Mifflin, PA from its inception in 1898 to at what was then the present (1988). I love watching this documentary so much! It makes me look forward to going to Kennywood every summer (I live about 30 minutes away from the park!).

If you love Rick Sebak's excellent documents on Pittsburgh related stuff like me, then check out "Stuff that's Gone", "Things that aren't there anymore", and many others. You'll like them too.

"Kennywood Memories" is one of the earliest documentaries from PBS in Pittsburgh and Rick Sebak. Originally, it was shown on local television (WQED) and was subsequently shown on PBS stations all over the country. Like Sebak's other documentaries, it's high on nostalgia and charm. Additionally, it's a great look at Americana--our history that is rarely talked about in history books because it's popular culture history (which SHOULD be talked about more as real history).

This particular documentary is about one place--Kennywood Amusement Park, which is just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It's one of the oldest surviving amusement parks in the country. What also sets it apart is that many of the older rides have not been replaced and the park is a nice combination of the old and new.

The film discusses the history of the park, interviews customers and workers and waxes poetical about the great attributes of the park. Although the show is light and fun, it is also very interesting and will most likely put a smile on your face. Very well-crafted and worth seeing...twice. And, for that matter, so are most of Sebak's films-- including an overview of many old parks in "Great Old Amusement Parks".

By the way, if you get the DVD you can see an introduction by Sebak and the disc has a few extras--such as a promo of "Great Old Amusement Parks" as well as old Kennywood TV commercials. If, after you've finished all this and you want to know more, check out the Wikipedia page--it gives LOTS of detailed about the park and every ride--both defunct and currently in use at Kennywood. Finally, although IMDb lists this as a two hour show, it is one.

As a kid growing up in Southwestern Pennsylvania, my main adventure during Summer Vacation was going to Kennywood Park in West Mifflin. My home town of Canonsburg had a certain day every Summer that everyone would go to Kennywood. The 1980's was a special time to be there as a kid. Particulary because of the rides that were there at the time. The first thing you would see upon entering the park was the "Laser Loop", an old shuttle loop coaster from Europe that packed a short, but INTENSE ride!! When WQED released "Kennywood Memories" ,...watching the show was just like being there!! It was so great!! And I'm sure that any of my peers would agree. It was such a beautiful documentary on this small local family park. Theres nothing else quite like it in the U.S. I now live in Hollywood, California and I'm too far away to visit Kennywood regularly as I did growing up there. But I still have the video "Kennywood Memories" which takes me right back there as if I never left. This documentary is a MUST for anyone who loves a good old fashioned Amusement Park.

Narrated by Rick Sebak, the documentarian who invented the "scrapbook"-style of chronicling memories through film, 'Kennywood Memories' is a thoughtful, sweet, and nostalgic look at the century-old amusement park Kennywood in western Pennsylvania. For many of us, Kennywood is the place where dreams are made of and a summertime staple that can never be missed. Even now living in California, I visit the wonderful Kennywood every single year and remember all the great days & nights spent there.

Even though Kennywood has changed plenty, 'Kennywood Memories' shows us all the great rides from the past we remember . . . and some many of us never got to see. A century's worth of history is included in this documentary, which (like many) is an annual viewing tradition prior to actually going back to the amazing park itself.

Overall, there isn't a single bad thing I can say about this documentary, but I would love to see Mr. Sebak revisit the park for another documentary to show all the changes (especially now with the first new roller coaster in years being built this year).

Final Verdict: 10/10.

-AP3-