Ligonier Valley Railroad and Mellon family: 1878–1952 The park is situated alongside
U.S. Route 30, also historically known in Pennsylvania as the
Lincoln Highway, the first U.S. transcontinental highway. The region surrounding the park is the
Laurel Highlands, and the park sits in the
foothills of the
Laurel Ridge. The region was prominent in the
French and Indian War, with
Fort Ligonier located just away. On November 12, 1758, volunteers led by
George Washington marched from Ligonier to aid
George Mercer and his troops. At night in heavy fog, the two units mistook one another for the enemy and exchanged fire. Thirteen soldiers and one lieutenant were killed. Realizing the mistake, Washington ran amongst both groups, shouting and raising the men's rifles. Washington later wrote of the incident that he had never felt in more danger in his life. Though the location had never been entirely verified, in
Images of America: Idlewild, author Jeffrey S. Croushore acknowledges the opinion that the event took place in a section of Idlewild that was previously a wooded area known as the Woodlands. On April 15, 1853, the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted a
charter for a railroad to haul coal and timber between the towns of
Ligonier and
Latrobe. Latrobe and Ligonier Rail Road Company performed no work on the railroad for nearly twenty years, and renewed their charter in 1866 and 1869. Following an additional renewal in 1871, the company changed its name to the
Ligonier Valley Railroad and acquired a stretch of land.
Land grading and bridge construction for the
narrow gauge line was mostly completed by 1873. In 1875, the partially constructed railway was sold at a
sheriff's sale after the Latrobe terminus of the
Pennsylvania Railroad declined to assume financial responsibility.
Thomas Mellon, a retired
Court of Common Pleas judge from
Allegheny County, purchased the Ligonier Valley Railroad at auction. Mellon had previously founded the
T. Mellon & Sons' Bank, and was invested in many railroad ventures. To attract new passengers, Mellon implemented recreational grounds along the route. Initial land development included campsites, an artificial lake for fishing and boating, picnic tables, and a large hall. The railroad provided easy access to the site, attracting visitors from away, notably from Pittsburgh and its surrounding areas, for a getaway in the country. The
Ligonier Echo noted that on
July 4, 1890, the trains to the park were so crowded that the "tops of the coaches were covered with boys." While the initial lease with Darlington confined the park between the railroad and the north bank of the
Loyalhanna Creek, permission was later granted to construct a bridge across the river, allowing expansion to the south in the mid-1880s. Three lakes—Woodland, St. Clair, and Bouquet—were dug between 1880 and 1896. In 1896, the park added a T.M. Harton Company steam
carousel in the park's center. By the end of the 19th century, attractions at the park included a bicycle track around Lake Bouquet, a hiking trail on Lake Boquet's island, fishing in Loyalhanna Creek,
rowboating, and many walks and gardens. The park also featured dining halls, auditoriums, pavilions, a boathouse, an amphitheater, a bandstand, and athletic facilities. In 1913, the
Lincoln Highway was established as the first cross-country autoroute, and it passed directly by Idlewild on what is now
U.S. Route 30. As automobile traffic to the park increased, several parking lots and a
Gulf Oil gas station were added to the park in the 1930s.
Macdonald family: 1952–1983 The Macdonald family obtained complete ownership of the park in 1951. Clinton "Jack" Macdonald became president of the park in 1957. In 1959, Macdonald and Lewis Davidson, a
bagpipe director at the
Carnegie Institute of Technology, started the Ligonier Highland Games, a
Scottish highland games event held at the park. The games, held annually in early September after the park had closed for the summer, became one of the country's largest and most highly regarded Scottish athletic and
cultural competitions. Macdonald said of the games, "We're not interested in becoming one of the biggest games. We just want to be one of the nicest." While initially attracting crowds of around 1,200, the festival now records average attendances near 10,000. During the same year he assumed control of the park, Macdonald was appointed the first commissioner of the Scottish
Clan Donald for Pennsylvania. The park sustained heavy damage when the remnants of
Hurricane Agnes dropped of rain on the area in 24 hours in June of 1972. Lake St. Clair and Lake Bouquet merged in the resulting flood, causing significant damage to the boathouse. The flood lifted and twisted the park's Loyalhanna Limited Railroad, which required extensive repairs. In 1976, Historic Village was built to celebrate the
US bicentennial. It was heavily inspired by 19th century
Western towns.
Kennywood Entertainment Company era: 1983–2007 On January 27, 1983,
Kennywood Entertainment Company of
West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, bought the park from the Macdonald family for a reported price of $1.8 million. Both Kennywood and Idlewild were initially founded by the
Mellon family. During the first winter in which the park was owned by Kennywood Entertainment Company, several changes occurred. Jumpin' Jungle, a children's play area, was added. Story Book Forest, which operated as a separate attraction, was merged with the rest of the park. Historic Village was relocated and renamed. The ownership of Kennywood ensured that despite the transaction all of the company's parks, the parks would experience few changes, and day-to-day park operations would remain local. In December 2009, Idlewild announced that the
Royal Hanneford Circus would perform at the park during the 2010 season, for the first time since 1997. For the 2011 season, the park added a $2 million, 280,600 gallon
wave pool, replacing their swimming pool that had been in operation since 1931. The project was the largest capital improvement undertaken by the park. Before the 2013 season, Idlewild removed its 1947 Caterpillar ride and the Dizzy Lizzy's Saloon
Haunted Swing attraction. During the interim time between the 2013 and 2014 seasons, it was announced that the park had permanently closed Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe. The attraction was re-themed, in coordination with
Fred Rogers Productions, to ''
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, the modern spin-off of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood''. The re-themed attraction reopened in the 2015 season. On August 11, 2016, a three-year-old boy was thrown from Rollo Coaster and suffered serious injuries. The ride was closed pending an investigation for the remainder of the season, and remained closed for the 2017 season. A subsequent report from the Division of Rides and Amusements of the
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture listed several requirements for the ride to be reopened. To follow these requirements, Idlewild purchased a new train for the coaster in 2018, featuring seat belts and ratcheting lap bars. Following the 2017 season, Idlewild removed its 1938
Whip attraction, which had been closed for the 2017 season due to flood damage. On November 3, 2020, Idlewild announced that it would be removing the Ferris wheel in Olde Idlewild, the Rainbow Wheel kiddie Ferris wheel in Raccoon Lagoon, and the Bubbling Springs ball pit in Jumpin' Jungle for the 2021 season.
Herschend: 2025–present On March 18, 2025, it was announced that the park, alongside several other American Parques Reunidos parks, had been purchased by
Herschend. == Areas ==