On Location: Kennywood Park

A monthly look at Pittsburgh’s starring role in the movies.
Kennywood Racer Aug21

PHOTO BY CHUCK BEARD

“Adventureland” (2009)

Kennywood served as the titular park in the 2009 comedy “Adventureland.” Jesse Eisenberg plays a directionless college grad who winds up taking a summer job at the park, where he’ll tangle with unruly customers and fall for a coworker played by Kristen Stewart.

The fictionalized park is run by longtime “Saturday Night Live” favorites Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig; after Hader’s humorless boss character witnesses our hero giving an uninspired performance at the Roll-A-Ball game, he gives a stirring demonstration of trackside patter.

The game is real and at Kennywood to this day, though players don’t race wooden horses, which were made for the movie; the real game features tiny Racer cars.

Watch the trailer⇓

Categories: On Location