Kennywood's Phantom's Revenge ranked 2nd best roller coaster in national poll

Kennywood Park’s Phantom’s Revenge roller coaster has put up a second place showing in a USA Today 10Best.com poll to decide which roller coaster is America’s best.

Phantom’s Revenge boasts a 232-foot drop through the structure of the Thunderbolt roller coaster and reaches a top speed of over 85 mph. However, it was beaten out for the top spot by SeaWorld Orlando’s Mako in online voting.

Kennywood officials were nevertheless proud of Phantom’s Revenge’s runner-up showing.

We’re thrilled to share that Phantom’s Revenge has been voted the 2nd-best coaster in the country in the @10Best contest for Best Roller Coaster! Nominated by an expert panel and voted by YOU, it's a worthy honor for a legendary ride.

? Read more: https://t.co/utApBu8qD2 pic.twitter.com/hdJaUjLFK7

— Kennywood (@Kenny_Kangaroo) July 2, 2021

“It’s a huge honor to see Phantom’s Revenge recognized nationally and we thank everyone who supported it,” said Kennywood/Sandcastle General Manager Mark Pauls. “The Phantom packs a punch that’s hard to find anywhere else and headlines our world-class collection of roller coasters and thrilling rides.”

Phantom’s Revenge opened in 1991 as The Steel Phantom and was the world’s fastest and longest-dropping roller coaster at the time. In 2000, Kennywood announced plans to replace it, but there was such an outcry from roller coaster devotees that the park decided to revamp it instead.

The new Phantom’s Revenge opened in May 2001. It now headlines an array of roller coasters Kennywood officials refer to as “scream machines.” They include the nine-inversion Pittsburgh Steelers-themed Steel Curtain, which was named 2019’s Best New Roller Coaster, as well as Sky Rocket, Exterminator and the vintage wood coasters favored by the boomer generation — the Jack Rabbit, the Racer and the Thunderbolt.

The Jack Rabbit recently celebrated its centennial, having opened in 1920, over two decades after Kennywood was founded in 1898.