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Kennywood
vs
Silver Dollar City

On a typical day Silver Dollar City queues less: about 21 minutes a ride against 34 at Kennywood, a difference of roughly 13 minutes on every queue you join.

01 · On a typical day

What you would normally queue.

Averages across recent weeks, so one broken ride or one wet Tuesday cannot decide it. This is the comparison to plan a trip on; the live figures below are the one to act on today.

Kennywood and Silver Dollar City compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyKennywoodUnited StatesSilver Dollar CityUnited States
Average wait per ride 34 min21 min (best of the two)
Rides with recorded waits 1227 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue Exterminator70 minElephant March47 min
Shortest typical queue Aero 36013 minMighty Galleon6 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running95% (best of the two)92%

Averaged across every ride at each park with recorded waits. A ride that never opened is left out, so a park is not flattered by counting a shut ride as a queue of zero.

02 · Right now

Both parks, this minute.

Live queue times at both parks. These fill in as soon as the page loads, and keep updating while you are here.

Kennywood and Silver Dollar City compared on live queue times
Right nowKennywoodUnited StatesSilver Dollar CityUnited States
Average wait right now --
Rides open --
Opening hours today --
Longest queue --
Shortest queue --

These keep refreshing while this page is open. A closed park posts no waits, so its rows read as dashes rather than zeroes.

Verdict, on a typical day On a typical day Silver Dollar City queues less: about 21 minutes a ride against 34 at Kennywood, a difference of roughly 13 minutes on every queue you join.

03 · Choosing

Which one is your day out.

Every line here is earned by one of the figures above - nothing is a generic sentence with a park name dropped into it.

Pick Kennywood if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 34 minutes a ride here against 21 at Silver Dollar City - for what Kennywood has that Silver Dollar City does not
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Kennywood's rides run 95% of opening hours against 92% at Silver Dollar City
  • Exterminator is on your list - it is Kennywood's longest typical queue at about 70 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Kennywood's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Silver Dollar City if…

  • You want shorter queues: Silver Dollar City averages 21 minutes a ride against 34 at Kennywood
  • You want more to do: 27 rides here have recorded wait data against 12 at Kennywood
  • Elephant March is on your list - it is Silver Dollar City's longest typical queue at about 47 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Silver Dollar City's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

04 · The parks

What each one is.

Kennywood

Kennywood is a historic traditional amusement park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh. It has been running since 1898 and is a US National Historic Landmark - home to three classic wooden coasters (Thunderbolt, Jack Rabbit, Racer) alongside modern additions like Phantom's Revenge (a steel coaster known for a near-400 ft second drop) and Steel Curtain (part of a Steelers-themed area).

Kennywood's season runs roughly May to October, with peak crowds concentrated on summer weekends, July 4th, and during the Phantom Fright Nights event. Weekdays in June and September stay noticeably calmer. Check live queue times before committing to Phantom's Revenge or Steel Curtain, and use our crowd calendar to pick a quieter day if you want plenty of re-rides.

Kennywood live queue times

Silver Dollar City

Silver Dollar City is a 1880s-themed park in Branson, Missouri, sitting above the famous Marvel Cave. It mixes a traditional craftsmen village with a strong modern coaster line-up: Outlaw Run (one of the world's best wooden coasters), Time Traveler (a record-breaking spinning coaster), Powder Keg, and the newer Wildfire and Mystic River Falls. Live music and period crafts are core to the park's identity.

Silver Dollar City's peak periods are the US summer break, the extremely popular Pumpkin Nights and Old Time Christmas events, and weekend visits from Branson tourists. Weekdays in May, September and early December stay calmer. Check live queue times for Time Traveler and Outlaw Run first thing, and use our crowd calendar to plan around peak event weekends.

Silver Dollar City live queue times

05 · Questions

Kennywood or Silver Dollar City?

Which is better, Kennywood or Silver Dollar City?

If you are judging on queues, Silver Dollar City: it averages about 21 minutes a ride on a typical day against 34 at Kennywood, roughly 13 minutes back on every queue you join. Kennywood has 12 rides with recorded waits against 27 at Silver Dollar City. Kennywood also runs its rides more reliably - 95% of opening hours against 92%.

Which has shorter queues, Kennywood or Silver Dollar City?

Silver Dollar City, by about 13 minutes a ride. On a typical day Silver Dollar City averages 21 minutes against 34 at Kennywood. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Kennywood best time to visit and Silver Dollar City best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Kennywood and Silver Dollar City in the same trip?

Yes - both parks are in United States, so a two-park trip is realistic over a long weekend. Split the days so you start at whichever opens earliest and drive to the other in the evening.

How many rides does each park have?

See the tables above for ride counts - or jump to Kennywood and Silver Dollar City for the full ride lists.

Is Kennywood bigger than Silver Dollar City?

By rides we track waits for, Silver Dollar City is the bigger day out: 27 rides against 12. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Silver Dollar City is the quicker park.

Then pick
the quiet day.

Both parks have a crowd calendar with six weeks of forecast and the best day left to go.