New Kennywood Owner Herschend: What You Need To Know

WEST MIFFLIN, PA — In 1950, the Herschend family and a handful of employees took a small cave tour operation in the Ozark Mountains and grew it into a thriving family business.

Seventy-five years later, Herschend is the world’s largest family-owned themed attractions company, with more than 14,000 workers serving 15 million annual guests across North America. The company also is the new owner of three of the Pittsburgh area's major amusement and entertainment spots: Kennywood, Sandcastle and Idlewild.

Atlanta-based Herschend and Parques Reunidos on Tuesday announced that acquiring all of the entertainment properties of Parques Reunidos U.S. entertainment holdings. Palace Entertainment, a Parques Reunidos subsidiary, owns the three Western Pennsylvania attractions.

Herschend board chairman Chris Herschend expects a smooth ownership transition.

"Being a family business for 75 years has given us a deep understanding of what makes properties like these special—not just the rides and attractions, but the people who pour their hearts into them every day,” he said. “These historic and beloved properties have been family traditions for generations, and we are honored to help carry that legacy forward.”

Herschend's most famous property is Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which consists of a 165-acre theme park, the 35-acre Dollywood's Splash Country, Dollywood's Dream More Resort and Spa and Dollywood's HeartSong Lodge & Resort.

The park is located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and earned the Golden Ticket Award for the Best Park in the world in 2023. In 2022, Dollywood was named by Tripadvisor as the number one theme park in the country based on actual guest reviews.

Herschend also owns water parks in Kentucky Missouri and Georgia; aquariums in New Jersey, Kentucky and Vancouver; resorts in Georgia and Missouri; the Showboat Branson Belle in Missouri; and the Pink Adventure Tours that operate in the Southwest.

Additionally, Herschend operates the Harlem Globetrotters, the touring basketball team that has entertained people in 124 different countries and usually makes an annual appearance in Pittsburgh.