Kennywood summer – Kennywood will require guests ages 15 and under to be accompanied by a chaperone age 21 or older starting June 12 through Sept. 7, with removal for teens who arrive without one. The park says the change is meant to preserve a safe, family-friendly atmosphere.
By the time families start planning summer days at Kennywood, the park’s rules for teens are already changing.
Kennywood, located just outside Pittsburgh in West Mifflin, has rolled out a new chaperone policy for its 2026 summer season—one that will bar certain teens from entering the park unless an adult is with them.
The park’s updated policy takes effect Friday, June 12, and runs through Monday, Sept. 7. During that period, guests aged 15 and under must be accompanied by a chaperone aged 21 or older at all times during the park’s operating hours.
The change lands early in the season. Kennywood opened during weekends on Saturday, April 18, and its weekday operating hours began the week of May 24.
Starting June 12, the requirement is straightforward: a teen who is 15 or younger cannot get into the park without an adult chaperone.
A chaperone must be a parent, guardian, or other adult aged 21 and up, and must have a valid government-issued ID. One chaperone can accompany up to six guests ages 15 and under.
Chaperones also have to complete Kennywood’s chaperone registration form. and they must be present when the group enters the park. They don’t have to stay with the group at all times. but they must remain inside the park as long as the guests aged 15 and under are there. Kennywood also says chaperones and teens should have a way to contact each other while in the park.
If teens ages 15 and under arrive without a chaperone, they will be removed from the park. Teens ages 16 and up will need to provide identification to prove their age to enter.
The policy includes limits on where it applies. It does not apply to school picnic or district days. and it will not apply to organized and ticketed group events such as school. church. corporate. summer camp. sports. and other pre-scheduled group visits—because these groups already have established chaperone policies in place.
Kennywood said the shift was designed to keep the environment safe and welcoming for families. In a June 8 statement, General Manager Richard Spicuzza said the park’s commitment to creating a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment for families drove the decision.
“Like most of you. I grew up with memories made right here at the park. and I want today’s families to create those same memories for years to come. ” Spicuzza said. “This policy is part of our ongoing commitment to preserving the welcoming. family-friendly atmosphere that has defined Kennywood for nearly 130 years.”.
The park’s move also tightens rules compared with past summer enforcement. Kennywood has required chaperones during the summer before, but the policy was less strict. Previously, teens 17 and under were required to be accompanied by a chaperone after 4 p.m. during summer operating hours, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Kennywood’s chaperone requirements won’t end when the summer window closes. The park’s Phantom Fall Fest runs from Friday, Sept. 11 through Sunday, Nov. 1. and will require guests 17 and under to be accompanied by an adult age 21 or older with a valid ID when they enter. During Holiday Lights—from Friday, Nov. 13 through Sunday, Jan. 3—Kennywood will require guests ages 15 and under to be accompanied by a chaperone age 21 or older with a valid ID when they enter.
For families, the key dates are now clear: June 12 marks the start of a stricter summer rule for teens 15 and under, and Sept. 7 is when that specific policy period ends.
What remains to be seen is how the park’s new threshold—tying entry to a chaperone age 21 or older at all operating hours—will play out for families trying to plan their days at Kennywood. But the direction is set. and it comes quickly: no chaperone. no entry for teens 15 and under once the policy begins on June 12.
Kennywood chaperone policy unaccompanied teens Pittsburgh amusement park Richard Spicuzza family-friendly 2026 season