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Idlewild & SoakZone, Ligonier, PA

Photo: CenturyFlyer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

AttractionsFamily FavoriteOutdoor Adventure

Idlewild & SoakZone

2574 US-30 · Ligonier, PA

Why you should go…

Idlewild opened in 1878 near Ligonier, about 50 miles east of Pittsburgh, and is the oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania. Its themed areas include Story Book Forest, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Raccoon Lagoon and Olde Idlewild, which centers on a 1931 Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel. You can ride the Rollo Coaster, a wooden coaster from 1938, and the Wild Mouse. SoakZone adds a wave pool, water slides and a lazy river.

  • #amusement park
  • #water park
  • #kids rides
  • #laurel highlands

Good to know

General attractions guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Book the time slot, not just the ticket

    Timed entry is now the norm at big-draw attractions, and online tickets are often cheaper than the gate.

  • Grab the daily schedule on arrival

    Feeding times, keeper talks, and shows run on a posted timetable that changes day to day.

  • The first hour is the quietest

    Queues build through late morning and peak after lunch, so an early start buys you the shortest waits.

  • Budget past the ticket price

    Parking, lockers, strollers, and food inside the gates are common extras worth planning for.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Idlewild & SoakZone, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Indiana County Tourist Bureau

    Free

    The official tourism office for Indiana County, Pennsylvania, home to the Jimmy Stewart Museum and the Hoodlebug Trail.

    26 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Frank Lloyd Wright's House on Kentuck Knob

    $25–$50

    Guided tours of a Frank Lloyd Wright designed Usonian home overlooking the Youghiogheny River gorge.

    26 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Fallingwater

    $25–$50

    Tour the Frank Lloyd Wright house built partly over a waterfall on Bear Run, then walk the wooded grounds.

    26 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Kennywood

    $50+

    Ride classic wooden roller coasters and modern steel ones at a traditional amusement park on a bluff near Pittsburgh.

    32 mi awayMore like this

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium

    $25–$50

    See African elephants, lions, polar bears, sharks and red pandas at a 77-acre zoo and aquarium in Highland Park.

    37 mi awayMore like this

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

    Under $25

    Walk through a Victorian glasshouse of palm, orchid and desert rooms set among botanical gardens in Schenley Park.

    37 mi awayMore like this