Kennywood to be sold to company that owns award-winning theme parks

PITTSBURGH — Kennywood, Idlewild and Sandcastle are being sold to a new company.

Parques Reunidos has agreed to sell its Palace Entertainment U.S. properties, which include the three Pennsylvania parks, to Herschend, which owns award-winning destinations like Dollywood, the Adventure Aquarium and Wild Adventures Theme Park.

In all, Herschend, which describes itself as the “world’s largest family-owned themed attractions company,” is acquiring 20 entertainment venues across 10 states. Herschend says it’s committed to a smooth transition and no immediate changes are planned for the daily operations of the properties it’s acquiring.

But, Herscend says it does have three main priorities in the coming months:

Supporting its new employees with training, resources, and opportunities aligned with Herschend’s people-first culture.
Maintaining continuity in guest experiences while exploring enhancements that align with Herschend’s commitment to high-quality entertainment.
Proactively communicating with employees, guests, and local communities as the transition progresses.

“We look forward to building upon the strong foundation that Palace Entertainment has created and welcoming these properties and hosts into the Herschend family of brands,” said Andrew Wexler, CEO of Herschend. “The teams at these parks have done an incredible job building beloved destinations in their communities, and we look forward to learning from them, growing together, and building on their success. This is an exciting opportunity for all of us to continue creating exceptional experiences for guests and meaningful opportunities for our teams.”

Terms of the sale were not announced. The sale has not yet been completed.

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