Kennywood · Operating · 1996

Lil' Phantom

20 ft · 18 mph

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Kid rideKennywood Official park siteKiddielandMolina & Son's20 ft · 18 mph

Lil' Phantom opened in 1996, the same season that brought Kenny's Parkway to Kiddieland, built by the now-defunct Miami manufacturer Molina & Son's as a compact steel kiddie coaster the park bills as the 'little cousin' of Phantom's Revenge. A single five-car train climbs a short chain lift before a simple oval circuit of gentle drops brings young riders back to the station in well under a minute. Kennywood completely rehabbed and rebuilt the ride before the 2007 season, refreshing its structure and theming while preserving the same compact layout. Nearly three decades after opening, Lil' Phantom remains a Kiddieland staple and one of the park's most accessible roller coaster credits for its youngest guests.

Specifications

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Ride profile

Scaled against Kennywood's operating coasters

Steel

Park intensity

Height

20 ft

#7 of 7 at Kennywood

Height20 ft

Speed18 mph

Length600 ft

InversionsNone

Ride experience

Kiddie
Molina Son S
Steel

Specs from kennywood.com

Learn more

All guides

Dive coasters

A held moment on a vertical edge, then a steep release — signature B&M dive machines.

Floorless coasters

No floor panel under your feet — open views and a different sense of exposure.

Flying coasters

You start seated, then tilt face-down into a flying position for much of the circuit.

Inverted coasters

Trains hang beneath the track so your feet dangle — B&M made the style famous.

History

Sourced timeline and background for Lil' Phantom.

Timeline

1996
Lil' Phantom opens
Opens alongside Kenny's Parkway; exact 1996 opening day not published.
Source
2007
Full rehab and rebuild
Kennywood completely renovates the ride's structure and theming for the 2007 season.
Source

Background

Kennywood's 1996 season brought a wave of Kiddieland investment, including a renovated Noah's Ark and the new Kenny's Parkway, and Lil' Phantom joined that lineup as the area's junior roller coaster — a scaled-down companion the park describes as the "little cousin" of the much larger Phantom's Revenge on the other side of the park.

Molina & Son's, a small Miami-based manufacturer that built Moli-Coaster kiddie rides for parks including Lake Compounce and Williams Grove, supplied the compact steel layout. A single five-car train carries up to ten riders around a simple oval circuit at a gentle pace, climbing a short chain lift before a handful of mild drops bring the train back to the station in well under a minute.

Kennywood completely rehabbed and rebuilt Lil' Phantom before the 2007 season, refreshing its structure and surrounding theming while preserving the same compact oval track plan the ride opened with. Molina & Son's itself is no longer in business, making surviving installations of its Moli-Coaster model, including Lil' Phantom, increasingly uncommon.

Nearly three decades after its debut, Lil' Phantom remains a Kiddieland fixture and one of Kennywood's most accessible roller coaster credits for its youngest visitors.

History primarily sourced from kennywood.com. See also our data policy.