# Pitt Fall > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pitt_Fall > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pitt_Fall.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitt_Fall > Source revision: 1345499062 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Defunct drop tower at Kennywood The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's general notability guideline. Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention. If notability cannot be shown, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted. Find sources: "Pitt Fall" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Pitt Fall Pitt Fall's yellow and black structure at night Kennywood Area Lost Kennywood Status Removed Soft opening date April 17, 1997 (1997-04-17) Opening date April 20, 1997 (1997-04-20) Closing date September 18, 2011 (2011-09-18) Replaced by Black Widow Ride statistics Attraction type Drop tower Manufacturer Intamin Model Giant Drop Height 251 ft (77 m) Drop 229 ft (70 m) Speed 65 mph (105 km/h) Vehicles 4 Riders per vehicle 4 Height restriction 48 in (122 cm) **Pitt Fall** was a [drop tower](/source/Drop_tower_(ride)) ride located at [Kennywood](/source/Kennywood) amusement park in [West Mifflin, Pennsylvania](/source/West_Mifflin%2C_Pennsylvania). The name of the ride was a pun on the word "[pitfall](/source/Pitfall_trap)", a type of [booby trap](/source/Booby_trap), but spelled with two "t"'s in reference to the nearby city of [Pittsburgh](/source/Pittsburgh). When it opened in 1997, it was the tallest drop tower in the world. The ride was manufactured by [Intamin](/source/Intamin) and its model is known in the industry as a "Giant Drop". ## History Construction of Pitt Fall began in July 1996 at the former site of Phantom Flyers.[1] Pitt Fall soft opened on April 17, 1997, during a special preview day. The ride opened to the public on April 20, 1997.[2] In June 2011, Pitt Fall was listed for sale and bought in early September by an undisclosed buyer. After 14 years of operation, Pitt Fall permanently closed on September 18, 2011.[3] It was replaced by [Black Widow](/source/Black_Widow_(ride)) in 2012. ## Ride experience A group of sixteen or fewer riders would be loaded into a group of four ride cars which seated four riders each. The riders were then secured with an over-the-shoulder harness and an interlocking seat belt. As the riders boarded, four yellow catch cars slowly descended from the top of the tower and coupled onto each ride car. After the all-clear was given, the catch cars pulled on the ride vehicles, lifting them off the ground and ascending to the top of the tower. After clearing the braking zone, the cars picked up speed, reaching 12 mph. They were held 229 feet in the air for several seconds, after which they were released from the couplings, allowing the cars to free-fall nearly 150 feet at 65 mph. Upon reaching the braking zone, magnetic brakes slowed the speed of the ride cars. Once the cars came to a stop on the ground, the riders lifted their safety harnesses and exited the ride. ## Records Preceded by Drop Tower: Scream Zone World's Tallest Vertical Drop Ride 1997 Succeeded by Power Tower (Cedar Point) ## References - [https://web.archive.org/web/20150907000821/http://coaster-net.com/ride-gallery/25-pitt-fall-defunct/](https://web.archive.org/web/20150907000821/http://coaster-net.com/ride-gallery/25-pitt-fall-defunct/) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Pitt Fall new 'rush'"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63009887/pitt-fall-new-rush/). *Indiana Gazette*. October 19, 1996. Retrieved September 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Loeffler, William (April 18, 1997). ["Kennywood adds Pitt Fall to scream team"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54269938/kennywood-adds-pitt-fall-to-scream-team/). *News Record*. Staff Writer. Retrieved September 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Pitt Fall No More"](http://newsplusnotes.blogspot.com/2011/09/pitt-fall-no-more.html). NewsPlusNotes. 15 September 2011. v t e Kennywood Current attractions Former attractions Roller coasters Exterminator Jack Rabbit Phantom's Revenge Racer Sky Rocket Steel Curtain Thunderbolt Other rides Auto Race Black Widow Grand Carousel Defunct Log Jammer Pitt Fall Turnpike v t e Greater Pittsburgh Pittsburgh–New Castle–Weirton combined statistical area Counties in Maryland Garrett in Ohio Jefferson in Pennsylvania Allegheny Armstrong Beaver Butler Fayette Indiana Lawrence Washington Westmoreland in West Virginia Brooke Hancock Map of the Pittsburgh Tri-State with green counties in the metropolitan area and yellow counties in the combined area Major cities Pittsburgh Cities and towns 15k–50k (in 2010) Baldwin Bethel Park Butler Cranberry Hampton Hempfield McCandless McKeesport Monroeville Moon Mt. Lebanon Murrysville New Castle North Huntingdon Penn Penn Hills Peters Plum Ross Scott Shaler Steubenville Unity Upper St. Clair Weirton West Mifflin White Wilkinsburg Airports Pittsburgh International Arnold Palmer Allegheny Beaver Butler Eddie Dew Greene Greensburg Jeannette Herron Jefferson Jimmy Stewart Joe Hardy Lakehill McVille Monroeville New Castle Pittsburgh Northeast Rostraver Washington Wheeling Zelienople Topics Economy Education Etymology Film Government History Landmarks (area) Landmarks (city) Media Neighborhoods People Public schools Skyscrapers Sports Transportation Category --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pitt Fall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitt_Fall) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitt_Fall?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.