A summer favorite is opening just in time for Memorial Day after a shortened year in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier Township will open May 29, officials announced Monday.

The amusement park’s 144th season will see the return of attractions that didn’t open last year, including Story Book Forest and Captain Kidd’s water area. The park is hiring 600 seasonal employees and several full-time positions.

The park will maintain a daily capacity limit and require guests and employees to wear masks and have their temperatures taken to get inside. Anyone with a temperature above 100.4 degrees or who has other symptoms will not be allowed to enter.

Park workers have started a long-term revitalization, and some of the first projects — renovating restrooms in Olde Idlewild and repainting several horses on the nearly 90-year-old carousel — will be ready for opening day.

The tentative season calendar on the park’s website shows the last day will be Sept. 6. The park is scheduled to be closed at least one or two weekdays throughout the summer.

Full- and part-time jobs are available in a variety of areas, including lifeguards, rides, admissions and games. Most seasonal positions are open to those 16 and older, while some are available to 14- and 15-year-olds. To apply online, visit idlewild.com/employment.

Season passes for 2021 are available online for $49.99. A Platinum Pass for $149.99 allows unlimited admission at Idlewild, Kennywood Park and Sandcastle Water Park. Kennywood opens for the season May 8, and Sandcastle opens May 29.

Last year, all three parks opened about two months late after an extended closure forced by the coronavirus pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises amusement parks to install barriers when social distancing is not possible, limit capacity and consider closing rides and games that cannot be cleaned frequently.

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