Knoebels Amusement Resort facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Knoebels Amusement Resort

Previously known as Knoebels Grove Knoebels Amusement Park
Location	Elysburg, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates	40°52′44″N 76°30′18″W / 40.879°N 76.505°W / 40.879; -76.505
Opened	July 4, 1926; 99 years ago (1926-07-04)
Owner	Knoebel family
Slogan	"Fun, food, and fantasy!"
Operating season	April–September (limited days in October and January for seasonal events)
Area	150 acres (60.7 hectares)
Attractions
Total	64
Roller coasters	6 (including kiddie coasters)
Water rides	2

Knoebels Amusement Resort (pronounced kuh-NO-belz) is a fun park for families. It's located in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. This park also has a picnic area and a campground.

Knoebels first opened in 1926. It's special because it's the biggest park in the United States that you can enter for free! The park has over 60 rides. These include three wooden roller coasters and three steel roller coasters. There's also a very old carousel from 1913. Plus, it has two spooky haunted house rides.

The Knoebel family owns and runs the park. The park's name is always spelled "Knoebels" without an apostrophe. You'll see it this way on all their ads.

Knoebels and its rides have won many awards. These awards come from groups like Amusement Today and the American Coaster Enthusiasts. In 2014, the Travel Channel said Knoebels was one of the top 10 family-friendly amusement parks in the U.S.

Knoebels' Story: How It Began

Knoebels is in a pretty, wooded valley in central Pennsylvania. Back in 1828, a man named Henry Knoebel bought this land. It was first used for farming. In the early 1900s, a swimming hole was added. This swimming hole was fed by a creek.

Mr. Knoebel made the area a popular spot for picnics. People would come for Sunday trips. They even arrived in horse-drawn wagons for hayrides. Visitors could buy soft drinks, ice cream, and snacks. As "Knoebels Grove" became more popular, Mr. Knoebel rented out small plots of land. People built summer cottages along the creeks. Some of these old cottages are still there today.

First Rides and the Crystal Pool

In 1926, Knoebels added a restaurant. They also brought in a steam-powered carousel. It was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. A few simple games were added too. This was the start of Knoebels Amusement Park.

On July 4, 1926, a big concrete swimming pool opened. It was built where the old swimming hole used to be. This new pool had a special system to keep the water clean. It was called "The Crystal Pool." Since then, the park has grown around this pool. It now has over 50 rides, games, and food stands. A campground opened in 1962. It started with six sites. By 2004, the campground had 500 sites across 160 acres.

Dealing with Floods

Knoebels is located near creeks. Because of this, the park has faced many floods. On June 22, 1972, heavy rains from Hurricane Agnes caused a big flood. The creeks rose 6 feet over their banks. This flood damaged many buildings and 24 of the park's 25 rides. The roller rink building was fixed and later became the "Roaring Creek Saloon."

A new building was built after this flood. It became the Haunted Mansion dark ride, which opened in 1973. This ride is known as one of America's best dark rides.

The park also had major floods in 1975, 1996, 2004, 2006, and 2011. Each flood caused damage. The 1996 flood happened in winter. Everything froze, making cleanup very hard. In September 2004, the park partly reopened the same day after a flood.

On June 28, 2006, another large flood hit Knoebels. About 90 percent of the park was underwater. But the park staff worked quickly. Within two days, 60 percent of the rides were open again. Within four days, 90 percent were running. The Crystal Pool needed a lot of mud removed. It was closed for 10 days.

In 2008, a documentary was made about the park's Haunted House ride.

On September 7, 2011, Tropical Storm Lee caused another flood. The water levels were almost as high as in 1972. The damage was even greater. Still, most of the park reopened the very next weekend. They only missed two days of operation.

In 2013, Knoebels added StratosFear. This is the park's tallest ride at 148 feet. In 2015, a new roller coaster called Impulse opened. It replaced two older water rides.

On July 23, 2018, Knoebels flooded again. About 150 employees helped clean up. The park flooded once more on July 25, 2018. It reopened on July 27, 2018.

In 2023, a trolley that had been a cottage at Knoebels was moved to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.

How to Visit Knoebels

Knoebels offers free admission, free parking, and free entertainment. You don't need to pay to enter the park.

To ride the attractions, you can buy tickets. You can also get an all-day wristband. Wristbands are usually not available on weekends, except at the start and end of the season. There are also special "Sundown Plan" and "Bargain Nights" for discounts. The Haunted Mansion and the Crystal Pool cost extra.

Exciting Rides and Attractions

Knoebels has many different rides for everyone!

Roller Coasters: Thrills and Spills

Knoebels has six roller coasters. Two of its main wooden roller coasters are very famous. The Phoenix is often ranked among the top ten roller coasters in the world. The Twister is also highly rated.

Ride	Season		Manufacturer	Description	Photo
	Opened	Closed
High Speed Thrill Coaster	1955	2008	Overland Amusements	This steel roller coaster ran from 1955. It was thought to be the last Overland coaster left. It was a children's coaster but adults loved it too. It had lots of "airtime" on its small hills.
Jet Star	1977	1992	Schwarzkopf	A standard Jet Star coaster. It was removed from Knoebels after 1992. It later moved to Morey's Piers and then to France.
Phoenix	1985	Operating	Designed by Herbert Schmeck; Built by Philadelphia Toboggan Company	This wooden coaster was moved and rebuilt at Knoebels. It's often called one of the best wooden roller coasters. It has won first place in awards since 2018. The ride was built in 1947. It came from Playland Park in Texas. There, it was called Rocket.
Whirlwind	1993	2004	Vekoma	A double corkscrew roller coaster. It was removed after 2004. It opened where the Jet Star used to be. This ride came from Playland in New York. It later moved to Costa Rica.
Twister	1999	Operating	Designed by John Fetterman; Built in-house	A wooden coaster inspired by an older ride called Mr. Twister.
Flying Turns	2013	Operating	Designed by John Fetterman; Built in-house	A wooden bobsled roller coaster. It's like a design from the 1920s. It was finished in 2007 but took a long time to open. This was because of problems with the cars on the trackless course. It opened on October 5, 2013. It won an award for "Best New Ride" in 2014.
Kozmo's Kurves	2009	Operating	E&F Miler	A steel roller coaster that opened on August 1, 2009. It replaced the High Speed Thrill Coaster. Kozmo's Kurves was made to be fun for all ages, just like the old ride.
Black Diamond	2011	Philadelphia Toboggan Company	A steel indoor roller coaster. It used to be called the Golden Nugget at Morey's Piers. Knoebels bought its track and cars. It was built where a Bald Eagle Habitat used to be. The name "Black Diamond" honors the coal mining history of the area. It opened in October 2011 for Hallo-Fun Nights.
Impulse	2015	Operating	Zierer	A steel Impulse coaster that opened in 2015. It goes up 98 feet. It has a cobra roll, a vertical inversion, and a zero-g roll. It replaced the Bumper Boats and Boat Tag rides.

Carousels: Spin and Grab the Ring

Grand Carousel

Grand Carousel sign

Knoebels has two carousels. One is a small merry-go-round in Kiddieland. It was added in 1976. It was built in 1910 and is one of only two like it still working.

The other is the Grand Carousel, built in 1913. It has 63 hand-carved horses. Knoebels bought it in 1942 for $4,000. Today, it's one of the biggest carousels in the world. It's special because it still has a working ring dispenser. Riders on the outside horses can grab steel rings as they go by. If you grab the brass ring, your ride is free!

Three band organs play music for the riders. The largest, "Frati," was built in Germany in 1888. The smaller "Berni" organ is from 1910. Both have been at Knoebels since 1942. The Grand Carousel has won awards for being the best carousel since 2007. The competition was stopped in 2019 because the Grand Carousel always won! The S&G Carousel is the oldest ride in the park, and the Grand Carousel is the second oldest.

Trains: A Scenic Journey

The park has two miniature train rides.

Other Fun Rides

Haunted Mansion dark ride

Knoebels has over 63 other rides and attractions. These include a 110-foot tall Ferris wheel, a 55-foot tall log flume, and a 50-foot tall water ride called Sklooosh! There's also the Haunted Mansion and one of the last remaining Fascination game parlors in the U.S.

Delicious Food and Restaurants

Knoebels has many places to eat. You can find both sit-down restaurants and quick counter service. The park has won many awards for its food. Amusement Today gave Knoebels the Golden Ticket Award for Best Food almost every year from 2000 to 2018.

The park's Pizza and the International Food Court have even been shown on the Food Network.

Three Ponds Golf Course

Knoebels also has a golf course called Three Ponds Golf Course. It's very close to the park and campground. It's an 18-hole course with a restaurant.

Safety at Knoebels

Knoebels works hard to keep its guests safe. Like all amusement parks, sometimes incidents can happen. In 1999, there were reports of injuries on the Speed Slide. The park worked to improve safety and warnings for riders. All affected individuals fully recovered. Knoebels continues to focus on safety for all visitors.

See also

• Lawrence L. Knoebel Covered Bridge
• Incidents at independent amusement parks