Looking for a Spring Break adventure or a day trip to take with the kids? Consider Knoebel’s Amusement Park in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, a homespun park with something for everyone.
For Nick’s birthday for the past few years, he has opted to go away for an overnight with a friend (and his Mom and sister, of course, as well). A few years ago, it was to the Philadelphia area and we visited the zoo and CoCo Key. Two years ago, it was a trip to Dorney Park and the Lost River Caverns, and last year, it was to Knoebel’s.
Knoebel’s can best be described as a family-style amusement park, and this was our first time visiting. Like many theme parks, it has rides for every age level, something for little kids, and the scaredy cats, and many large coasters and thrill rides.
While the boys took on this ride, Madeline and I bought them shirts that said “I Survived the Twister.” We were optimistic.
The park has planned their additions of rides carefully over the years, and many have come from other amusements parks. One coaster arrived after a stint at Coney Island, and the Phoenix, a wooden roller coaster, is consistently ranked amongst the Top 10 Wooden Roller Coasters in the US.
But beyond its comparisons to other, reasonably close, amusement parks, Knoebel’s is also … slightly different. It has a decidedly homespun feel to it, for starters, and is a frequent destination for campers and family reunions. It has many rentable log cabins and camp sites available on the premises, and it has a unique and rich history, which you can read more about here. Although it was very crowded when we were there in August, there is enough going on in the park that the lines to get on the rides weren’t too terrible. Heaps better than its Six Flags counterparts for sure. And, perhaps most importantly for the budget-conscious, it is free admission.
Free admission.
Which is HUGE.
Because all the other parks charge high admission prices, which hurt your wallet when it’s for a little one that can only go on a handful of rides. Or a parent that doesn’t really like rides. Or a grandparent that is just there to watch their grandkids have a fun day.
Which makes Knoebel’s extra alluring.
You buy however many tickets you want for the rides you want to go on. Need more tickets? Stop at one of the many ticket booths located throughout the park. Are you the designated phone-and-camera-holder for the day and not planning on riding any rides? Then it’s FREE for you.
Pretty awesome, right?
We arrived at the park around noon and this is what the parking lot looked like.
Still plenty of parking, but it was a bit of a hike. Which means my Dad was probably onto something when we arrived at theme parks right when they opened when he took my sister and I as kids.
We ended up leaving the park around dinner time, which gave us about six hours to hit most of the rides, some of them several times.
The park also has a downloadable free app, which will give you details about all of the rides and a layout of the park, which is very convenient and saves you from carrying around one of those hard-to-read paper maps.
A fun destination for everyone in the family, and one we’ll definitely be going back to.
391 Knoebels Boulevard
Elysburg, PA 17824
Oh goodness, this brings back memories! My mom’s family is from the Wilkes-Barre area, and we visited Knoebels often as kids. That was where I got my first taste of birch beer, and I’ve never been the same since! :) Such a fun place!
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The kids loved it – we would definitely go back.
Wow, there are so many interesting amusement rides in Knoebel’s Amusement Park! Most of these rides are so attractive but I have never try it! It is so pity!
And summer coming and inflatables is more attractive in the hot summer, especially the inflatable water slides.