Knoebels Amusement Park Guide: Old-Fashioned Family Fun in Elysburg, Pennsylvania

๐Ÿ“ ๐—ž๐—ป๐—ผ๐—ฒ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—น๐˜€ ๐—”๐—บ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜ – 391 Knoebels Boulevard, Elysburg, PA 17824

welcome to Knoebels Amusement Resort, pronounced โ€œkeh-know-bulls,โ€ Americaโ€™s largest family-owned & operated amusement park with ๊œฐส€แด‡แด‡ Parking, ๊œฐส€แด‡แด‡ Admission, & ๊œฐส€แด‡แด‡ Entertainment.

With over 60 rides, attractions & award-winning dining options, thereโ€™s something for everyone at Knoebels where weโ€™re making new memories, the old fashioned way!

The Knoebels Story

Knoebels opened on July 4th, 1926 with the Crystal Pool, merry-go-round & Food Stands. Today, after celebrating the Parkโ€™s 96th birthday in 2022, Knoebels features over 60 traditional amusement park attractions nestled on 45 picturesque acres of northern central Pennsylvania & the Resort has been committed to providing affordable family fun ever since.

Knoebels Amusement Park is set on 150 acres with an old-school atmosphere & the Park is welcoming & perfectly picturesque.


Affordable Family Fun

When it comes to a day of family fun, we want to go somewhere that everyone can enjoy. Often times, there are members of our group who are limited in what they can ride due to mobility issues, motion sickness, fears of heights, etc. & the high cost of admission isnโ€™t justified.

However, thatโ€™s not the case at Knoebels Amusement Resort because there is no cost for admission. There is only a cost to ride, so if Grandma & Grandpa are just here for the memories, they donโ€™t have to worry about paying that high price admission ticket just to enter the Park.


Fun the Old Fashioned Way

Knoebels is famous for traditional amusement park attractions. Their specialty is bringing new life to attractions from the past which means baby boomers, gen zโ€™s & millennials can all enjoy classic amusement park & carnival attractions together that they may not experience otherwise in todayโ€™s big name amusement parks.

Not a coaster enthusiast? Thatโ€™s okay because from classic dark rides like the Haunted Mansion to a Ferris wheel, thereโ€™s no shortage of things to ride at Knoebels – including log flumes & a water park! Swim & slide your way around the Crystal Pool waterpark which contains 900,000 gallons of refreshing mountain water, two sets of water slides & a splash zone for little ones where everyone can cool off on those hot summer days.

In the summer, those water rides really hit the spot. Don’t get us wrong, there are plenty of shaded areas & benches throughout Knoebels to keep yourself cool in that hot summer sun but if you love water rides – Knoebels has some of the best!


Travel along for our First visit to Knoebels Amusement Resort


Coasters

Rack up your coaster credits on Knoebels award-winning roller coasters including Phoenix, one of the best roller coasters weโ€™ve ever ridden!

Our favorite ride of the day was Flying Turns, a unique trackless bobsled roller coaster that had us swooping & swerving through some very hair raising turns. The line for this ride may have been the longest line we waited in all day at 60 minutes, but it was entirely worth the wait in every way!

If you canโ€™t tell from our photos below, we all truly had an absolute blast on this ride that wins our vote for the most unique attraction weโ€™ve ever ridden at an amusement park! Weโ€™ve never experienced anything like Flying Turns before & we canโ€™t wait to return to Knoebels Amusement Resort to experience it again.


Ticket to Ride

Knoebels attractions operate on a ticket system. Ticket Books are available in $5.00, $20.00, and $50.00 increments & the best part is any unused tickets are good FOREVER! Remember when Walt Disney World and Disneyland used to do that? Yeah, that’s long gone – but not at Knoebels!!!

Thatโ€™s right – pay-per-ride ticket books NEVER EXPIRE! As if you needed any more reasons to plan your next and future family vacations at Knoebels, this is perhaps our most favorite feature of this fun old-fashioned amusement park.

Thank You to Knoebels for Hosting our Day

โ€œRide-all-Dayโ€ unlimited ride passes are available weekdays in June, July & August while weekends are pay-per-ride โ€œtickets onlyโ€ (no ride passes). In addition, โ€œBargain Nightsโ€ are available select weeknights throughout the summer season making Knoebels the perfect spot for your next family vacation.

Fantastic Food

Whether youโ€™re visiting for the rides or the memories, do yourself a favor and try some of Knoebels unique & delicious menu items. From popcorn & pierogis to gator bites and chocolate-covered cheesecakes, thereโ€™s something for everyone on the menu at Knoebels.

In case you didnโ€™t know, the food at Knoebels is award-winning and has been named Best Park Food over 18 times! If thatโ€™s not enough of a reason to try a few bites, the aroma of fresh cut French fries & fried funnel cakes will win you over while walking through the park. Whatever you do, donโ€™t skip on the pierogis, gator bites, potato cakes & ice cold lemonade.


Fun for the Whole Family

Knoebels is disability-friendly. guests can rent wheelchairs, wagons & strollers & there are plenty of benches throughout for resting, & the Park offers special armbands for guests with disabilities available at First Aid.

Knoebels is also pet-friendly which means the entire family can join the fun! Although our girls couldnโ€™t join us due to the heat, we saw so many pups throughout the Park who were having a blast! Just remember, pets must be leashed, under control & cleaned up after. Pets may not enter giftshops, restaurants and most rides or be left unattended at any time.


When to Visit

Knoebels is open April through December featuring โ€œHallo-Funโ€ weekends in the Fall & โ€œJoy through the Groveโ€ during the holiday season & we canโ€™t wait to return as a family for these seasonal events. You also wont want to miss Bargain Nights & Ride All Day Specials on weekdays throughout the summer. If you can make the trip on a weekday, this is perhaps the biggest savings offered!


Where to Stay

Turn your visit to Knoebels into a full on family vacation at the famous Knoebels Park Campground! Pitch a tent, park an RV, or stay in a rustic log cabin, or book a night at a quaint bed and breakfast all on site. Camping with our girls at Knoebels is something weโ€™ve always wanted to do, and sadly we werenโ€™t able to on this trip, but stay tuned!

Unlike other amusement parks Knoebels is NOT cashless & welcomes your cash which is great for folks who arenโ€™t fans of plastic.


More than an Amusement Park

Three Ponds 18-hole championship golf course offers affordable greens fees, great elevation changes & fantastic greens. It began as a 9-hole course located on a hillside with three ponds, hence the name “Three Ponds.

The views along the fairways are spectacular, and it’s perfect for both first-time & experienced players with challenging but rewarding holes. We’re also told The Nickle Plate, the course restaurant, has great food offerings. On our next visit to Knoebels, we plan to have dinner at The Nickle Plate.


A very big thank you to Knoebels for hosting our fun-filled family outing & truly one of our best amusement park days ever!

Have you visited or are you planning to visit Knoebels? Let us know in the comments below & be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of our Knoebels fun!

The comments, opinions, and views set forth on this site are the reflected personal positions of the siteโ€™s creators. Although our visit to Knoebels Amusement Resort was a hosted visit in exchange for our review, this site is not an affiliate of Knoebels Amusement Resort and all opinions are our own. The comments, opinions, and views set forth within this site are not the official positions of Knoebels Amusement Resort, and they do not reflect the Companyโ€™s position.

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy an item from our post, we may make a commission at no cost to you.

One Comment Add yours

  1. Charlotte Gentry's avatar Charlotte Gentry says:

    Iโ€™d love to have a free booklet or brochure about this place and its surroundings. If you have anything with special offers and coupons, please send me some. Thank you.

Leave a Reply