Knoebels is an old, vintage amusement park that open in 1926 in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. We didn't know what to expect upon entering the park with it being an older park with what seemed like more traditional, carnival-like rides from the preliminary research we had done prior to entering the park. To say we were blown away, is an understatement. The best way we could describe it was as a "ma and pa" theme park that just felt like an "at home" place. Knoebel's was full of wonderful things that will be detailed in this post.
Prior to arriving at the park we purchased the following:
$55 All Day Ride Passes (x2)
Things to Know:
*The park is free admission, entertainment and parking, but for rides you can either buy separate tickets per ride OR an all-day pass for $55 each. We calculated with all the riding that we did that we would've spent about $10-$15 more than the all day pass cost. If you are someone who will run and get back on rides over an over, you could save a lot of money!
*If you buy separate tickets, you can buy a ticket book that never expires.
*This park is NOT cashless, and has the original penny collector machines.
*The food options are inexpensive. We got a whole pizza for under $20 (and it was delicious), and you can also get slices for a few bucks. We were really pleased with the cost of food!
*The Haunted Mansion Ride is NOT included in admission, and is an extra fee. ($3.50 each)
Pros and Cons:
One of the aspects of Knoebel's that I love is the nostalgia feeling you get when being at the park. It has the perfect combination of thrill and the original fair/carnival type rides. Additionally, we visited during a week day and the crowds were not bad at all. We were able to ride everything we wanted with ease, and there was no standing in long lines waiting for anything. The longest we had to wait was maybe 10-15 minutes at the most. The park seemed to be a fan favorite among Pennsylvania natives as well. As we interacted with people about our trip in the state, many people gave great reviews about Knoebels and referred to it as their "favorite park" in the state to visit. Another positive about the park was the price of food. We felt it was a good price, especially for a theme park. Usually, one whole meal is around $20 per person at theme parks, but you could easily get a meal for half of that (or less). The best positive of the park was the staff. They were all super friendly and welcoming. The employee who ran the truck trolley from the parking lot to the park was the kindest person with a smile on her face the whole ride. This makes the experience at theme parks that much better! Lastly, the park had more than just rides. They had museums, a bald eagle enclosure, and live shows for guest to enjoy.
The downside of Knoebels was the lack of rollercoasters. They had some thrill rides beyond the coasters such as Black Diamond, the Plunge, some spinning rides, but technically only 3 rollercoasters. This is a low number compared to some other theme parks. Also, when we went a lot of the gift shops and some of the stores were closed that we would've loved to go in to. I think it was due to the lack of a crowd and it being a weekday, but as a traveler I like to see all the things that are available for purchase. The Haunted Mansion not being included in the all-day ride pass was also a bummer due to its popularity, and we only rode it once because we didn't want to pay for extra tickets again. They also only had one cart for the wooden coasters, which added a bit of wait time.
Top 5 Rides
Phoenix: This wooden coaster was nothing short of exciting. My boyfriend raved about this one the entire day. We got to experience this coaster 3 times, and all 3 times were equally exciting. At some points during the ride, it did feel like you were flying! It is a bumpy ride, but the ride itself is an awesome design. This ride would cost $4.50 per person/per ride if you were buying individual tickets.
Impulse: The Impulse is the only steel coaster in the park. It has a 90 degree fall and a vertical lift hill. It was seemingly one of the more popular rides among guest as this was the longest we had to wait. It also can only load 8 people per car. The ride was a great thrill with its drops, cobra roll, and more! This ride would also cost $4.50 per person/per ride if you were buying individual tickets.
Haunted Mansion: As mentioned above, this ride is NOT included in the all-day ride pass you can purchase. However, it is definitely worth the ride. This year was their 50th anniversary for the ride, and they had special tickets and an area for a photo opportunity. I am a BIG chicken when it comes to intentionally scary things, but this ride I found to be extremely scary as did my boyfriend. We were jumping and screaming at every turn. There are constant things popping out throughout the ride as you tour the mansion. This ride would cost $3.50 per person/per ride.
Flying Turns: This ride is truly one of a kind. It is essentially a wooden bobsled coaster. Each car leaves the rails for a ride controlled only by the forces of gravity and momentum. It is completely trackless, which is a bizarre concept. I had never been on a ride of this type before. Flying Turns is a modern remake of an old classic, and it will not disappoint the adrenaline seekers! We rode this ride two times, and each time was different. This ride does have a weight limit of 400 lbs. per cart, and they do weigh you before allowing you on the ride due to the restrictions. Your weight is not shown. It just simply tells them if you are capable of riding the ride, especially if you want to ride with a partner. This ride would also cost $4.50 per person/per ride if you were buying individual tickets.
Twister: Twister is the other wooden coaster in the park, and was built in-house. This ride had twists (as mentioned in the name), turns, drops, and dark tunnels that you plunge through. The ride is also over 2 minutes long. Twister is based off a blue print from the Mister Twister that is located in Elitch Gardens in Colorado. We really enjoyed this ride, but felt as though the Phoenix was a bit better of a ride.
Overall Review
Throughout our whole Pennsylvania theme park road trip, this was definitely the most easy going and laid back park of the 4 we visited (Hershey, Dorney, Kennywood, Knoebels). As true adrenaline junkies, we were unsure about visiting due to the lack of coasters in the park; however, we found that this became one of our favorites due to the vibes and old-school feel of the park. From the wait times to the lower costs to the cheerful employees, we had a wonderful time at Knoebels. We would highly recommend this park to a variety of audiences!
Our Overall Rating: 8/10
Travel Tandem Ratings Scale:
1-4/10: Below Average (Could Skip)
5-6/10: Average (Recommend)
7-8/10: Great (Highly Recommend)
9-10/10: LOVED IT! (Must Go)
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