Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, PA, is the crown jewel of affordable family fun and it’s FREE to walk in. That’s right, no admission fee. You pay per ride or grab an all-day wristband and ride until your kids’ hair is plastered to their foreheads and your snacks have been reduced to dust in your backpack.
With over 60 rides and attractions for every age and bravery level, Knoebels has something for everyone: thrill-seekers, merry-go-round purists, and parents just looking for an air-conditioned bench. Test your nerve on Phoenix, the world’s #1 wooden roller coaster since 2018, or get delightfully soaked on the Sklooosh, a tidal-wave-making boat ride that leaves riders (and spectators) drenched enough to wring out their socks.
The park’s accessibility program is one of the most thoughtful we’ve seen, requiring an IBCCES Accessibility Card to keep lines manageable for those who truly need it. There’s also a Low Sensory Room, adult changing facilities, and air-conditioned nursing spaces — real game-changers for families.
And the food - Award-winning comfort classics, from pierogies to pizza, all eaten under the shady trees of the beautiful Susquehanna River Valley backdrop. This is a park that started in 1926 as a swimming hole, and it still feels like the kind of place where childhood summers are made.
Business Review
Knoebels graciously hosted our family for the day, which means they gifted us our ride bracelets in exchange for our honest review. Translation: they let us loose in their park like over-caffeinated squirrels, and now you get the unfiltered scoop: wet shoes, Tilt-a-Whirl-induced dizziness, and all.
We hit Knoebels with a 7-month-old, a 3-year-old, a 6-year-old, an 8-year-old, and an 11-year-old because apparently we like to travel in full sitcom cast mode.
Our oldest, a roller-coaster-engineer-in-training, went straight for the “if it flips, dips, or makes your mother scream” rides. The 8-year-old was slightly more cautious, skipping Phoenix but braving Twister (and deciding once was plenty). The rest of the crew stuck to the kiddie and family rides, with my personal limit being the Tilt-a-Whirl — which hits a little different in your 40s but hey, I didn’t barf and I only peed a little.
Two ride highlights:
- Flying Turns – The world’s only wooden bobsled coaster, trackless and totally unpredictable. My favorite ride in the park and worth the one-and-done rule.
- Sklooosh – One massive drop, one massive tidal wave, and the sound of wet shoes squeaking back into line for round two.
Accessibility-wise, Knoebels is doing things right. We used the IBCCES Accessibility Pass for our 8-year-old, and I love that it requires verification so the system actually works for families who need it. Add in the air-conditioned nursing room, low sensory space, and adult changing area (a huge win for the disability community), and you’ve got a park that understands real families.
We left with happy kids, tired legs, and the faint smell of wet denim lingering in the car. Will we be back? Absolutely. But next time, I’m bringing extra socks.
