Knoebel's Amusement Resort

Knoebels Amusement Resort () is a family-owned and operated amusement park, picnic grove, and campground in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1926, it is the United States's largest free-admission park. The park has more than 60 rides including three wooden roller coasters, three steel roller coasters, a 1913 carousel, and two haunted house dark rides.

The amusement park is owned and operated by the Knoebel (pronounced ''kuh-NO-bel'') family. The park's name has traditionally been spelled "Knoebels" without the apostrophe, and appears that way on all official park advertising and correspondence.

The park and its rides have won awards from organizations such as ''Amusement Today'', American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE), and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. In 2014, Travel Channel rated Knoebels one of their Top 10 Family Friendly Amusement Parks in the United States.

History

Knoebels is located in a small wooded valley in central Pennsylvania. In 1828, a local man by the name of Henry Knoebel purchased the land for $931 (equivalent to $26,638 in 2024). The valley, originally known as "Peggy's Farm", was used as farming land until the early 1900s, when a creek-fed swimming hole was introduced. Knoebel turned the property into a popular picnic destination, attracting Sunday travelers and horse-drawn hayride wagons. Soft drinks, ice cream, and snacks were sold to visitors. As the popularity of "Knoebels Grove" grew, Knoebel leased plots of land along the creeks for use as summer cottage sites. Some of these privately owned cottages, as well as cottages Knoebel built and rented, still exist on the property today.

In 1926, Knoebels added a restaurant, a steam-powered Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) carousel, and a few simple games to the grove, marking the beginning of Knoebels Amusement Park. On July 4, 1926, a large concrete swimming pool was opened at the site of the old swimming hole. Featuring a filtration system that provided clean water instead of muddy creek water, the pool was named "The Crystal Pool". Since then, the park has developed around the pool, adding over 50 rides, assorted games, concession stands, and other attractions. A campground with six sites opened behind the amusement park in 1962, and as of 2004, the campground covered with 500 sites.

On June 22, 1972, both South Branch Roaring Creek and Mugser Run, creeks that run through Knoebels, rose over their banks, swollen with heavy rains from Hurricane Agnes. The flood destroyed six cottages and damaged many other buildings, including 24 of the park's 25 rides, as well as the roller rink. The roller rink building was re-floored and used as a skating rink until the mid-1980s, when it was converted into the "Roaring Creek Saloon", which now contains a concession stand, an arcade, the XD Theater, and performances. A new building constructed after the flood became the Haunted Mansion dark ride, which opened in 1973. The ride has been recognized as one of America's best dark rides by organizations such as Dark Ride and Funhouse Enthusiasts (DAFE) and the National Amusement Park Historical Association.

The park again suffered major flooding in 1975, 1996, 2004, 2006, and 2011. Each caused substantial damage, but the 1975 and 1996 floods occurred during the off-season. Although the January 1996 flood left substantial damage, the worst occurred after the waters receded, when everything froze, making cleanup and repair throughout the amusement park difficult. The September 2004 flood, caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ivan, was only a half-day affair, and the amusement park partially reopened by mid-afternoon.

On June 28, 2006, another large flood struck Knoebels. About 90 percent of the amusement park was underwater just prior to the July 4th weekend. As the waters began to recede, 60 percent of the park's attractions were reopened within two days, and 90 percent within four days. Because over 100 tons of mud had to be dug out of the Crystal Pool, it was closed for 10 days. The last ride to return to operation was the Kiddie Panther Cars, whose repairs took almost three weeks.

In 2008, the park’s dark ride was the subject of a one-hour documentary, "Laff In The Dark’s Behind The Scenes At Knoebel’s Haunted House".

On September 7, 2011, Knoebels experienced another flood, this time caused by Tropical Storm Lee. Water levels neared those of the flood of 1972, and damages exceeded that flood. The majority of the park reopened the following weekend, having missed only two days of operation.

For the 2013 season, Knoebels added StratosFear, the park's tallest ride at . In 2015, a new roller coaster opened named Impulse, which replaced two former rides, the bumper boats and boat tag.

On July 23, 2018, Knoebels was flooded when a creek overflowed and flooded the park. About 150 employees aided in cleaning up the park. The park then flooded again on July 25, 2018. The park reopened on July 27, 2018.

In 2023, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum acquired a trolley that had been converted into a cottage at Knoebels.

Admissions

The park offers free admission, free parking, and free entertainment. Visitors are able to ride the park's attractions by purchasing either pay-one-price, all-day/unlimited-access wristbands (which are not usually available on weekends, except near the beginning and end of each season), limited-access hand stamps, or books of tickets, with hand stamp costs varying depending on the height of the rider. Knoebels has several hand stamp options, such as "Sundown Plan" and "Bargain Nights", when the park offers discounts on regular ride passes. Knoebels all-day passes do not include the Haunted Mansion or the Crystal Pool, which are additional fees.

Rides and attractions

Roller coasters

Knoebels has six operating roller coasters. Knoebels' two main wooden roller coasters are well known, with Phoenix consistently rated in top ten lists and Twister ranking high as well.

Carousels

Knoebels has two carousels: one small merry-go-round in Kiddieland (added in 1976) which was built by Stein & Goldstein in 1910 of which is one of only two Stein & Goldstein carousels still standing; and Grand Carousel, a 1913 carousel built by Kremer's Carousel Works in Long Island City, with a frame by Charles I. D. Looff, and 63 hand-carved horses by Charles Carmel. It was purchased on January 26, 1942 from Riverside Park in Piscataway Township, New Jersey, for $4,000 (equal to $ today) and relocated to Knoebels. Today, Knoebels' Grand Carousel is one of the largest carousels in the world, with 63 horses and 3 chariots. It is one of the few carousels remaining with a working ring dispenser, allowing riders on the outside row of horses to reach out and grab steel rings as they pass. The rider who grabs the brass ring has the fee of the ride waived. Three band organs provide music for the riders. The largest, "Frati", was built in Germany in 1888 by Frati & Co. Berlin, and was converted to Artizan rolls in the 1920s. The smaller, outside organ is "Berni", a 1910 Gebruder Bruder, style 107, sold in the US by the August Berni Organ Company in New York. Frati and Berni have operated at Knoebels since their purchase in 1942. The smallest organ is a Wilhem Bruder organ, model 79, converted to a Wurlitzer 125 duplex roll system, and restored in 1996. Grand Carousel has consistently been voted the best carousel in the Golden Ticket Awards competition held by ''Amusement Today'' since 2007. The carousel competition was retired in 2019, because the Grand Carousel was undefeated. Today, Grand Carousel is the second-oldest ride in the park while the S&G Carousel is the oldest.

Trains

The park operates two separate miniature railways

Other rides and attractions

In addition to a Ferris wheel, a log flume, and a Chute-the-Chutes ride named Sklooosh!, Haunted Mansion, and one of the last remaining Fascination parlors in the United States, the park maintains more than 63 rides, including:

Former rides

* 1001 Nacht - Huss/Weber 1001 Nights
* Axis - Zamperla Mixer
* Boat Tag
* Bumper Boats
* Eli Ferris Wheel - Eli Bridge Company
* Flying Cages
* Fire Ball
* Frog Hopper
* German Carousel - Wilhelm Hennecke Uelzen
* Hey Dey - Spillman Manufacturing
* High Speed Thrill Coaster - Overland Amusements
* Jet Star - Schwarzkopf
* Kiddie Carousel - Allan Herschell Company
* Kiddie Cars - Allan Herschell Company
* Kiddie Planes
* Kiddie Wheel
* Lindy Loop - Spillman Manufacturing
* Merry-Go-Round - E Joy Morris
* Moon Rocker - Overland Amusements
* Spindle
* Space Ship - Raised up and converted into Sky Slide
* Strat-O-Ship
* Over The Top - SBF/Visa. Operated for only a few weeks in the 2018 season before being removed due to complications.
* Wipeout - Removed following the 2020 season
* The Whip - Earlier 8-car model replaced by the 12-car Whipper
* Whirlwind - Vekoma portable Whirlwind roller coaster

Restaurants and food

Knoebels has restaurants throughout the park, both sit-down and counter service in nature. These eateries have contributed toward the park winning awards from organizations which judge amusement park food, including ''Amusement Today's'' Golden Ticket Award for Best Food every year from 2000 to 2012. The park tied with Dollywood in 2013, but Knoebels reclaimed the prize in 2015, 2016, and 2018.

The park's Cesari's Pizza, now simply named Pizza, and the International Food Court were featured on a Food Network special. The alligator bites served at the International Food Court were selected by Delish.com as one of the top seven daring amusement park foods.

Three Ponds Golf Course

Knoebels Three Ponds Golf Course is located on Pennsylvania Route 487, roughly a quarter mile from the park and campground. It is a par 71 eighteen-hole golf course which provides two nine-hole layouts. There is also a restaurant on the golf course grounds.

Incidents

In 1999, an attorney representing two girls who sustained injuries while riding Speed Slide discovered 15 injuries had been reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Ride and Measurement Standards in recent years. Both girls underwent emergency surgery. The park was charged with negligence, failure to monitor the amount of force of the water and its effect on riders, failure to fix defects, and failure to provide adequate warnings to riders. Both of the plaintiffs fully recovered.

See also

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

Further reading

* Futrell, Jim. ''Amusement Parks of Pennsylvania''. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 2002.
* Deitz, Harry J. ''Knoebels: An Amusement Park with a Heart''. Reading, Pennsylvania: Westlawn Graphic, 2001. (Now out of print)

References

External links

Knoebels Amusement Resort official site
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Park history
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{{Authority control

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Amusement parks in Pennsylvania
1926 establishments in Pennsylvania
Swimming venues in Pennsylvania
Tourist attractions in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
Tourist attractions in Columbia County, Pennsylvania
Buildings and structures in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
Buildings and structures in Columbia County, Pennsylvania
Family-owned companies of the United States