How to Visit Knoebels Amusement Park

Knoebels Amusement Park is an understated, fun amusement park in Pennsylvania, and we share everything you need to know to plan a trip.

Are you planning on visiting Knoebels Amusement Park soon? Famed for being the USA’s biggest free-entry theme park, there’s no place quite like it in the country to get your next hit of adrenaline.

Set in the state of Pennsylvania in the small town of Elysburg, Knoebels opened up to the public in 1926 and has been giving Americans and tourists their thrills ever since.

With over 60 rides and attractions, you might find your first trip to Knoebels a little overwhelming because of its size. But not to worry, in this guide, we will show you exactly how to visit Knoebels Amusement Park so you hit the ground running.

Let’s get started.

Planning a trip to Knoebels Amusement Park

Getting to Knoebels

How you’ll get to Knoebels depends on where you’re coming from. You have a couple of transport options available to you:

Directions to Knoebels via I-80 West: Exit on one of the three off-ramps, 232, 236, or 241, pass over the bridge, and head south onto PA 487 for 6 miles.

Directions to Knoebels via I-80 East: Turn off at the Danville exit 224 for PA Route 54, turning left through Danville itself. PA 45 will turn left to Elysburg and take another left at PA 487 at the lights, and you’ll arrive.

Directions to Knoebels via I-81 South: Close to the city of Hazleton, you need to make a turn at the I-80 and I-81 junction and drive up the I-80 west until you come to one of these three exits (you can take any of them) 232, 236, or 241 and observe the directions we mentioned for I-80 West.

Directions to Knoebels via I-81 North: Look out from the Minersville exit 116 and take the left turn, which will bring you onto Route 901. Keep driving until you reach PA Route 487 and take a right there.

TIP: Not only is admission free at Knoebels, but so is parking, and you don’t have to reserve your space in advance.

Knoebels Address:

391 Knoebels Blvd

Route 487

Elysburg, PA 17824

Driving from Pittsburgh to Knoebels: Follow the directions above.

Knoebels from Pittsburgh via bus: Although it’s a long journey to come to Knoebels by bus, it’s still possible, but you’ll have to take two bus rides and a taxi to get there. Buses depart from Pittsburgh Intermodal Station every 4 hours and go to Harrisburg Bus Station; the journey takes 3 hours and 25 minutes. Then you have to hop on another bus to Sunbury Amtrak Bus Stop (they run every 15 minutes) for 1 hour and 15 minutes and get a 25-minute taxi from there.

Parking at Knoebels

Not only is admission free at Knoebels, but so is parking, and you don’t have to reserve your space in advance. 

There are plenty of zones, too; if you’re struggling to find a space, ask one of the attendants, and they can locate one for you.

Best Food at Knoebels

Knoebels has a bunch of dining options available for visitors, from BBQ-styled shacks to pizza parlors. You’re going to be spoiled for choice.

Here’s what to expect:

• Alamo – A nice mix of meats like beef and turkey, fish, and Italian favorites.
• Alamo Front Counter – Typical fast food such as hamburgers, hotdogs, and ice cream.
• Backyard BBQ – BBQ snacks, including Turkey legs, pork chops, and roasted corn.
• French Fry Stand – Fresh cut fries.
• International Food Court – Serving US, Mexican, Polish, and lots more types of cuisine.
• Knickle Plate – Pub food like wings and burgers.
• Oasis Cafeteria – All-you-can-eat spaghetti, BBQ chicken, and tea and coffee.
• Oasis Pizza – Pizza like you’d find in Italy.
• Potatoe Barn – Loaded potatoes.

Knoebels Snack Stops

• Bavarian Nuts – Offering a nice range of almonds, pecans, pretzels, and cotton candy.
• Candy Apple Orchard – Apple-flavored slushies.
• Casa de Refrescos – Tasty refreshments like cotton candy, sodas, pretzels, and slushies.
• Cookie Nook – Baked cookies fresh from the oven.
• Dippin Dots’ – Futuristic-styled ice cream.
• Dole Soft Serve – Yummy Dole Soft Serve ice creams.
• Funnel Cakes – Sweet and extra doughy funnel cakes.
• Kettle Korn – Fresh popcorn.
• Lemon – Hand-pressed lemonade.
• Mix It Up – Ice-cold rainbow slushies.
• Old Mill Ice Cream – Crispy cones and luscious sundaes.
• Old Mill Shake Shack – Flavored milkshakes.
• Starbuck’s Express + East – Refuel with some caffeine.
• And much, much more!

Best Rides at Knoebels 

Knoebels has 60 rides and attractions; some are suited for extreme thrill seekers, like the Impule Rollercoaster, while others are better for families, such as the Crazy Sub. Regardless, you’ll find something for everyone, no matter what you are.

It’s important to note whatever ride you want to go on, you’ll be charged a small fee. The prices range between $1.50 to $4.50; the wilder the ride, the higher the fee is usually.

Best Thrill Rides

• Twister is Knoebel’s high-speed wooden coaster with tonnes of twists and turns sure to make you dizzy.
• Hop in your own tub on the Tornado and prepare to spin in circles like never before.
• Plunge 50 feet into a pool of water on the Skloosh. There’s no chance anyone is getting off this one dry.
• Creep up to the top of a 148-foot tower on the Stratosfear and soak up a fantastic view of the park. Don’t get too comfortable because, after that, you’ll free fall at a speed of up to 47 mph.
• Explore a haunted coal mine with pitch-dark tunnels to track down the spirits of miners who passed away on the Black Diamond. Remember, in darkness, ghosts find their voices.
• Test your nerves on Impulse, a supersonic coaster with a hair-raising 90-degree free fall that will have your heart pounding out of your chest.

Best Family Rides

• Enjoy a peaceful 14-minute chair lift on the Scenic Skyway to the mountain, which overlooks Knoebels.
• Feel what it’s like to be a real-life submarine rider on the Crazy Sub that features all the motions like the real thing, only you don’t go underwater.
• Ride the tiny Old Smokey Steam Train through a forest on a typical wooden train track.
• Soar high in the sky on the Balloon Race ride, exactly like a hot air balloon.
• The Giant Wheel is unlike any other Ferris wheel out there, reaching up to a whopping 110 feet; the views from the top are insane.

Best Kids Rides

• Let the kids feel what it’s like to be sailors on the Kiddies Boats.
• The Pony Carts let your little ones grab the reigns and ride off into the sunset.
• Experience the skies from a pilot’s seat on the Helicopters ride.
• Cub Cars are like go-karting, only for kids.

Important Ride Restrictions

Minimum height 48″ – Twister, Black Diamond, Tornado, Stratosfear, and Impulse.

Minimum height 42″ – Scenic Skyway, Phoenix, Satellite, and Italian Trapeze,

Minimum height 36″ – Giant Flume, Kosmo’s Kurves, Paradrop, Ribbit, Sklooosh, Panther Cars, Paratrooper, Tumbling Timbers, and Paradrop.

Knoebels Amusement Park Map

Knoebels Amusement Resort Hours

Knoebels Resort’s opening hours vary depending on the time of year. During the summer season, June to August, they tend to open every day from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. 

As for the remainder of the year, the park usually only opens on Saturdays, Sundays, and sometimes Fridays, from 12 p.m. until 7 a.m.

Make sure to double-check the dates and times on their website beforehand.

Vacation Rentals Near Knoebels Museum Park

There are a handful of fantastic accommodation options near Knoebels you should look into if you want to stay in the area for a night or two.

Some of them include:

Best Western Danville Inn is a stunning hotel with an impressive range of facilities like an indoor pool, cozy, expansive double bedrooms, and free parking. Plus, breakfast is included. The rooms here start at $113 but tend to increase as time goes on.

Pine Barn Inn lies only 12.9 kilometers from Knoebels and has everything you need on-site for a comfortable stay, from well-appointed guestrooms for $172 a night to a gorgeous restaurant.

Super 8 by Wyndham Danville is a budget-friendly option offering beautiful king-sized rooms with a traditional American breakfast every morning. A night stay here will only set you back $90, and there’s even free parking on-site.

Go all out at Hampton Inn Bloomsburg. The rooms here are pretty expensive, starting at $206, but for what you get, it’s definitely worth it if you’re fond of some luxury from time to time. Queen-sized beds, a pool and jacuzzi area, and a modern gym with the latest equipment, what else could you want?

Shamokin Bed and Breakfast is a lovely little property providing sizable guestrooms for a decent rate of only $112 a night. All the rooms have a flat-screen TV, gorgeous private ensuite bathrooms, complimentary premium toiletries, and high-speed Wi-Fi connection throughout.

Red Roof Inn Danville, PA, is perfect if you’re visiting Knoebels with your family, as the rooms are available for $100 a night, but that includes two double beds per room. They also offer some great BBQ facilities, a free parking area, vending machines with snacks and sodas, and Wi-Fi for all guests.