Interview with Brian Knoebel
Photos courtesy of Knoebels Amusement Resort

Brian Knoebel, co-owner and president of world-famous Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, discusses what distinguishes his family’s park from others as it celebrates its centennial.

For those who may not know, what does Knoebels offer parkgoers?

We have seventy-plus attractions, including nearly sixty rides, our kiddie play area, and a 900,000-gallon pool with four water slides. There are also over two dozen games to enjoy.

Another big reason people come here is our food. We have thirty-eight food stands, and we’ve won the Golden Ticket award, which names the world’s best park food, twenty-two times. So we really focus on food quality. But we actually have no choice—my dad [park president from 1988–2025 and current president emeritus] is known for saying “It better be good. I eat all my meals here.” [Laughs]

What else makes Knoebels stand out from other amusement parks?

For starters, parking and entry are free; instead of gates, a gravel pathway and a canopy of trees welcome you. I also challenge you to find another park that has as many benches as we do. We’re perfectly content if you come in, find a shady spot, sit, and people-watch. Sure, we appreciate you buying an ice-cream cone or tickets for rides, but we don’t force it; when grandma and grandpa get satisfaction out of seeing their grandkids enjoy the rides, maybe they’ll ride something like our Pioneer Train themselves.

We found our niche long ago—allowing folks to get away from life and remember simpler times—and we’re not going to change that focus. We are a multigenerational family park: third and fourth generations are running it, and third- and fourth-generation families visit it regularly.

What notable changes has Knoebels made over the last hundred years?

One of the first important ones was investing in filtration for the Crystal Pool, which kept us open while other parks without it closed. Bringing the Grand Carousel here in 1941 was another; it’s become a focal point in the park. Also, my family was farmers prior to Knoebels opening, but they traded their best potato field for the Crystal Pool in 1926 and part of their tree farm for the park campground in 1963.

The latter was an especially wise choice, because it now has 600 sites on about 150 acres.

Still, when I grew up in the 1970s, Knoebels wasn’t overly busy. My cousins and I even played kickball in front of our park office without much interruption. But the Phoenix, our first wooden roller coaster, opened in 1985—and my dad eliminated our kickball field when the park became busier because of it! So I’d say that one really put us on the map. In addition, our tallest wooden roller coaster, the Twister, opened in 1999, adding a totally different guest experience.

Is the variety of guest experiences here key to your success as well?

Yes. There’s something for everyone, from the rides to mini golf to a mining sluice and museum to a blacksmith exhibit. Plus, you’re within walking distance of the park when you stay at our park campground or cottages. In fact, we have cottages located near the Phoenix and campsites right behind the Twister. People request to stay there, using the roar of the roller coaster zooming by as the greatest alarm clock in the world. Where else can you do that?

Can you reveal what the park’s going to be doing to celebrate one hundred years?

We’re keeping the details a secret, but we’re focusing on our history and tradition. We’ll have special events and promotions and a season-long celebration. So I can’t tell you too much, but hopefully our fans will love it. Stay tuned!

For more info, visit knoebels.com