When I saw this thread I tried to think of a way to describe why Knoebel’s is so great, but couldn’t really put my finger on it so I just threw out two of the highlights for me (bumper cars and teaberry ice cream). Words like “old-timey,” “family,” and “charming” come to mind, but don’t do it justice.
I thought about it a bit, and this is what it is:
It literally makes me feel like I’m a little kid again. I only started going to Knoebel’s when I was a teenager, so I’m not just remembering old times gone by, and I’m only 29 years old so it’s not like I was a boy in the '30’s when every park was like Knoebel’s. I worked summers at Hersheypark in high school and college, and enjoy all sorts of amusement parks, so I can deal with crowds and modern sprawled-out 6-flags style parks as well. It’s just that the fun I have at Knoebel’s feels exactly like the fun I had when I was 9 years old. I get off the bumper cars and practically run to the back of the line to queue up again. I sprint to get an outside horse on the carousel so I can pull the brass rings. I eat lots of ice cream. This sounds cheesy, but it’s like I get a taste of that carefree, happy, fun state of mind that you remember from your childhood but that fades with adolescence. There aren’t too many places you can recapture that feeling.
Just got back from a trip today. (Well, not back in NY, staying in a pretty good little motel in Bloomsburg.) Unfortunately, a lot of late rain and thunderstorms that shut down a lot of the park.
I think that part of what helps is that there is no upfront cost. Parking is free, admission is free, just pay for what you want to do. I went to Six Flags New England last year and hated just about every minute of it: $20 to park, something like $40 to get in, people line-jumping with that pass, overpriced food and long lines to get it, no shade, and way too many people. With Knoebels, you’re already in a decent mood because it was quick and easy to park and you just wander on in. Then you find that the rides are generally really good, the food is great and reasonably priced (I had half a barbecued chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, and gravy for dinner for I think $8.50), and generally everyone is just happy to be there overall.
I didn’t care for Black Diamond. I’d much rather that they’d get Flying Turns up and running.
The park and rides are on dirt/clay and not concrete so your feet don’t get sore? There are picnic grounds galore? Some of the trash cans have pig-heads on them that make an “oink!” sound when you throw in trash?
Nestled between some Pocono mountains so there is almost always a cool breeze, even on the hottest days of summer?
No mention of the ginormous Crystal Pool? It’s no Wildwater Kingdom, but, as with much else at Knoebel’s, it’s a well-maintained throwback to a time when 10-foot high dives and big metal slides were thrilling enough. The kiddie pool is great for the preschool set, and the huge shallow area of the main pool is perfect for those learning to swim.
I feel fortunate to have grown up with this park and to live close enough to carry on the tradition with my two kids (who are already head over heels). This will be our fourth year camping there with two other families, and we always leave with happy memories (even that time we got caught in the thunderstorm and all the lights went out while we were in the ball pit).
This DVD of the Haunted House ride is excellent. It gives a bit of history and shows what the ride is like with the lights on. Showing it to my six-year old made it a bit less frightening for him.
Also, the Knoebel’s Facebook page offers some great behind-the-scenes photos of the TLC that goes into maintaining such an old park. The images from last fall’s flooding (a strikingly regular occurrence) were heart-wrenching, but seeing the clean up process was fascinating and uplifting.
