In 2025 I was so busy traveling across the United States and visiting parks I had never been to before. During all that hustle and bustle I never got to visit Knoebels. I try to visit the park at least once a year, but sadly in 2025 that did not happen.
Here in 2026, the park celebrated its 100th anniversary and I wanted to make sure I found some time to head back. And like I’ve done so many times before, introduce some more people to this amazing place. With the June trip to Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) cut short due to rain, I asked my coworkers if they’d like to do another trip. Most of the ones who went to SFGAdv said yes and a few more who weren’t able to go on that trip wanted to attend this one. I figured out a date that worked and our plans were set.
Introducing Even More People to Knoebels
My first-ever visit to Knoebels came in 2011. I had wanted to visit the park for years prior, but I was not as immersed into this hobby as I am today. It was actually the relocation of the Golden Nugget from Morey’s Piers in Wildwood, N.J. to the park in 2011 that made me finally visit. That coaster was special to me as I rode it in my youth more times than I could count with my grand-parents.
It took me all of one visit to fall in love with Knoebels and ever since then I have been telling anyone and everyone who listens to visit the park. Between my praise of the park and taking friends/co-workers there myself, I’ve easily introduced somewhere between 100-150 people to this park for the first time. I’ve arranged numerous work trips to this park with one trip having over 70 people attend. While this one was about one-third that size, it still is a bunch of new visitors for the park.
Furthermore, whenever someone asks me what parks they should visit in this area, I always tell them to consider Knoebels and sing its praises. I’ve written down the park’s web address on so many pieces of paper to customers I’ve met at work and people I meet out and about. Best of all, not a single person has ever told me that they didn’t enjoy the park. I’ve had countless people thank me for the recommendation. Some have told me they now go annually and have told their friends, family, and coworkers about it too. I love to hear their stories and know that the park has meant something to all of them.
All that said, this visit was yet another visit where my coworkers and I rode some great rides and tried a bunch of the park’s food. This trip was a blast and we got to spend a full day enjoying the park. Here were some of our ride highlights:
Phoenix
We went straight to Phoenix to start the day. I couldn’t wait to see everyone’s reactions to the coaster’s airtime and buzz bar restraints. I only told people that the ride was considered among the best wooden coasters out there by coaster nerds like myself. I kept my mouth shut on the airtime barrage that they’d experience though. I figured it would be best to just let it happen.
And while I found our first Phoenix ride to feel a little sluggish and lacking, it was still surprising to mostly everyone. I did have Sam, Jen, and Eric along as well. Naturally, they all have ridden and love this coaster and felt as I did. It just goes to show you that us enthusiasts might nitpick something that the average person visiting the park wouldn’t even notice.
Later in the day we did head back over to Phoenix and found the ride to be running much better. A lot of those coworkers were still surprised by the crazy airtime on their second and/or third rides too.
Black Diamond
Whenever I am showing new visitors around the park I always make sure I take them to Black Diamond. I’ve talked with people who have visited the park on my recommendation who didn’t even know the ride was there or that it was a roller coaster. I’m guessing some people think it’s part of the nearby museum? I’m not sure. I do know that from the outside building, unless you look into the loading station you probably wouldn’t know what the building is for. I do wish there was a sign or some kind of wording addition to the building that said “coaster” on it.
As usual this ride gave everyone a few surprises with its dark ride-like elements. The on-ride photos were some of the wildest I’ve seen. With only a few of us knowing the ride’s ending/photo spot, many of my coworkers had some crazy expressions. It was and always is a fun time. I’m so glad Knoebels saved this ride.
Impulse
After we stopped to eat, we made our way back to the front of the park to ride Impulse. When we got there the line was barely out of the station and onto the stairs. I said we should ride it twice. Everyone else agreed.
Having experienced numerous vertical lift coasters now, Impulse is one of the least extreme. That’s okay though because what it does do, it does well. It’s always been a comfortable ride and one that stands out from everything else at the park. Just like every other ride they did, my coworkers ended up loving the ride with a couple of them picking it as their favorite at the park. Once again, it just goes to show you that what us coaster nerds think isn’t always what others do.
Final Ride Counts
Black Diamond (1)
Flying Turns (1)
Giant Flume (1)
Grand Carousel (2: Jen)
Haunted Mansion (1)
Impulse (2)
Phoenix (3)
StratosFear (1: Patrick, Jen)
Twister (1)
A Fun Time with One Complaint
Between all the amazing rides, great food, and seeing numerous coworkers experience the park for the first time, there was only one drawback from our visit. This drawback is one I’ve seen becoming more of a trend in recent years at Knoebels. That trend is one train operations during weekdays. I get it. Weekdays are usually slower than weekends, but when Phoenix has a line spilling out into its courtyard/bench area, I think it’s busy enough to put a second train on the track. It’s even more of an issue on Twister since that coaster doesn’t have the simple buzz bar restraints that let its ride staff fly through the boarding process like they do on Phoenix. When the line for the ride is backing up and out past the ticket collector, one train operations means you’re going to be waiting and of course, sweating it out on the ramp and steps.
Regardless, I love this park and can’t wait to take even more newbies in the years to come. I also hope all the coworkers of mine who came along on this trip share their experiences with their friends and family.
Have you visited Knoebels before? Was it recently? Let me know what you think about the park and their rides.
Knoebels Amusement Park Photo Gallery - June 27, 2026
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CREW MANIFEST
The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:
Patrick
CAG
New Credit(s): n/a
Sam
Admiral
New Credit(s): n/a
Jen
Admiral
New Credit(s): n/a
Eric
Lieutenant
New Credit(s): n/a