Like a special birthday gift, wrapped in the gentle mountains of Elysburg is the nicest surprise. Knoebels Amusement Park is a delightful resort frequently visited by many of us living here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It’s America’s oldest free admission park. Many of the monster amusement parks today charge entrance fee as high as $40. Too high a price to pay for anyone not interested in rides.

“When I was a girl” (in the days of black-and-white television and stone tablets), all the amusement parks were “free admission”. Our parents took us nearby — and I mean really nearby — to San Souci in Hanover, Hanson’s at Harvey’s Lake and Angela Park near Hazleton. Sadly, none of these parks exist today. I can recall the wonder of “The Caterpillar” at San Souci Park and the thrilling way the canvas closed to “cocoon” its passengers. My memories of being there are magnificent. Of course, it was a simpler time.

The beauty of Knoebels is that it retains much of the same appeal these others had. Much of the park is shaded by trees that are as old as the park itself. Almost every part of the park makes guests feel like they’re in the woods. Many diversified activities are available to enjoy. There is a shooting gallery, miniature golf, game arcade, even a carousel museum! They have some pretty neat campsites and picnic groves. Even with all these varied attractions, it is so well laid out that one never need feel crowded. Plenty of benches are available for the parents and the grandparents to relax with a cool drink or a snack while their children enjoy the rather large selection of kiddie rides.

An abundant area is devoted to the little ones. An entire section is a collection of nostalgic innocence: Kiddie Boats, Fire Trucks, the Jet Sky Fighter to name a few, are just a few of the rides the tots go on again and again. The wooden merry-go-round has panels with area scenes painted on them. Children own this section; there are no “big kids” competing for the teeny tiny seats here.

There are so many places in the park where the whole family can go together. The Scenic Sky Ride, actually more of a ski lift, is one of the newer ones. The ride up is so enjoyable and peaceful while the view back down is like none other in the park. Bring your camera to capture this. I feel compelled to hang on a little tighter for the descent. I’m the same way on the ferris wheel, though. I guess you could say I’m not much of a thrill-seeker. The Antique Cars were always more my speed, even as a child, and something I didn’t mind waiting in line for (because you could really drive these). I swear, if I close my eyes, I can smell the aroma and hear the motors chugging. A park “must” is the Pioneer Train ride. This takes passengers around the woods and through the tunnel. It’s a Knoebel tradition to wave to the other train full of park guests as one passes another.

There are some pretty exciting thrill rides, too. Two grand wooden roller coasters top the list: Twister and Phoenix. According to the Knoebels web site www.knoebels.com, the Twister was designed and built completely in-house. The Phoenix was originally built as the Rocket in San Antonio, Texas. The ride was moved to Knoebels in 1985 and rechristened as the Phoenix. The Phoenix has been listed on many Top 10 roller coaster lists since its arrival. The Fandango and Power Surge are fun, I’m told. I’m not even going to try, thank you very much. For these hot, hot days, though, I’ll gladly hop on The Flume and Sklooosh, screaming all the way!

Our family has a reunion every year in the park. The adults love it because they can stay and visit in the quiet of the tents/pavilions while the younger ones have themselves a grand day in the park. On hot days, we all head to the pool where we can enjoy swimming, diving and water slides. We have so much fun that after a day at Knoebels, I decide that I never want to grow up all the way!