Like any amusement park, Knoebels is most crowded on weekends and holidays. This will also allow you to buy a Ride All Day pass, which offers the most bang for your buck. There is a $5 discount if you purchase online for a specific date. After the 2004 operating season the ride was moved to Parque de Diversiones Dr. Roberto Ortiz Brenes in San José, Costa Rica and operates under the name Bocaraca. For the 2013 season, Knoebels added StratosFear, the park’s tallest ride at 148 feet , which quickly became a top thrill for everyone. The park again suffered major flooding in 1975, 1996, 2004, 2006, and 2011.
Winner of GTA in 2018, 2019 and 2021.This ride was built in 1947, and was purchased from the Playland amusement park in San Antonio, Texas. It operated under the name Rocket before being moved to Knoebels in 1985. On June 28, 2006, a flood second only to the Agnes flood struck Knoebels.
The Phoenix’s rescue from the abandoned Playland in San Antonio, Texas, is known as a great act of rollercoaster preservation. Because no blueprints were available, the staff had to number each individual piece of track before transporting it using over 34 trucks and re-assembling it piece by piece at its new home. Because of the rebirth of the coaster, it was symbolically renamed “The Pheonix” to represent the mythological bird that comes back to life from its own ashes. One of the most popular attractions at the park is The Haunted Mansion. The Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts named the Haunted Mansion as the number one ride on the list of Top Ten Favorite Darkrides for the eighth consecutive year.
The creek serves as a good orienting landmark, and grabbing a park map is also a wise idea. Knoebels feels like you’ve stepped back into a simpler time. The park dates to 1926, and while the Knoebel family has added plenty of new attractions over the years to keep the younger set excited, many of the rides and buildings have been on the property for generations. The result is a charming mix of old and new, a place where grandparents can have just as much fun as their teenaged grandkids. Despite its size, Knoebels never feels overwhelming in the way some large amusement parks can. Perhaps that’s largely due to the wooded setting, which makes it feel smaller and more intimate.
Since Julie and our son, Kevin F. Smith, are on the Board of Euclid Beach Park Now, we knew we had to visit Knoebels Amusement Resort. Similar to Cleveland’s Euclid Beach Park, which closed in 1969, Knoebels is a free-admission amusement park. While it is free to enter the park, visitors can purchase individual ride tickets or an all-day wristband. Also, since Julie volunteers as a ride attendant at the restored Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel at the Cleveland History Center, it was a special treat to see the Knoebels Carousel Museum.
Featuring a filtration system that provided clean water instead of muddy creek water, the pool was named “The Crystal Pool”. Since then, the park has developed around the pool, adding 50 rides, assorted games, concession stands, and other attractions. A campground with six sites opened behind the amusement park in 1962, and as of 2004, the campground covered 160 acres with 500 most commonly used crochet hook sizes sites. A few rides currently in operation were rescued from other parks. One such ride is the “Phoenix,” a classic wooden roller coaster that began its life thrilling passengers as the “Rocket” at an amusement park in San Antonio, Texas. Brought to Knoebels and renamed the “Phoenix,” this premier coaster has been delivering a shock to the senses of park patrons since 1985.
