Best amusement parks in PA?

[Ava]

Thank you all for all the suggestions! I have a lot to research now. I've done some of these parks before (Hershey, Idlewild, Dutch Wonderland) but not for at least several years. My will-be 7-year-old is already a ride junkie; she rode & loved everything she was tall enough for (which was everything except RnR and Primeval Whirl) on our last two Disney trips when she was 5 and 6, so I don't want her to be bored with a park that's mostly kiddie rides. Great Wolf Lodge is an idea I hadn't thought of, and both my kids love water. I'll just have to map out our route and see what makes the most sense. And my wife wants to spend at least 4 days with her family, so we'll probably only do two overnight stops, one each way.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Gotta give some love to Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom, right off I-78 about 90 minutes west of NYC. It's a big coaster park, but my nieces still like it there and they are 10 and 8.

 

[bluezy]

With the ages of your kids I would absolutely recommend Knoebels. It's a great park for families and a lot of it is in the shade. You can even bring your dog to the park! My kids love to go there...even my 26 & 28 yo's still go there. The park has everything from kiddie rides to thrill rides but focuses mostly on family rides so the park isn't over run with teenagers like Hersheypark and Dorney Park tend to be. We love that there's no admission charge. We usually buy our kids the all-day ride passes which cost about $35 (you can find $4-off discount coupons for those) and then a book of tickets ($16) for my husband and I. We sit on a bench while the kid run from ride to ride in the area and then we pick up and move to another area and do the same thing. It's a relaxing day for us and a fun day for the kids. And the food at the park is very reasonably priced...and yummy!

Hersheypark would work but there would be more things that the kids couldn't ride due to height restrictions. Once you're outside of the "kiddie ride" area, there just seems to be so many teenagers who have no manners. Plus, we find the food prices there to be outrageous...definitely more expensive than Disney. Dorney Park kind of falls into the same category for us -- too many unruly teens and outrageously priced food and drinks. If we go to Hershey or Dorney, we try to do it in the off-season so it's not as crowded. Never in July or August.

 

[ariel71]

I second/third/fourth/etc Knoebels. I grew up near there, and I usually still go once a year with my siblings and nieces when I'm home for a visit. It strikes a good family balance, but it's definitely not a "kiddie" park. The Phoenix roller coaster is consistently ranked in the top five wooden coasters in the country. We took my SIL for the first time last year and she loved it. There's also a big pool with some water slides, mini-golf, some boardwalk-style games, etc. It's a fairly uncommon experience as far as amusement parks go.

It would probably be about a 1/2 hour out of your way if you're coming across I-80 and an hour off I-78.

 

[spewey]

Where's the love for Kennywood? C'mon people ...

My wife and I (and now our 8-year-old DD) are coaster junkies, and have been all over North America and Europe touring parks. I can say without a doubt Pennsylvania has the best collection of classic wooden coasters (and other rides, for that matter) in the world.

So it depends what you are into. We've been to all of the parks mentioned above, and have enjoyed each one (plus a couple not noted, including Lakemont, where you can ride Leap-the-Dips, the oldest operating coaster in the world).

Knoebels is beyond awesome. It is such a special place - and not just because it has my favourite wooden coaster in the world, the Phoenix. Kennywood is packed with rides you won't find anywhere else, and has several classic coasters, including the fantastic Jack Rabbit, and the highly-thought-of Thunderbolt.

Waldameer, to me, is worth a stop if you're near Erie, because although it's not the biggest park around, it does have the Ravine Flyer II - an insane modern wooden coaster that is consistently voted as one of the world's 10 best.

So you can see where my interests lay, which may not be everyone's taste. Hershey and Dorney are much more the proto-typical modern parks, with cutting-edge rides and fun water areas. We enjoyed them both a great deal.

It seems most people are recommending Hershey and Knoebels, which might make the most sense, as between the two you have a great mix of old and new, and they are just over an hour's drive away from each other.

IMHO, you can't go wrong with a visit to just about any park in that state ...

 

[shoney]

We went to Knoebel's for Labor Day weekend 2007 - 2013 then the private cottage that we rented was sold! It is a unique place. I say give it a try.
Are you staying overnight? I would see if you could book a cabin in their campground. Staying onsite is really different and a lot of fun. We may give the new cottages a try next summer.

Since you are from the NYC area, I would save hersheypark until the little one gets older. You could stop in Hershey just to do the factory ride and have an ice cream. The visitor center is free to get in. There are some "pay for" attractions there too, if you check their website you will get more info.

 

[mjkacmom]

Check the ride restrictions at Hershey. My twins were six or seven the last time we were there, and ds12 ride almost all of the big coasters (dd12 was tall enough, but chicken, so only rode some, including the super doper looper). I've heard good things about knoebels, but some of my kids love big coasters, so we stuck with Hershey.

 

[Rhombus]

I disagree that Kennywood is not worthy of being called a "destination park." It's been on my bucket list for decades, and I finally made it there summer of 2014. No, it's not all that big, but it's an awesome place. Three great wooden roller coasters. The Jackrabbit is small, but has lots of small bunny hills with airtime and a rare double dip. The Thunderbolt drops into a ravine right out of the loading station, one of the few coasters that performs such a maneuver. The Racer is unique that it's a side by side double tracked coaster, but it really has a single track in Mobius strip manner. Trains depart from one side of the loading platform and return to the opposite side.

The steel Phantom's Revenge starts out great, but turns into a neck snapping headbanger during its second half. There's an indoor spinning wild mouse coaster (think Primeval Whirl in the dark) and a gimmicky steel coaster near the entrance.

Plus they have a few classic rides. The Whip!!! One of the few remaining Turtle (Tumble Bug) rides. Plus I believe the only remaining Kangaroo ride in existence. (Generic name is Flying Coaster). Plus the Paratroopers, Swiss Bobs (Bayern Kurve) and a classic style of the Enterprise.

The Black Widow is the best pendulum ride I've ever been on, and I didn't poop my pants while riding it.

https://www.kennywood.com/things-to-do/attractions


Oh, and by the way, one of the best traditional amusement parks in Pennsylvania was Willow Grove Park about 1/2 hour north of Philadelphia. Regrettably, it closed in the mid 1970s and there is now a shopping mall on the site.

 

[MataHari22]

Another vote for Knoebels.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

Hershey is definitely the place to be. We are from NJ and we also go to Disney a lot but hubby said we just can't swing it next year. We are actually doing a different type of vacation bc we are going in the beginning of March so we are foregoing theme parks. But anyways we are going to Harrisburg/Hershey and theres lots to do in Harrisburg/Hershey besides the theme park. You have Hershey's Chocolate world where kids can actually make their own chocolate bar creation or do some chocolate testing or they do have 1 ride there thats pretty cute. They also have a trolly ride that leaves from Hershey Chocolate World and takes you through the town of hershey and gives you the history of the town and the creator of Hershey Chocolate which is a ton of fun. They also have the Chocolate Story Museum (never been there personally but heard its pretty cool). Lancaster and the Amish farms are also not that far from Hershey so its fun to go on an actual Amish farm and see how things work. We are taking my 8 year old for the first time next year to see the Amish Farms and I told him the Amish kids don't have any sorts of electronics and he is excited to see how they live without video games, and ipads and cell phones and computers, lol. He can't even picture a life without those things, lol. Anyways so yeah there is way more things to do in that area besides the theme park. Hershey Park is also a beautiful park as well so I would definitely go there too, but some of the things I listed are if you have time to do you might want to consider. Sesame Place is literally 20 minutes from me and I can tell you right now its not worth the drive for us and I have a 2 year old which would most likely like it but theres just not enough things there to do for me to even want to pay the admission ticket for. We usually just go to Great Adventure and Hurricane Harbor. Anyways I totally vote for Hershey. Its probably 1 of my top 3 vacation spots. We like to go to either Disney, Williamsburg, or Hershey. Have fun planning your vacation!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Definitely recommend Knoebels and Hershey. You could also stop in the Poconos for Camel Beach or Great Wolf Lodge. I live 10 minutes from Dorney Park and I haven't been there in years. It use to be nice but I don't think their employees care much anymore. I'd much rather make the hour plus trip to Hershey.

This could be true, I don't know if things have gone downhill there as it was our first visit. But we really enjoyed it. We thought it was clean and well run. And it was definitely better than the parks we have in the Boston area - which are NONE. (Aside from Canobie Lake Park, which is technically in NH and not close for everyone.)

When I was growing up we had a lot of parks here and it was great - Lincoln Park, Paragon Park, Whalom Park, Rocky Point, etc., but they are all gone now. So you guys are fortunate to have so many choices!

 

[spima3]

If you can, Knoebels is a fantastic park for families. Lots of shade, lot of rides for different ages. They aren't coaster crazy, but enough for those who like them. Picnic areas, camp ground, miniature golf, swimming pool, food, games, just to name a few of the things to do. Nice and clean as well. Can't go wrong.

 

[Ginny Favers]

I vote Knoebels, too. The rides they have-- you just don't see them anywhere else, like Flying Aces, their haunted house, the Black Diamond, the trains. My kids are 6 and 9 and ADORE that place; plus they have lots of rides for the young kiddies, too.

 

[Rhombus]

I vote Knoebels, too. The rides they have-- you just don't see them anywhere else, like Flying Aces, their haunted house, the Black Diamond, the trains. My kids are 6 and 9 and ADORE that place; plus they have lots of rides for the young kiddies, too.

I haven't been to Knoebels since they obtained the Black Diamond. That ride used to be called the Golden Nugget and it was on the Wildwood, NJ Boardwalk for 40+ years. A long time favorite of mine. I have to get to Knoebels again and see how they repurposed it.

 

[PlutoFan10]

Another vote for Knoebels for a unique experience.

 

[charleygop]

Hey, did anyone mention Knoebels . Make your life simple and bring unbelievable joy and happiness to your children. For an experience unlike any other, get those kids to Knoebels.

 

[Happy_Haunt999]

OP, considering the age of your kids, Knoebels or Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster (which is owned by Hershey Park). I will tell you for a fact that Hershey is going to be a very expensive waste of time for you guys with the age group your kids are in now. It would be ok when they are older, but not now. It's also very expensive to park and the tickets etc. The only thing I would suggest doing at Hershey Park would be Zoo America, and close by about 35 mi away is Lake Tobias which is another zoo like place. If I had to choose though, I'd do Knoebels over Dutch Wonderland, because the latter doesn't have as much and can be pretty lame.

 

[smadath]

When I was a kid, I used to go to Conneaut Lake park every year near my hometown. It was a great park from a kid's perspective, but it wouldn't surprise me if it has long been shut down.

Me, too! The park was actually shut down for several years do to finances, and a fire at the Hotel (not a complete loss, but damage), and such. But, last year they opened again, and as far as I know will this year, as well. I'm not sure if it's up to 'the old days' (I was going in the late 70's early 80's), but at least they're trying!

 

[mousehockey37]

Hershey is definitely the place to be. We are from NJ and we also go to Disney a lot but hubby said we just can't swing it next year. We are actually doing a different type of vacation bc we are going in the beginning of March so we are foregoing theme parks. But anyways we are going to Harrisburg/Hershey and theres lots to do in Harrisburg/Hershey besides the theme park. You have Hershey's Chocolate world where kids can actually make their own chocolate bar creation or do some chocolate testing or they do have 1 ride there thats pretty cute. They also have a trolly ride that leaves from Hershey Chocolate World and takes you through the town of hershey and gives you the history of the town and the creator of Hershey Chocolate which is a ton of fun. They also have the Chocolate Story Museum (never been there personally but heard its pretty cool). Lancaster and the Amish farms are also not that far from Hershey so its fun to go on an actual Amish farm and see how things work. We are taking my 8 year old for the first time next year to see the Amish Farms and I told him the Amish kids don't have any sorts of electronics and he is excited to see how they live without video games, and ipads and cell phones and computers, lol. He can't even picture a life without those things, lol. Anyways so yeah there is way more things to do in that area besides the theme park. Hershey Park is also a beautiful park as well so I would definitely go there too, but some of the things I listed are if you have time to do you might want to consider. Sesame Place is literally 20 minutes from me and I can tell you right now its not worth the drive for us and I have a 2 year old which would most likely like it but theres just not enough things there to do for me to even want to pay the admission ticket for. We usually just go to Great Adventure and Hurricane Harbor. Anyways I totally vote for Hershey. Its probably 1 of my top 3 vacation spots. We like to go to either Disney, Williamsburg, or Hershey. Have fun planning your vacation!

Hershey's Chocolate World is a joke. Open your wallets... the "Make your own candy bar" thing is/was $15/person, last I knew. The omnimover ride is free and you get a bite size piece of candy at the end... ooooo, exciting. They have the 4D experience or whatever it's called, and again, open your wallets!!! The trolley ride around town takes you through the Milton Hershey School area and past the new offices for Hershey Corporate! The old factory is no longer there, it has been knocked down and made into offices. The only thing left of the old factory is the silos, smokestacks and the Hershey Cocoa hedges on the road. So, if you're looking for history, they demolished it.

As far as the Amish... A cow is a cow is a cow, the same with a horse. Horse and buggies are interesting if you haven't seen them before, but then it's just a part of life.

To the OP, have you looked into Waldameer in Erie? It's a nice little park. Nothing overly large for the adults, more for the kids, but still a nice little park.

ETA: The Amish area is shrinking. You can find it, but not without it having massive $250,000-500,000 homes and developments around it.

 

[JOCAmom]

This could be true, I don't know if things have gone downhill there as it was our first visit. But we really enjoyed it. We thought it was clean and well run. And it was definitely better than the parks we have in the Boston area - which are NONE. (Aside from Canobie Lake Park, which is technically in NH and not close for everyone.)

When I was growing up we had a lot of parks here and it was great - Lincoln Park, Paragon Park, Whalom Park, Rocky Point, etc., but they are all gone now. So you guys are fortunate to have so many choices!

It's definitely perspective because I grew up so close to Dorney and remember when it was a great little family park. It has a wonderful history. But as with so many things, they got bought out by a bigger corporation and became an amusement park. I still don't care for their employees but they do their job.

But you are right, we are very lucky to have so many choices in our area. Six Flags Great Adventure is very close to us too and they are opening some wicked insane coaster next year. Thinking of taking my thrill ride junkie kids.