ELYSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Knoebels Amusement Resort is America’s largest free-admission amusement park and it’s located in Elysburg, Northumberland County.
Knoebels has been operating since 1926 and currently has 60 rides, a campground, and a waterpark/pool.
But what was Knoebels like 25 years ago in 1998?
The following information was found on web.archive.org/ and Knoebels’ oldest website dates back to December of 1998.
Rides
25 years ago Knoebels had 27 rides which is 33 fewer rides than they have in 2023.
- 1001 Nights
- Antique Cars
- Ball Crawl
- Balloon Race
- Cosmotron
- Flume
- Galleon
- Giant Wheel
- Hand Cars
- Haunted Mansion
- Italian Trapeze
- Kiddie Bumper Cars
- Kiddie Whip
- Merry Mixer
- Motor Boats
- Overland Coaster
- Parachute Drop
- Paratrooper
- Phoenix
- Satellite
- Sklooosh
- Skooters
- Tilt-A-Whirl
- Whirlwind
In the winter of 1998, Knoebels also announced a new ride that would be added in the summer of 1999, Twister.
Pricing
Today, kiddie rides start at $1.50 and thrill rides can cost as much as $5 according to Knoebels website a $20 ride ticket book will get you between seven and nine rides.
Ride All Day passes will range during the year but currently for a Saturday Ride All Day pass it costs $50 and excludes the Haunted Mansion and the Antique Cars.
In December of 1998, Knoebels rates for 1999 were posted on their website.
Ride All Day passes were $19.50 and you could add Phoenix for an extra $5. For children under 48 inches tall Ride All Day passes would cost $14 and you could add Phoenix for $3.50.
The only ride ticket books offered at the time were $5 books for $4.50 and a $10 book for $9.
The Crystal Pool would cost $3.75 ($2.25 for small children) during the weekdays and $4.25 ($2.75 for small children) during the weekends.
The pool had two 400′ serpentine waterslides, two speed slides, and a sand volleyball court.
The campground today will cost $65 a night or $425 for the week for a basic site and for a 50 campsite it will cost $70 a night or $455 for the week.
If you want a cabin today it would cost $170 a night or $1,055 a week for a single cabin and for a double cabin it will cost $300 a night or $1,875 a week.
In 1998, a regular campsite would cost $21 a night or $130 for a week, and for their cozy cabins, it would cost $115 a night.
The campground was open from April 15, 1998, to October 15, 1998.
Entertainment
If you head to the Knoebels bandshell today you may find the Mahoney Brothers playing and this wouldn’t shock anyone as they were rocking that stage in 1998 as well.
Instead of listing entertainment from 1998, Knoebels had a full list of entertainment:
