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Pennsylvania’s amusement parks\u00a0aren’t\u00a0just fun \u2014\u00a0they’re\u00a0among the best in the country, and summer 2026 is the season to prove it. Whether\u00a0you’re\u00a0chasing a 232-foot drop on Phantom’s Revenge, letting the kids meet Duke the Dragon, or riding America’s #1 wooden coaster through the trees at Knoebels,\u00a0there’s\u00a0a Pennsylvania park adventure<\/a> with your name on it. Header image credit: Amanda S. Polyak<\/p>\n
Elysburg\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nestled in the wooded Susquehanna River Valley of Central Pennsylvania,\u00a0Knoebels<\/a>\u00a0is unlike any other amusement park in the country.\u00a0There’s\u00a0no gate fee, no parking charge, and a genuine old-fashioned atmosphere that generations of Pennsylvania families have made their own. This summer is extra special: The park celebrates\u00a0100 years since it opened as a simple swimming hole in 1926 with a\u00a0special anniversary weekend<\/a>\u00a0set for July 3\u20135, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
TripAdvisor<\/a>\u00a0named Knoebels the #1 Amusement Park in the U.S. in\u00a02026, while USA TODAY 10Best put it at #2 nationally.\u00a0One of their most iconic rollercoasters, the Phoenix, even\u00a0holds the title of USA TODAY’s #1 Roller Coaster. From the Grand Carousel to the Haunted Mansion dark ride, Knoebels is a living, breathing museum of American amusement park history.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hershey\u00a0<\/p>\n
If Pennsylvania has a flagship theme park, it’s\u00a0Hersheypark<\/a>.\u00a0Built on the original leisure grounds created by Milton S. Hershey for his chocolate factory workers, the park has grown into a 121-acre, 70-plus ride destination\u00a0that’s\u00a0also a\u00a0USA TODAY 10Best\u00a0Top 10 amusement park for 2026. This summer,\u00a0The Boardwalk At Hersheypark<\/a>\u00a0water area brings beach-club energy to Central PA, now with two brand-new water play areas in the Bayside Pier featuring 45 new aquatic elements.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With 15 coasters ranging from family-friendly to heart-pounding, there truly is a thrill for every age group.\u00a0Wildcat’s Revenge<\/a>,\u00a0the first Rocky Mountain Construction hybrid coaster in Pennsylvania, delivers four inversions and landed a spot on\u00a0USA TODAY’s Top 10 Roller Coasters\u00a0list, while\u00a0Candymonium<\/a>\u00a0(the park’s tallest, fastest, longest hyper coaster) serves up 205 feet of pure adrenaline.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\nKnoebels Amusement Resort\u00a0
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\nHersheypark\u00a0\u00a0
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