2 Central PA theme parks voted among top 10 in America by USA TODAY readers
Pennsylvania theme parks received some love from USA TODAY readers, with both Hersheypark and Knoebels being voted in the 2024 10Best Readers' Choice Awards in multiple categories.
Knoebels, in Elysburg and Hersheypark, in Hershey, were voted in as number two and number four best theme parks in the United States, respectively.
Featuring over 60 rides, Knoebels is rare in that it still offers free admission, requiring old-fashioned tickets to get on rides, and is a virtual museum of still-operating classic rides like Whipper, Flying Turns, the Haunted Mansion dark ride and Sky Slide.
Hersheypark offers 121 acres of rides, coasters, strolling shows stages and performance areas as well as a water park and an 11-acre zoo, all accessible with a single admission. The park features rides like Fahrenheit, a vertical lift coaster with a 121-foot life followed by a 97-degree drop and the Candymonium, the park's tallest, fastest and longest ride which debuted in 2020.
Both theme parks had rides voted among the best roller coasters as well. Knoebels' Phoenix, a classic wooden roller coaster with speeds up to 45 miles per hour and a highest point of 78 feet was voted as the number one best roller coaster in the country.
Hersheypark's wood and steel hybrid ride, Wildcat's Revenge, boasting a height of 140 feet, 62 miles per hour and the world's largest underflip, was voted as the fourth best roller coaster.
The Hotel Hershey was voted as the number one best theme park hotel, and The Chocolatier at Hersheypark was voted as the second best theme park restaurant.
The Alamo at Knoebels was voted in as the number one best restaurant by readers.
Additionally, Kalahari Resorts and Great Wolf Lodge, which have multiple locations throughout the United States but have resorts in the Pocono Mountains area, were voted as the number one and number five best indoor water parks by USA TODAY readers.
Daniel Larlham Jr. is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at DLarlham@LDNews.com or on X @djlarlham.
This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: USA TODAY readers rate 2 Central PA theme parks among tops in America
