Pennsylvania Tourism Guide

Amusement Parks in Pennsylvania: Every Park and Water Park Ranked

Kennywood's green steel roller coaster arcing over the lagoon, among the best amusement parks in Pennsylvania
Phantom’s Revenge over the lagoon at Kennywood, June 2010. The coaster turned 25 in 2026.

Pennsylvania has a century-old park you can walk into for free and ride one ticket at a time, a chocolate company’s park with 13 roller coasters, a Pittsburgh institution that’s a National Historic Landmark, and a wooden coaster in Erie that crosses a public road. Few states can match that lineup, and most of the parks are old enough to have kept their character. This guide ranks every one of the major amusement parks in Pennsylvania, plus the big water parks and indoor water-park resorts, on thrills, family value and cost, with what’s changed for 2026 and 2027.

Quick answer: Hersheypark is the best all-round park and the one to pick for a first trip. Knoebels is the best value and the most fun per dollar, with free admission and pay-per-ride tickets. Kennywood is the classic for thrill seekers near Pittsburgh, Dorney Park is the big-coaster choice near Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley, and Idlewild, Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place are built for young children. For indoor water parks, the Poconos’ Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge lead.

Last updated September 24, 2026. Ownership, seasons, prices and ride changes were checked that day against the parks’ own websites, press releases and news coverage.

  • New owners: Herschend Family Entertainment, the company behind Dollywood, now owns Kennywood, Idlewild and SoakZone, Sandcastle and Dutch Wonderland, bought from Palace Entertainment in 2025.
  • Not sold: Dorney Park stays with Six Flags; none of Pennsylvania’s parks were in Six Flags’ April 2026 sale of six parks.
  • Hersheypark: Tidal Force closed for good after September 7, 2026, and the sooperdooperLooper is closed until summer 2027 for a new station and its 50th anniversary.
  • Coming in 2027: Waldameer’s Eagle’s Pursuit, a double-launch family coaster overlooking Lake Erie.
  • Watch list: Sesame Place Philadelphia’s license is being fought over in federal court, Camelback’s outdoor Camelbeach was closed in 2026, and Lakemont Park’s rides have been idle since 2024.

On this page: At a glance | The parks, ranked | Water parks | Coasters | Two-park trips | Access | Tips | Best for you | Tickets and timing | When to go | History | Smaller parks | What’s changed | FAQ

Amusement Parks in Pennsylvania at a Glance

Every major park in one table, in our ranked order. “Free admission” means you walk in free and pay per ride or buy a wristband.

ParkWhereBest forAdmission modelDrive from nearest hub
HersheyparkHersheyEveryone; coaster fansDay tickets; parking extra25 min from Harrisburg
KnoebelsElysburgValue, wooden coasters, familiesFree admission; pay per ride or ride-all-day1½ hr from Harrisburg
KennywoodWest MifflinThrills, classic ridesDay tickets and season passes25 min from Pittsburgh
Dorney Park and Wildwater KingdomAllentownBig steel coasters, water parkDay tickets; Six Flags memberships1¼ hr from Philadelphia
Waldameer and Water WorldErieA great wooden coaster, lake daysFree admission; pay for rides2 hr from Pittsburgh
Idlewild and SoakZoneLigonierYoung kids, shade, water playDay tickets1 hr from Pittsburgh
Dutch WonderlandLancasterKids under 10Day tickets45 min from Harrisburg
Sesame Place PhiladelphiaLanghornePreschoolers, sensory-friendly visitsDay tickets and season passes35 min from Philadelphia
Kalahari PoconosPocono ManorIndoor water park, year-roundHotel stay or day pass2 hr from Philadelphia
Great Wolf Lodge PoconosScotrunIndoor water park with younger kidsHotel stay or day pass1¾ hr from Philadelphia
SandcastleWest HomesteadSummer water park on the riverDay tickets15 min from Pittsburgh
Splash LagoonErieIndoor water park near Lake ErieHotel stay or day pass2 hr from Pittsburgh
Aquatopia at CamelbackTannersvilleIndoor water park with skiing next doorResort stay2 hr from Philadelphia

How we ranked them: thrills (the quality and variety of the coasters and big rides), family value (how much there is for younger kids and non-riders, and how pleasant the park is to spend a day in) and cost (what a family actually pays to get in and ride). We don’t claim to have ridden them; the rankings weigh each park’s own ride lineup, prices and policies as published.

The Best Amusement Parks in Pennsylvania, Ranked

1. Hersheypark

Best all-round park; day tickets, parking extra. Hersheypark has the biggest ride lineup in the state, with 13 roller coasters and more than 40 family rides, and it wraps them in chocolate: candy-themed areas, a free Hershey’s Chocolate World next door and the town of Hershey itself. It’s the easy recommendation for a first trip, because it works for thrill seekers, grandparents and toddlers on the same day. Two changes matter this year: Tidal Force, the 1994 splash-down ride, closed permanently after September 7, 2026, and the sooperdooperLooper closed after Labor Day for a new station and returns in summer 2027 for its 50th birthday. The Boardwalk water park is included with admission in summer.

The season doesn’t end in September. Hersheypark Halloween runs on weekends through November 1, 2026, with trick-or-treating for kids, coasters running in the dark and, from 6pm, the fifth year of Dark Nights, with five haunted houses and five scare zones. Hersheypark Christmas Candylane follows on select dates from November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Hershey Sweet Lights, the drive-through light show, won’t return in 2026.

The glowing Hersheypark sign over the park's entrance gates at night
Hersheypark’s entrance on an October night in 2022, during the Halloween season.

Plan it: Hersheypark, Hershey (Dauphin County). About 25 minutes from Harrisburg, 1¾ hours from Philadelphia and 3½ from Pittsburgh. General parking is $25 plus fees per vehicle per day as of September 2026, free for Full Size, King Size and Giant season pass holders. Hersheypark’s four Official Resorts include extra time in the park and a free front-gate shuttle in their packages, which matters on a two-day visit. For resorts, packages and the rest of town, see our Hershey PA vacation guide. Allow a full day, two with the water park. Best for: everyone.

2. Knoebels Amusement Resort

Best value; free admission and parking, pay per ride. Knoebels, in the woods near Elysburg, is the park enthusiasts love most, and it’s easy to see why. You walk in and park for free, then pay for rides with ticket books, or buy a Ride All Day pass on weekdays and select weekends. The wooden coasters are the stars: the Phoenix, moved here from Texas in 1985 and famous for its airtime; the Twister; and the Flying Turns, a wooden bobsled coaster. The Grand Carousel still has a brass-ring machine, and the food, from pierogies to potato cakes, is part of the reason people come. 2026 was the park’s 100th season: it opened on July 4, 1926, and celebrated with a birthday weekend on July 3-5, 2026.

An ornate painted Wurlitzer band organ in a wooden shelter at Knoebels
A Wurlitzer band organ at Knoebels, part of the century-old park’s charm, August 2010.

There’s no gate to walk out of, which changes the rhythm of the day: families picnic, come back after dinner and ride a few more tickets. The Crystal Pool and the campground next door make it a weekend, not a day trip. The newest coaster confirmed is Impulse, from 2015; don’t expect a brand-new coaster for the centennial.

Plan it: Knoebels, 391 Knoebels Boulevard, Elysburg (Columbia and Northumberland counties). About 1½ hours from Harrisburg, 2½ from Philadelphia and 4 from Pittsburgh. Free admission and parking; ride tickets or a Ride All Day pass through knoebels.com. Stay at Knoebels’ own campground, or in Bloomsburg or Danville. Allow a full day, or a weekend. Best for: families on a budget, wooden-coaster fans, food lovers.

3. Kennywood

Best for thrill seekers in the west; day tickets. Kennywood, above the Monongahela in West Mifflin, is one of only two amusement parks in the country named a National Historic Landmark, and it still feels like the Pittsburgh institution it’s been for generations. The coaster lineup runs from the 1920 Jack Rabbit and its famous double dip, through the Racer and the ravine-hugging Thunderbolt, to Phantom’s Revenge, whose huge drop into the ravine made it a coaster-fan favorite, and Steel Curtain. 2026 was Kennywood’s first full season under Herschend Family Entertainment, which bought it from Palace in 2025: it opened on April 18 with Celebrate Kennywood Weekends, new food stands, a 100th birthday for the Whip, its oldest surviving flat ride, and a 25th for Phantom’s Revenge. The kids’ area is Kennywood Junction, which replaced Thomas Town in 2025. Don’t leave without an order of Potato Patch fries, a Kennywood food tradition, and a look out over the Monongahela Valley from the edge of the park.

Plan it: Kennywood, 4800 Kennywood Boulevard, West Mifflin (Allegheny County). About 25 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh, 3½ hours from Harrisburg and 5 from Philadelphia. Tickets and season passes through the park. For the rest of the city, see our guide to things to do in Pittsburgh. Allow a full day. Best for: teens, coaster fans, Pittsburgh families.

4. Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom

Big steel coasters near Philadelphia; Six Flags tickets and memberships. Dorney Park, in Allentown, is the closest big coaster park to Philadelphia, and since the Six Flags and Cedar Fair merger it’s part of the Six Flags family; it wasn’t among the six parks Six Flags sold in April 2026. It advertises more than 60 rides, one of the largest water parks in the Northeast in Wildwater Kingdom, and Planet Snoopy for young kids. The coasters include the hypercoaster Steel Force, the inverted Talon, Hydra and the classic wooden Thunderhawk from 1923. In the fall, Halloween Haunt takes over with haunted mazes sold as add-ons.

Plan it: Dorney Park, 4000 Dorney Park Road, Allentown (Lehigh County). About 1¼ hours from Philadelphia and 1½ from Harrisburg. Tickets and memberships through Six Flags; memberships include season-long access and free parking at all of Six Flags’ East Coast parks. Stay in Allentown or Bethlehem, and in early August pair it with Musikfest in Bethlehem. Allow a full day. Best for: steel-coaster fans, teens, Lehigh Valley families.

5. Waldameer Park and Water World

Free admission; one of the best wooden coasters anywhere. Waldameer, beside Presque Isle in Erie, lets you walk in and park for free and pay for rides and the water park, which makes it a fine way to spend a hot afternoon on the lake. Its headliner, Ravine Flyer II, has drops of 120 and 105 feet, which the park calls the largest of any wooden coaster in Pennsylvania, and it crosses Peninsula Drive on a bridge, so you can watch trains roar over the road on the way in. The 2026 season ended on September 7, and the park reopens in May. For 2027 it’s adding Eagle’s Pursuit, a double-launch family coaster overlooking Lake Erie.

The blue Ravine Flyer II coaster bridge crossing over a two-lane road in Erie
Ravine Flyer II’s bridge over PA 832 (Peninsula Drive), June 2024.

Plan it: Waldameer, 220 Peninsula Drive, Erie (Erie County), at the entrance to Presque Isle State Park. About 2 hours from Pittsburgh and 5 from Harrisburg. Free parking and admission; cashless; ride and water park prices through waldameer.com. Allow a day, with the beach at Presque Isle. Best for: families, wooden-coaster fans, an Erie summer trip.

6. Idlewild and SoakZone

Best for young kids in the west; day tickets. Founded in 1878, Idlewild near Ligonier is the oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania and one of the prettiest anywhere: a shady, wooded park built for young families rather than thrill seekers. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, a gentle ride and play area built around the PBS show, is the big draw for preschoolers, and the SoakZone water park takes care of hot afternoons. Herschend owns it along with Kennywood. The 2026 season opened on May 23, and HALLOWBOO!, a not-too-scary Halloween event for kids, runs weekends from September 12 to October 31, 2026, the longest in the park’s history.

A colorful puppet-show style house in Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood at Idlewild
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood at Idlewild, August 2017.

Plan it: Idlewild, 2574 Lincoln Highway (US 30), Ligonier (Westmoreland County). About 1 hour from Pittsburgh and 2¾ from Harrisburg. Day tickets through the park. Stay in Ligonier, a pretty small town with a diamond and a restored fort, about 10 minutes away. Allow a full day with SoakZone. Best for: kids under 10, grandparents, a Laurel Highlands weekend.

7. Dutch Wonderland

Best for kids under 10 in the east; day tickets. Behind its storybook castle gate on Route 30, Dutch Wonderland has been Lancaster County’s children’s park since 1963, with rides, shows and water play pitched squarely at the under-10s. Herschend bought it in 2025 with the other former Palace parks, and for 2026 the Dutch Wonderland Inn next door was rethemed, dropping its Cartoon Network characters for a Pennsylvania Dutch look. It’s the park to pair with Amish Country, and it has run Halloween and holiday events in past seasons; check this year’s calendar.

Dutch Wonderland's white castle entrance with red turrets, decorated with a giant spider for Halloween
Dutch Wonderland’s castle gate, dressed for Halloween in October 2018.

Plan it: Dutch Wonderland, 2249 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster (East Lampeter Township). About 45 minutes from Harrisburg and 1¼ hours from Philadelphia. Day tickets and season passes through the park; the rethemed Dutch Wonderland Inn is next door. Allow a full day. Best for: toddlers to 9-year-olds, a Lancaster County trip.

8. Sesame Place Philadelphia

Best for preschoolers; day tickets, but watch the lawsuit. In Langhorne, just outside Philadelphia, Sesame Place mixes gentle rides, water attractions, a daily parade and character meet-and-greets with the Sesame Street crew, and many of its attractions are water rides, so pack swimsuits in summer. It was the first theme park to become a Certified Autism Center, with trained staff and quiet rooms, which makes it one of the easiest parks in the country for families with sensory needs. The catch: United Parks & Resorts (formerly SeaWorld) runs it under a license from Sesame Workshop, and in March 2026 Sesame Workshop sued in federal court to end that license over unpaid royalties. The park opened its 2026 season and sold season passes while the case went on, and no ruling had been reported by late September. Check the latest before you buy a season pass.

The colorful Sesame Place sign over the park's entrance plaza on a sunny day
The Sesame Place entrance in August 2009.

Plan it: Sesame Place, Langhorne (Bucks County). About 35 minutes from Philadelphia and 2¼ hours from Harrisburg. Tickets and passes through the park. Stay in Langhorne or nearby Bucks County, or make it a day trip from Philadelphia. Allow a full day. Best for: ages 2 to 7, sensory-friendly visits.

Water Parks and Indoor Water-Park Resorts

Pennsylvania has two kinds of water parks: outdoor parks that open Memorial Day to Labor Day, often inside or next to an amusement park, and indoor water-park resorts that run all year. The Poconos have one of the biggest concentrations of indoor water parks in the Northeast, which is what makes a February water-park weekend possible.

Water parkIndoor or outdoorDay passes?SeasonNotes
Kalahari PoconosIndoor (plus outdoor in summer)YesYear-roundHotel guests get access from check-in to check-out
Great Wolf Lodge PoconosIndoorYesYear-roundIndoor rides and attractions too
Splash LagoonIndoorYesYear-round; some weekday closures off-seasonFlowRider and a 200,000-gallon wave pool
Aquatopia at CamelbackIndoorCheck with the resortYear-roundSkiing and tubing next door in winter
SandcastleOutdoorDay ticketsSummerOn the Monongahela in Pittsburgh
Wildwater KingdomOutdoorWith Dorney Park admissionSummerOne of the largest in the Northeast
The Boardwalk at HersheyparkOutdoorWith Hersheypark admissionSummerTidal Force is gone for good
SoakZone, Water World, Crystal PoolOutdoorWith or beside their parksSummerAt Idlewild, Waldameer and Knoebels
CamelbeachOutdoorClosed in 20262027 passes on saleNo 2027 opening date announced yet

9. Kalahari Resorts Poconos

Best indoor water park; hotel stays or day passes. Kalahari’s African-themed resort near Mount Pocono is built around a huge indoor water park with slides, a wave pool, a FlowRider surf machine and a lazy river, plus an outdoor section in summer, an arcade and an indoor adventure park. Overnight guests get water-park access from opening on check-in day to closing on check-out day, and the resort also sells day passes, which is the cheaper way to try it. Fall weekends add a Fall Fest that’s open to the public. Holiday weeks, winter school breaks and Saturdays fill first, and day passes can sell out on busy days, so buy ahead and aim for a weekday if you can.

Kalahari Resorts Poconos lit up at night with its sign, entrance and a fountain
Kalahari Poconos at night, December 2015.

Plan it: Kalahari Resorts, Pocono Manor (Monroe County), off I-380. About 2 hours from Philadelphia or Harrisburg. Rooms and day passes through kalahariresorts.com; room prices swing widely by date, so compare weekdays with weekends. Allow a day or an overnight. Best for: winter weekends, families with kids of all ages. For the rest of the region, see our guide to things to do in the Poconos.

10. Great Wolf Lodge Poconos

Indoor water park for younger kids; stays, day passes and season passes. Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun is smaller and more kid-focused than Kalahari, with an indoor water park, indoor rides and attractions like the MagiQuest game, and suites designed for families. It sells day passes and season passes as well as rooms, which makes it flexible for a Poconos weekend. It’s the better pick for families with kids under 10; teens tend to prefer Kalahari’s bigger slides. MagiQuest, the live-action wand game played around the lodge, costs extra, as do some of the dry attractions, so budget for add-ons.

Plan it: Great Wolf Lodge, Scotrun (Monroe County), off I-80. About 1¾ hours from Philadelphia and 2 from Harrisburg. Rooms, day passes and season passes through greatwolf.com. Allow a day or an overnight. Best for: families with young children.

11. Sandcastle Waterpark

Pittsburgh’s summer water park; day tickets. Sandcastle sits on the bank of the Monongahela in West Homestead, on land that was once part of the region’s steel industry, with slides, a wave pool, lazy river and cabanas. Like Kennywood and Idlewild, it’s now owned by Herschend. It’s a summer-only park, typically open from early summer to Labor Day. Cabanas are the way to claim shade on a hot weekend, and weekday mornings are the calmest time on the slides.

Plan it: Sandcastle, West Homestead (Allegheny County). About 15 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. Day tickets and season passes through the park. Allow a day. Best for: Pittsburgh families, teens.

12. Splash Lagoon

Erie’s indoor water park; hotel packages or day passes. Splash Lagoon, on Peach Street in Erie, has slides, a FlowRider and the 200,000-gallon Wild Waters Wave Pool, which it calls one of the largest indoor wave pools in the eastern United States. It sells day passes and works with nearby hotels on packages. Check the calendar outside summer, because it closes some weekdays. The park points out that it’s within reach of Cleveland and Pittsburgh, and it fills with families from both on winter weekends.

Plan it: Splash Lagoon, 8091 Peach Street, Erie (Erie County). About 2 hours from Pittsburgh. Day passes and packages through splashlagoon.com. Allow a day. Best for: Erie winter weekends, families from Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

13. Aquatopia at Camelback

Indoor water park at a ski resort; resort stays. Aquatopia is the indoor water park inside Camelback Lodge in Tannersville, and its trump card is winter: you can ski or snow tube on Camelback Mountain in the morning and float the lazy river in the afternoon. Camelback’s outdoor water park, Camelbeach, was closed for the 2026 season; the resort was already selling 2027 Camelbeach season passes in September but hadn’t announced an opening date.

Plan it: Camelback Lodge, Tannersville (Monroe County), off I-80. About 2 hours from Philadelphia and 2¼ from Harrisburg. Stays and passes through camelbackresort.com. Allow an overnight. Best for: ski-and-swim weekends.

Pennsylvania’s Standout Roller Coasters

Pennsylvania is a wooden-coaster state first. Its best parks kept their classic woodies when others tore theirs down, and they added big steel rides alongside them. These are the coasters worth building a day around.

CoasterParkTypeWhy ride it
PhoenixKnoebelsWoodenBuilt in 1947 in Texas, moved here in 1985; famous for its floating airtime
Flying TurnsKnoebelsWooden bobsledA rare wooden bobsled-style track with no rails, just a trough
TwisterKnoebelsWoodenA tangled, twisting wooden layout full of turns
Ravine Flyer IIWaldameerWoodenDrops of 120 and 105 feet, and a bridge over a public road
ThunderboltKennywoodWoodenUses the ravine for its drops, a classic of its kind
Jack RabbitKennywoodWoodenOpen since 1920, with a famous double dip
RacerKennywoodWooden racing coasterTwo trains on one continuous track that race each other
Phantom’s RevengeKennywoodSteel hypercoasterA huge second drop into the ravine; 25 years old in 2026
Steel ForceDorney ParkSteel hypercoasterThe big one in the Lehigh Valley
ThunderhawkDorney ParkWoodenDating from 1923, one of the oldest coasters still running in the country
Candymonium, Skyrush, Storm Runner, Wildcat’s RevengeHersheyparkSteelThe core of the state’s biggest coaster collection
Comet and Lightning RacerHersheyparkWoodenA 1946 classic and a racing woodie

Height requirements vary by ride and change from season to season, so check each park’s ride chart before you promise a child a particular coaster; the family coasters at Knoebels, Waldameer and Hersheypark are the best first steps up.

Two-Park Weekends and Road Trips

Several of the big parks sit close enough together to combine, which spreads the cost of a long drive over two or three days.

  • Hershey, Lancaster and Knoebels: Hersheypark and Dutch Wonderland are about 45 minutes apart, and Knoebels is about 1¼ hours north of Hersheypark. A family with young kids can do Dutch Wonderland one day and Hersheypark the next; a family of coaster fans can pair Hersheypark with Knoebels.
  • Pittsburgh: Kennywood and Sandcastle are both within about 25 minutes of downtown, and Idlewild is about an hour east of Kennywood. All three belong to Herschend, so check for multi-park season passes if you’ll visit more than once.
  • Lehigh Valley and the Poconos: Dorney Park is about an hour from both Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge, which makes a summer day at Dorney and a night at an indoor water-park resort an easy pairing, even in bad weather.
  • Erie: Waldameer and Splash Lagoon are about 15 minutes apart, and the entrance to Presque Isle State Park and its beaches is right next to Waldameer. Summer is Waldameer and the beach; winter is Splash Lagoon.

Accessibility, Heights and Special Needs

Every big park posts a ride guide with height minimums, and most run an accessibility program for guests who can’t wait in a standard line, usually issued at guest services on arrival, so ask when you enter rather than at the ride. Sesame Place was the first theme park to become a Certified Autism Center, with trained staff and quiet areas, and it’s the easiest choice for families with sensory needs. Older parks built on hillsides, such as Kennywood, involve some steep paths, and Hersheypark’s hills add up over a long day even with good paths. Indoor water parks are warm and loud, which some children love and others don’t. Most big parks also offer a parent swap on major rides, so one adult can wait with a small child while the other rides, then trade places without lining up twice.

Tips for a Better Park Day

  • Arrive at opening and ride the headliners first, when lines are shortest. Save shows and shady rides for the afternoon heat.
  • Use the water park at midday, when the rides are busiest and the sun is hottest, then go back to the coasters in the evening.
  • Check the payment rules. Several parks are cashless, including Waldameer, so bring a card or phone wallet.
  • Check the bag, food and locker rules before you pack. They differ park to park, and lockers for loose items on coasters are common.
  • Watch the weather. Coasters close for lightning and high wind, and most parks don’t refund tickets for weather, so a stormy forecast is a good reason to pick an indoor water park instead.

The Best Pennsylvania Park for You

  • Thrill seekers: Hersheypark for variety, Kennywood for classic terror, Dorney Park for big steel coasters. Knoebels and Waldameer have the best wooden coasters.
  • Toddlers and preschoolers: Sesame Place, Dutch Wonderland and Idlewild’s Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, in that order for the youngest.
  • Families on a budget: Knoebels and Waldameer, where you walk in free and pay only for what you ride; Knoebels even has picnic groves.
  • Mixed-age groups: Hersheypark, which has something for every height band, or Knoebels, where non-riders can come along for free.
  • Teenagers: Kennywood and Dorney for their coaster lineups, and the fall Halloween events at Hersheypark and Dorney, which are aimed at teens and adults.
  • Adults without kids: Knoebels on a weekday evening, Kennywood’s classic wooden coasters, or a Halloween night at Hersheypark, when the coasters run in the dark.
  • Rainy days and winter: the indoor water parks: Kalahari, Great Wolf Lodge, Splash Lagoon and Aquatopia.
  • History lovers: Kennywood, a National Historic Landmark, and Idlewild, the state’s oldest park, plus Knoebels, 100 years old in 2026.

Tickets, Costs and Timing

Know the admission model before you compare prices. Knoebels and Waldameer charge nothing to walk in or park, and you pay for rides with tickets or wristbands, so a family with one rider and three watchers pays far less than at a gated park. Hersheypark, Kennywood, Dorney, Idlewild, Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place sell day tickets, usually cheaper online and in advance, with season passes that pay off after two or three visits. Parking is often extra: at Hersheypark it’s $25 plus fees per car per day, free for its top season-pass tiers.

Do the season-pass math. If you live within a couple of hours of a park and will go three or more times, a season pass usually beats day tickets, and the top tiers often add parking, as Hersheypark’s Full Size, King Size and Giant passes do. Six Flags memberships cover all of its East Coast parks, including Dorney, and Herschend owns four Pennsylvania parks, so check whether a multi-park product fits your summer before you buy single passes.

Pick the right day. Weekdays in June and late August are the quietest; July weekends and the week of July 4 are the busiest. Many parks switch to weekends-only after Labor Day, and some close for the season in early September, as Waldameer did on September 7 this year, so check the calendar before a fall trip.

Fall and holiday seasons are worth planning around. Hersheypark Halloween runs weekends through November 1, 2026, Idlewild’s HALLOWBOO! through October 31, and Dorney’s Halloween Haunt on fall weekends. At Christmas, Hersheypark Christmas Candylane opens on select dates from November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027, and Lakemont Park’s Holiday Lights on the Lake in Altoona starts November 13.

Save money: buy online, look for twilight tickets on long summer evenings, pack a lunch where parks allow it (Knoebels is famously picnic-friendly), and if you’ll visit several Six Flags or Herschend parks, compare their multi-park passes before you buy single tickets.

The Best Time of Year to Visit

  • May: the season opens, usually weekends first. Crowds are thin and the weather is mild, but many water parks aren’t open yet and school trips fill some weekdays.
  • June: the sweet spot. Everything is open, the days are long, and weekdays before July 4 are the quietest summer days you’ll get.
  • July: peak season. Expect heat, the biggest crowds and the longest lines, especially on weekends and the week of July 4. Arrive at opening and use the water parks at midday.
  • August: still busy, with crowds easing on weekdays late in the month as schools go back. Some parks start trimming weekday hours.
  • September: most parks switch to weekends only after Labor Day, and some close for the year; Waldameer shut on September 7 this year. Halloween events start mid-month at several parks.
  • October: Halloween season: Hersheypark Halloween, Idlewild’s HALLOWBOO!, Dorney’s Halloween Haunt and more, with cool evenings and colorful hills.
  • November to early January: holiday events, led by Hersheypark Christmas Candylane and Lakemont’s Holiday Lights on the Lake.
  • Winter: the indoor water parks, which are at their best on a snowy weekend.

Why Pennsylvania Has So Many Great Old Parks

Most of Pennsylvania’s parks began a century or more ago as trolley parks and picnic groves. Railroads and streetcar companies built them at the end of their lines to sell weekend fares, and companies built them for their workers. Idlewild opened in 1878 as a picnic ground along the railroad near Ligonier. Kennywood opened as a trolley park above the Monongahela in 1898. Milton Hershey opened a park for his workers and their families in 1906, the start of Hersheypark. Dorney and Waldameer also date from the late 1800s. Knoebels began in 1926 as a swimming hole and picnic spot beside Roaring Creek, where the Knoebel family sold food to the crowds, and the Crystal Pool still anchors the park.

What’s unusual is how many survived. Across the country, most trolley parks closed after World War II as cars took families elsewhere, but Pennsylvania kept a remarkable number, and several kept their original rides. That’s why the state is a place of pilgrimage for coaster fans: you can ride the 1920 Jack Rabbit at Kennywood, the 1923 Thunderhawk at Dorney and the 1946 Comet at Hersheypark, and in each case the park grew up around the rides rather than replacing them.

Smaller Parks, and Two That Aren’t What They Were

Beyond the big names, Pennsylvania has small family parks worth a stop if you’re nearby, such as DelGrosso’s near Altoona, a family-run park with its own water park; check its current season before you drive. Two famous names need a warning, though.

Lakemont Park in Altoona is home to Leap-the-Dips, billed as the world’s oldest operating roller coaster, but the park’s rides have been idle since 2024 and Leap-the-Dips didn’t run for a third straight year in 2026; a September 2026 WPSU report said locals were wondering whether the rides would ever reopen. The park still runs its Holiday Lights on the Lake from November 13, 2026 ($18), but don’t go expecting rides.

Conneaut Lake Park, once one of the great lakeside parks of western Pennsylvania, now works mostly as an events venue with limited hours; its famous Blue Streak coaster was destroyed by fire in January 2022 while it was being demolished. Its Fall Pumpkin Fest is October 9-11, 2026. Treat it as a lakeside stop, not an amusement park.

What’s Changed, and What to Skip

  • Herschend now owns four Pennsylvania parks: Kennywood, Idlewild and SoakZone, Sandcastle and Dutch Wonderland. Anything still calling them Palace parks is out of date.
  • Kennywood’s kids’ area is Kennywood Junction, not Thomas Town.
  • Hersheypark’s Tidal Force is gone, and the sooperdooperLooper is closed until summer 2027.
  • Hershey Sweet Lights is off for 2026.
  • Knoebels turned 100 in 2026. The centennial brought a birthday weekend, renovations and new foods, but not a new roller coaster; Impulse, from 2015, is still the newest.
  • Dorney Park wasn’t sold in Six Flags’ 2026 sell-off; it’s still a Six Flags park.
  • Sesame Place’s license is in court. The park is open, but check the news before buying a multi-year or season product.
  • Camelbeach was closed in 2026; 2027 passes are on sale, but no opening date yet.
  • Skip Lakemont for rides until its rides actually reopen, and don’t plan a trip around Conneaut Lake Park’s old rides.

Amusement Parks in Pennsylvania: Your Questions

What is the best amusement park in Pennsylvania?

Hersheypark is the best all-round park, with 13 roller coasters, family rides, a water park and Hershey’s chocolate attractions next door. Knoebels is the best value, with free admission and pay-per-ride tickets, and Kennywood is the favorite of Pittsburgh thrill seekers and a National Historic Landmark.

How many amusement parks are in Pennsylvania?

The state’s major amusement parks are Hersheypark, Knoebels, Kennywood, Dorney Park, Waldameer, Idlewild, Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place, plus smaller family parks. Add the water parks, including Sandcastle, Wildwater Kingdom and the indoor resorts at Kalahari, Great Wolf Lodge, Splash Lagoon and Camelback, and there are well over a dozen.

Which Pennsylvania amusement parks have free admission?

Knoebels in Elysburg and Waldameer in Erie both let you walk in and park for free, then pay for rides with tickets or a wristband. That makes them the best choice for groups with non-riders, and both are famous for their wooden roller coasters.

What is the oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania?

Idlewild, near Ligonier, founded in 1878 as a picnic grove along the railroad, is the oldest, and one of the oldest operating amusement parks in the country. Kennywood, near Pittsburgh, is a National Historic Landmark, Dorney’s Thunderhawk coaster dates from 1923, and Knoebels celebrated its 100th season in 2026.

What amusement parks are near Philadelphia?

Sesame Place in Langhorne is about 35 minutes away, and Dorney Park in Allentown and Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster are each about 1¼ hours. Hersheypark is about 1¾ hours west, Knoebels about 2½ hours, and the Poconos indoor water parks at Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge about two hours north.

What is the best amusement park in Pennsylvania for toddlers?

Sesame Place in Langhorne for preschoolers who love the characters, Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster for kids under 10, and Idlewild near Ligonier, with Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Hersheypark and Knoebels also have large kids’ areas, and Knoebels’ free admission helps with a toddler who only rides a few rides.

Are there indoor water parks in Pennsylvania?

Yes. The Poconos have Kalahari Resorts and Great Wolf Lodge, both with day passes, and Camelback’s Aquatopia; Erie has Splash Lagoon. They’re open all year, which makes them the go-to for winter weekends and rainy summer days.

When do Pennsylvania amusement parks close for the season?

Most run daily in summer, switch to weekends after Labor Day and close in the fall, though some, like Waldameer, close in early September. Hersheypark stays open through Halloween weekends and Christmas Candylane into early January. Check each park’s calendar, because dates change every year.

Sources and How We Checked

Everything on this page was checked on September 24, 2026 against the official sources below and compiled from them; we don’t claim first-hand visits or rides. Drive times are free-flow estimates from OpenStreetMap-based routing (the Valhalla engine) from downtown Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, rounded to the nearest 15 minutes.

Also used: Hersheypark’s site for its 2026 ride changes, Halloween, Candylane and parking; Camelback Resort and Splash Lagoon; Kennywood’s 2026 opening announcement; trade-press coverage of Idlewild’s season; and news coverage of Sesame Workshop’s lawsuit.

Pennsylvania Tourism Guide is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with Hersheypark, Knoebels, Herschend Family Entertainment, Six Flags, United Parks & Resorts, Kalahari, Great Wolf Resorts, Camelback or any park named here, and no one paid to be included.

Photo Credits