Twister is a wooden roller coaster at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, that opened on July 24, 1999. Designed by John Fetterman using original blueprints from John C. Allen’s celebrated 1964 Mister Twister at Elitch Gardens, the ride was built after Knoebels discovered the original structure was beyond salvage. The result was a faithful yet modernized tribute that stands 101.5 feet tall, stretches 3,900 feet of track, and reaches a top speed of about 51 mph.
What set Twister apart from the day it opened was its inventive split lift hill — a two-stage system where the train climbs halfway, executes a 180-degree turn, and then continues up a second lift stacked above the first. The track crosses itself 36 times through a dense web of wooden lattice, and a sweeping double helix wraps directly around the curved station building before the train glides to a stop. Costing $3 million to construct, Twister earned a spot in the Golden Ticket Award top-15 wooden coasters in just its first full year of operation and has remained a fan favorite ever since.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania
- Designer: John Fetterman (based on John C. Allen’s Mister Twister blueprints)
- Trains: Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC); structure by Adams Construction Co.
- Opened: July 24, 1999
- Height: 101.5 ft (30.9 m)
- Drop: 89.6 ft (27.3 m)
- Top Speed: 51 mph (82 km/h)
- Length: 3,900 ft (1,200 m)
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
After departing the curved station, the train threads down through the structure before tackling Twister’s signature split lift hill. Rather than a single straight climb, riders ascend halfway, curl through a 180-degree turn, and then finish the climb on a second lift parallel to the first — a design that immerses the train in the wooden structure before the descent even begins.
From the swoop curve at the top, the train drops 89.6 feet and races through a relentless series of turns, airtime hills, and tight crossovers. The 36 instances where the track passes over or under itself create the classic ‘headchopper’ effect that fans of Golden Age wooden coasters prize. An underground tunnel near the end houses the on-ride photo location before the train sweeps through the double helix and glides back into the station.
A Living Tribute to Mister Twister
Knoebels originally hoped to physically relocate and restore the original Mister Twister from Elitch Gardens’ old Denver site after the park closed in 1994, but inspections revealed the wood was too deteriorated to save. The park instead acquired the original engineering drawings and asked Fetterman to adapt them — mirroring sections of the layout to fit a new footprint while preserving the ride’s spirit. A bolt salvaged from the original Mister Twister was ceremonially installed in Twister’s swoop curve, physically linking the two coasters.
The homage paid off critically. Twister debuted at No. 15 on the Golden Ticket Awards’ top wooden coaster list in 2000 and has continued to place inside the top 25 through 2025, cementing its reputation as one of the finest traditionally styled wooden coasters still in operation.
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Twister FAQs
Where is Twister located?
Twister is located at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, USA.
When did Twister open at Knoebels?
Twister opened on July 24, 1999, after roughly eight months of construction at a cost of approximately $3 million.
What makes Twister’s lift hill unique?
Twister uses a split lift hill: the train climbs halfway up, executes a 180-degree turn, and then completes the ascent on a second lift stacked above the first — a rare design that sends riders deep into the coaster’s wooden lattice before the main drop.
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Photo: Unknown / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.