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| Photo of Impulse earlier during construction |
Saturday is opening day for the park as well, it's hours of operation are 12:00pm-6:00pm.
Saturday's events are as follows for the grand opening
- 11:00am - Charity Auction benefiting "Give Kids the World" for "First Rides" - taking place at exit area of the ride
- Following the auction - the ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at the entrance to Impulse
- 1:00pm - The ride opens to the public!
Impulse is Knoebels’ first major steel coaster since Whirlwind was removed in 2005. The tower roller coaster will be one of the first things visitors see as they approach the park via Knoebels Parkway. The all-new steel roller coaster features: a 98 foot high chain lift hill, a 90-degree free fall drop, several inversions, speeds over 55 miles per hour, three eight-passenger roller coaster cars with lap restraints, and more.
The Knoebels team began preparing the site for the new thrill ride the second the park closed for the day this past Labor Day. Initial efforts included removing Boat Tag and Bumper Boats, rerouting storm drains and various underground utilities, and fencing the area. After site preparation, came drilling and foundation work. The 159 caissons on site are an average of 17’6” into the earth. The area is further stabilized by roughly 3,100 cubic yards of concrete.
Impulse is employing approximately 45 people. The roller coaster was manufactured by German company Zierer, meaning that the steel was designed, constructed, assembled to ensure proper fit, disassembled, primed, and painted in Europe. The steel track and supports arrived in a total of 51 shipping containers.
Impulse is a major initiative of the fourth generation of the Knoebel family. Being that Knoebels is an amusement park for all ages to enjoy, management hopes that this ride will appeal to a new generation of riders.