Silver Dollar City and Knoebels' Phoenix top USA Today 10Best polls

USA Today 10Best released its 2026 Readers' Choice results for theme parks and roller coasters on April 29. Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, was voted the best theme park in the country, and Phoenix, the wooden coaster at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, finished first among roller coasters.

The rankings

In the theme park vote, Knoebels placed second, followed by Lost Island Themepark in Waterloo, Iowa, Kennywood in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, and SeaWorld Orlando. The rest of the top 10, in order, were Kings Island, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Holiday World, Cedar Point and Hersheypark. No Disney or Universal park made the list. According to Hersheypark, 20 parks were nominated in the category before readers voted.

Among roller coasters, Phantom's Revenge at Kennywood, which topped the coaster vote a year earlier, came second behind Phoenix. Time Traveler at Silver Dollar City was third, followed by Mako at SeaWorld Orlando, Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer, The Voyage at Holiday World, ArieForce One at Fun Spot Atlanta, Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point and Wildcat's Revenge at Hersheypark.

In other 10Best categories, Hersheypark reported that The Hotel Hershey was voted the best theme park hotel. Phoenix also did well with industry voters later in the year: at Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards in September, it finished second among wooden coasters, behind The Voyage at Holiday World.