This study experimentally evaluated the seismic performance of steel knee braced frame structures with energy dissipation mechanism. A series of cyclic load tests were conducted on the steel moment resisting frames and the proposed knee braced frames. Test results validated that the demand in the beam-to-column connection designs was alleviated by the proposed design method. Test results also showed that the strength and stiffness of the proposed design were effectively enhanced. Comparisons in energy dissipation between the steel moment resisting frames and the steel knee braced frames further justified the applicability of the proposed method.