Knott's Berry Farm

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{{Infobox Amusement park | name = Knott's Berry Farm | image = Image:Knott's Berry Farm logo.png | location = Buena Park, California | previous_names = Knott's Theme Park | season = Year-round | opening_date = 1968 | area = 160 acres (0.65 sq. km) | rides = 39 | coasters = 7 | water_rides = 3 | owner = Cedar Fair, L.P. | slogan = America's 1st Theme Park | homepage = www.knotts.com }}

Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, and a manufacturer of food specialty products (primarily jams and preserves) based in Placentia, California. In addition, Knott's also operates three Soak City USA water parks in Southern California, and was the originator of the Camp Snoopy theme park in Minnesota's Mall of America. The theme park is operated by Cedar Fair, L.P., and the food products are now part of ConAgra Foods.

1 History
2 Theme Park Attractions
3 Park Annual Events
4 Ride/Attraction/Capital Timeline
5 External links

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History

In the 1920s, Walter Knott and his family sold berries from a roadside stand. In the 1930s Walter Knott cultivated the world's first boysenberry, a combination of the red raspberry, blackberry, and loganberry. In 1934, Knott's wife Cordelia (b. 1890 - d. 1974) began serving fried chicken dinners, and within a few years, lines outside the restaurant were often several hours long. To entertain the waiting crowds, Walter built a Ghost Town in 1940, using buildings relocated from real old west towns such as the Calico, California ghost town and Prescott, Arizona. In 1968, the Knott family fenced the farm, charged admission for the first time, and Knott's Berry Farm officially became an amusement park. Because of its long history, Knott's Berry Farm currently claims to be "America's First Theme Park."

In 1995, the Knott family sold the food specialty business to ConAgra. In 1997, the Knott family sold the amusement park operations to Cedar Fair L.P., owners of the renowned Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. Since being acquired by Cedar Fair, the park has seen an aggressive shift towards thrill rides, with the construction of a number of large roller coasters and the addition of a high-performance Shoot the Chutes ride.

In contrast to the early rustic days of Knott, the vicinity of the park is now heavily suburbanized and thus some visitors to the park may perceive the phrase "berry farm" somewhat as a misnomer. The landscape of the park is now dominated by the roller coasters, and much of the themeing has been disrupted. The park has served as an anchor for other tourist-oriented businesses such as Medieval Times ,Wild Bill's Wild West Dinner Extravaganza and Pirate's Dinner Adventure. Buena Park Downtown is a series of shopping centers containing Wal-Mart and Kohls stores and it is located near Knott's Berry Farm.

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Theme Park Attractions

Knott's Berry Farm is divided into six distinct themed areas: Camp Snoopy, Ghost Town, Indian Trails, Fiesta Village, The Boardwalk, and Wild Water Wilderness. In addition, a small shopping village called California Marketplace sits outside the admission gate, and includes the famous Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant and a number of gift shops. Also on the property (but across Beach Blvd.) is a replica of Independence Hall and Knott's Soak City, USA.

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Ghost Town

Ghost Town is the oldest part of the Knott's amusement park, and includes most of the buildings Walter brought to the property in the 1940's and 1950's. This themed area includes attractions such as the narrow gauge Ghost Town & Calico Railroad (using much historic equipment from Colorado narrow-gauge lines), the Butterfield Stagecoach, a Pan-for-Gold attraction, the Calico Mine Train dark ride, Timber Mountain Log Ride, and The Wild West Stunt Show. More recently, the much-acclaimed GhostRider wooden roller coaster has been added. In late 2004 Knott's opened the longest inverted roller coaster on the West Coast, Silver Bullet.

Ghost Town itself has a place in history aside from the buildings brought here. The Bird Cage Theatre melodrama theater (recently closed) has launched many acting careers, including Steve Martin's.

The Ghost Town section is based upon the real ghost town of Calico, California near Barstow, and other ghost towns in the Western United States. Walter Knott purchased the Calico ghost town in 1951 and restored it. In 1966 he donated the town to San Bernardino County, which made it a regional park.

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Fiesta Village

Fiesta Village is a Latin-themed area which features a number of carnival-style attractions, including the Montezooma's Revenge roller coaster and the Jaguar! family roller coaster.

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The Boardwalk

Originally themed as a gypsy camp, and later re-themed to the "Roaring 20's" and "Knott's Airfield", this area is home to most of the park's major thrill rides, such as the recently constructed Xcelerator (which replaced the failed Windjammer racing coaster, known to be a mechanical nightmare by employees) , Supreme Scream, and Perilous Plunge. Other rides include the roller coaster Boomerang. It is also home to the Sky Cabin Tower, which once also housed the Parachute Sky Jump attraction and was, at one time, the tallest structure in Orange County. Supreme Scream is now the tallest structure in Orange County, at 312 feet in height.

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Camp Snoopy

Camp Snoopy is targeted towards younger visitors, with many of the rides and attractions being built specifically for children. It is themed around the Charles M. Schulz "Peanuts" comic strip characters.

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Wild Water Wilderness

Wild Water Wilderness is a small area that features one major ride: the Big Foot Rapids river raft ride. It is also home to Mystery Lodge, a multimedia show based on an Expo 86 pavilion featuring a Native American storyteller.

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Indian Trails

The most recent addition to the park, Indian Trails is a small area sandwiched in between Camp Snoopy, Ghost Town, and Fiesta Village. It features no actual "rides", but instead is a showcase of Native American art, crafts, and dance.

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Park Annual Events

The park's annual Halloween Haunt has drawn crowds since 1973. The event was created by Bill Hollingshead and Gary Salisbury as documented in the DVD Season of Screams. During this special ticketed event, the entire park (or major portions of it) rethemes itself into a "haunted house" style attraction in the form of "mazes" and "scare zones" in the evening. Over a thousand specially employed monsters are also scattered - oftentimes hidden out of view - throughout the park at this time. Several attractions are decorated for the event including the Timber Mountain Log Ride and Calico Mine Train and there are 10 or more mazes of various themes from aliens to spiders to clowns from outer-space. Elvira (actress Cassandra Peterson) was introduced into the Halloween Event in 1982 and was prominently featured in many Halloween Haunt events. Interesting facts: During the month of October, Knott's Scary Farm generates HALF the revenue for Knott's Berry Farm's fiscal year.

Season of Screams is a DVD produced by an independent company which traces the beginnings of Halloween Haunt and the story behind how it all got started back in 1973. Season of Screams also highlights recent Halloween Haunts.

A Christmas event, known as "Knott's Merry Farm" also happens annually. Previous "Merry Farm" events have included manufactured snow, handcrafts exhibits, and a "visit with Santa Claus." This event was originally created by Gary Salisbury in the Fall of 1985.

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Ride/Attraction/Capital Timeline

2006: Pacific Spin (Soak City U.S.A.); Johnny Rockets restaurant.
2005: T.G.I. Fridays restaurant (California Marketplace).
2004: Lucy's Tugboat; Rip Tide; Screamin' Swing; Silver Bullet; Kingdom of the Dinosaurs closed; Radisson Resort Knott's Berry Farm renamed Knott's Berry Farm Resort Hotel.
2003: Tampico Tumbler removed; Gran Slammer removed; La Revolución; Joe Cool's Gr8 Sk8; HammerHead removed.
2002: Xcelerator; VertiGo removed.
2001: VertiGo; Windjammer Surf Racers removed.
2000: Perilous Plunge; Soak City U.S.A. water park; Haunted Shack removed.
1999: Wipeout; Coasters restaurant; Charlie Brown Speedway; Parachute Sky Jump removed; HeadAche removed; Pacific Pavilion removed; Radisson Resort Knott's Berry Farm.
1998: XK-1 removed; Supreme Scream; Woodstock's Airmail; GhostRider.
1997: Windjammer Surf Racers.
1996: The Boardwalk themed area (retheme of Roaring 20's); HammerHead; Wacky Soap Box Racers removed.
1995: Jaguar!.
1994: Mystery Lodge.
1992: Indian Trails themed area.
1991: Studio K closed.
1990: Boomerang; XK-1.
1989: Corkscrew removed; Loop Trainer Flying Machine removed.
1988: Bigfoot Rapids.
1987: Kingdom of the Dinosaurs; Tampico Tumbler; Gran Slammer.
1986: Bear-y Tales removed; Tijuana Taxi removed; Fiesta Wheel removed.
1984: Studio K.
1983: Camp Snoopy themed area.
1978: Montezooma's Revenge.
1976: Motorcycle Chase; Parachute Sky Jump; Sky Cabin; Loop Trainer Flying Machine.
1975: Corkscrew; Bear-y Tales.
1971: John Wayne Theatre.
1969: Timber Mountain Log Ride; Fiesta Village themed area; Tijuana Taxi; Fiesta Wheel.
1960: Calico Mine Ride.
1952: Ghost Town & Calico Railroad.