Knott's Berry Farm

Located in Buena Park, CA on State Route 39 (Beach Blvd), this Southern California theme park is rich in history as well as thrills. Knott’s Berry Farm is truly an entrepreneurial dream, which began as a roadside berries and pies sale stand owned and operated by the Knott’s Family in the 1920’s. In an effort to increase profit and make ends meet during the Great Depression, Walt Knott’s wife Cordelia started to offer a sit down meal to include her specialty made Fried chicken as well as Knott’s signature Boysenberry pie. At the time Highway 39 had been the only freeway connecting LA County and the beaches of Orange County, which made the restaurant a popular stop for travelers and drivers.In no time the fabulous food and the newly invented Boysenberry, which the Knott's family had made famous, became all the buzz to the point where many traveled specifically to eat at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. This buzz produced an influx of customers that required some creative solutions while working on expansion plans. To ensure people would stick around and endure the long wait to be seated, Walter Knott started adding some little attractions for guests to be amused while waiting. His first additions included several rock gardens with waterfalls, wishing wells, a replica of George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Fireplace and a gift shop.

Eventually through the years Walter Knott’s additions for entertainment evolved into a theme park, which can now be enjoyed by park patrons. Many of the original attractions can still be seen and enjoyed and most have been incorporated into many of the rides and shops featured in the park. The most famed area in the park is actually the oldest. Walter had relocated old western buildings from cities in Arizona, to build the Ghost Town themed area in the park to replicate the ghost town of Calico, CA. The buildings were filled with relics you would find in the old west, shops for souvenirs from the park and scenes that were both interactive and whimsical.

Even now you can enjoy the fine foods of Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner, which can be enjoyed outside of the park in the California Market Place area where other shops and eateries are available outside of the park entrance as well. The California Market Place is open to all and is outside of the park, not requiring park admission to enjoy. 

In 1983, in the effort to have a more children’s themed area, Knott’s Berry Farm added the Camp Snoopy area incorporating the Charles Schultz “Peanuts” comic strip characters. The Peanuts characters have since been the parks mascots. In 1997 the Knott’s family sold the amusement park operations to Cedar Fair Company. Although Disney Company had thrown in their offer to purchase the park in plans to convert the park into an alternate themed location called Disney’s America, the Knott’s family rejected the offer out of fear that most of Walter Knott had built would be eliminated.

Today Knott’s Berry Farm still has much to offer any theme park enthusiast who can appreciate the historical elements of theme park evolution as well as the exhilaration of extreme ride amusement.