Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park, California, United States

Knott’s Berry Farm is southern California’s original theme park, located in Buena Park, California, owned and operated by Cedar Fair. The park features 40 rides including roller coasters, family rides, dark rides, and water rides, the park also offer elaborate stage shows, interactive entertainment, and family-friendly fun with Snoopy and the Peanuts gang. In 2015, it was the twelfth-most-visited theme park in North America and averages approximately 4 million visitors per year.

Knott’s Berry Farm is a world-renowned theme park, roots as a family farm, Knott’s serves up delicious food creations that can only be found at Knott’s Berry Farm. Knott’s Berry Farm started as a small berry farm soon began to grow into a family theme park destination thanks to famous fried chicken dinners, boysenberries and an Old West Ghost Town, the park bursting with attractions and entertainment.

Experience state-of-the-art thrill rides at one of America’s oldest and best-loved theme parks., offering thrill rides and a unique insight into California’s cultural heritage and pioneering past. The theme park began in the 1920s as a roadside berry stand run by Walter Knott along State Route 39 in California. By the 1940s, a restaurant, several shops, and other attractions had been constructed on the property to entertain a growing number of visitors, including a replica ghost town.

The site continued its transformation into a modern amusement park over the next two decades, and an admission charge was added in 1968. In 1997 the park was sold to Cedar Fair for $300 million, just two years after the Knott’s food business was acquired by ConAgra, Inc. in 1995. 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.

Knott’s Berry Farm now bursts with attractions and entertainment for all ages, including first-class roller coasters, stage shows, interactive experiences, delicious food creations and family-friendly fun featuring Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang. The once small family farm has grown into today’s family fun destination; home to the Knott’s Berry Farm theme park, Knott’s Soak City Waterpark and Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel.

One-of-a-kind seasonal events include Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration, Knott’s Summer Nights, Knott’s Boysenberry Festival, Knott’s Spooky Farm and Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween events, and Knott’s Merry Farm holiday celebration. During Thanksgiving Christmas time, there was winter holidays at Knott’s Merry Farm with a park transformation into a classic winter wonderland, including holiday favorites like Merry Christmas, Snoopy!, a Christmas Crafts Village & the magical Snow and Glow experience.

Areas and attractions
What began as a roadside berry stand and Chicken Dinner Restaurant in the 1920s has evolved into one of Southern California’s most popular theme park destinations, attracting more than five million visitors each year. At Knott’s, fun is always in season, with dozens of thrilling rides, shows, and attractions in exciting themed areas.

Knott’s Berry Farm offers a unique combination of world-class thrill rides with traditional family favorite attractions and shows. A day at Knott’s Berry Farm means taking on mammoth coasters, as well as witnessing Old Western adventures and enjoying a hug from the world’s most loveable beagle of Snoopy.

At Knott’s, there are six uniquely themed areas, each presenting a taste of the Southern California experience. Enjoy the wild rides, live shows and attractions including an action-packed Old West Ghost Town, six-acre Camp Snoopy for kids and thrill rides like Jaguar, Xcelerator, GhostRider, Montezuma’s Revenge, Hammerhead and Boomerang.

Knott’s suspended coaster that sends daring riders through inverted outside loops, over-banked curves and zero-G rolls. Feel the high-octane rush of Xcelerator, the ride that gives new meaning to ‘joy ride’, while GhostRider delivers the excitement of a classic wooden coaster. Plus, there’s the gravity-defying rush of 30-storey Supreme Scream, the 720-degree flips of Rip Tide…

Ghost Town is a trip in to the past with gun-slinging bandits duking it out in the legendary Wild West Stunt Show. Explore the heritage of Native American civilization at the Indian Trails. Be transported back in time by Native American storytellers and high-tech Wizardry at the Mystery Lodge, watch costumed craftspeople ply pioneer trades in the living history booths, and cheer bucking bronco riders at the Fool’s Gold Stunt Show.

Head for the palm trees of The Boardwalk, a celebration of Californian beach culture. Feel the G-forces on the famous Boomerang and Supreme Scream rides. Catch your breath and take in panoramic views of the entire park on the Sky Cabin.

Fiesta Village at the south of the border pays homage to Spanish California, enjoy the atmosphere of California’s Spanish Mission era. Explore the Indian Trails cultural area where the stories, arts and foods of America’s First Peoples are authentically celebrated.

Knott’s Soak City Water Park, Wild Water Wilderness is a tribute to the region’s natural beauty. Themed around 1950s surf culture, this 13-acre (5-hectare) collection of flumes, slides and wave pools is a full-day destination in itself.

The park is also home of the PEANUTS Gang, Camp Snoopy offers more than 20 kid-approved rides. Little thrill-seekers will delight in Camp Snoopy, a theme park created especially for younger children. Little kids will discover all kinds of hands-on adventures and pint-size rides at Camp Snoopy.

Ghost Town
The Knott’s Berry Farm Ghost Town is the heart and soul of the Park. This 1880s Old West Boom Town features cowboys, gunfights, can-can dancers, stagecoaches, a steam train, and panning for real gold. Ghost Town is the home of re-themed, Calico River Rapids, a white-water river excursion where rafters will encounter a variety of wild surprises such as roaring rapids, indigenous wildlife, and whimsical homesteaders.

More Ghost Town thrills are found at Silver Bullet, a western-themed steel inverted roller coaster that suspends riders beneath the track and climbs to a height of 146 feet (45m), and at GhostRider, the tallest, fastest, longest wooden roller coaster on the west coast. Original favorites such as the Timber Mountain Log Ride and Calico Mine Ride, round out this spectacular area with iconic lifelike animatronics and spectacular special effects.

Craftsmen in Ghost Town demonstrate the arts of the blacksmith, woodcarver, glass-blower, sign cutter, and spinner. Demonstrations of narrow gauge railroading and farm equipment hobbyists accompany additional merchant stalls of cottage-craft fairs seasonally at discounted admission which is restricted to Ghost Town only.

Western Trails Museum, relocated between the candy store and the General Store to accommodate Calico River Rapids (former Bigfoot Rapids), still features historical western artifacts large and small, from a hand powered horse-drawn fire engine to miniature replica of a borax hauling “Twenty Mule Team” and utensils necessary to survive the prairie and wilderness.

In addition to thrilling rides, Ghost Town also features one of a kind shows for the whole family. The Calico Saloon welcomes visitors in to live entertainment, while the bartender serves up tall, cool sarsaparilla and boysenberry beer. No visit to Ghost Town is complete without witnessing a showdown between the local gunslingers at the Wild West Stunt Show, which sends guests on a rip-roarin’ visit to the West when it really was wild.

The park formerly featured a 5th area called the Wild Water Wilderness. Formerly known as Wild Water Wilderness, now part of Ghost Town, that features two major rides: the Pony Express, a horse themed family roller coaster installed in 2008 and Calico River Rapids which opened in 2019. Nearby Pony Express is Rapids Trader, a small merchandise stand. It is also home to Mystery Lodge, a multimedia show based on an Expo 86 pavilion featuring a Native American storyteller.

Fiesta Village
Fiesta Village pays tribute to California’s Hispanic roots in a beautifully themed area containing Mexican-style architecture, food, and eye-catching works of art. Fiesta Village was built in 1969 with a Mexican theme. It was built to pay tribute to California´s Spanish and Mexican heritage. It was the second area constructed after the completion of Ghost Town.

Stores like Casa California, restaurants like Pancho’s Tacos, La Papa Loca, and La Victoria Cantina, games like Shoot If Yucan, and the themed rides like La Revolución, Jaguar!, and Montezooma’s Revenge, along with the former attraction Tampico Tumbler, all contribute to the Mexican and Aztec theme of the area. In 2013 colorful string lights were added for the summer season.

Thrills are in no short supply in Fiesta Village, which features park favorites such as Montezooma’s Revenge, a shuttle coaster that sends daring riders forward AND backward through a looped track, and La Revolución, which swings riders an astounding 64 feet (20m) in the air.

Sol Spin brings hair-raising thrills to Fiesta Village by sending brave guests on a topsy-turvy spinning adventure over six stories high as they rotate in all directions in one of the ride’s six spinning floorless gondolas. Fiesta Village is also the prowling grounds of Knott’s Jaguar!, a 3-minute long coaster that journeys through Knott’s mysterious Mayan temple.

The Boardwalk
Knott’s Boardwalk pays tribute to the celebrated Southern California beach lifestyle and is home to California’s first dive coaster, HangTime. The infinity coaster towers 150 feet over the Boardwalk area, containing gravity-defying inversions, mid-air suspensions, and a beyond vertical drop- the steepest in California.

Boardwalk Games include physical challenges such as a rock wall, soccer, basketball and a rope ladder crawl. A variety of traditional pitch three balls and win a prize type games, such as squirt gun into clowns mouth, knock off milk bottles, pitch a quarter onto a plate are pitched by hawkers along the Boardwalk Games midway.

The Boardwalks also features Coast Rider, a family coaster, Surfside Gliders, on which riders pilot their own two-person aircraft for a scenic view of Boardwalk Bay, and the classic Pacific Scrambler. Boardwalk is also where you’ll find thrill-seeker favorite, Xcelerator, which sends daredevils screaming 0-80 mph in just 2.3 seconds! Other gravity-defying thrills include adrenaline-rushing fun on Supreme Scream.

Located in the Boardwalk, the 2,100 seat Charles M. Schultz Theatre hosts live stage extravaganzas throughout the year, each with special effects, elaborate costumes, and breathtaking choreographed performances with the PEANUTS gang. The boardwalk reopened in 2013, after a year transformation with two flat rides and a new family roller coaster taking the place of Perilous Plunge. The southern portion of the boardwalk contains the family interactive dark ride: Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair. The world’s largest Johnny Rockets restaurant franchise is located at Knott’s Boardwalk, featuring over 5,900 square feet (550 m2) of indoor dining space for more than 260 guests.

Camp Snoopy
Knott’s Camp Snoopy was the first-ever theme park area designed just for kids and remains one of the most beloved children’s playlands anywhere. Home of Charles M. Schulz’ Peanuts characters, the six-acre kid’s area features design elements that reflect a day at summer camp in the California High Sierras. Its theme is Charles M. Schulz’ “Peanuts” comic strip characters. Snoopy has been the mascot of Knott’s Berry Farm since 1983, and the characters can now be seen at all of Cedar Fair’s parks.

Featuring over 15 kid-friendly attractions, Camp Snoopy favorites include Charlie Brown’s Kite Flyers, which takes campers on a highflying adventure above the land’s winding paths and babbling streams, Pig Pen’s Mud Buggies that send tykes on an adventurously bumpy ride in a pint-sized off-road vehicle, and Linus Launcher which soars up, up and away in a hang glide vehicle fit for two.

For bigger kids, the modern Camp Snoopy classic, Sierra Sidewinder cannot be missed. This innovative coaster sends riders through dips and turns all while rotating on its axis. With the exception of Sierra Sidewinder and Timberline Twister, the rides are relatively tame. The rides include a mini roller coaster called the Timberline Twister, a Zamperla Rockin’ Tug called Rapid River Run, and a steel spinning roller coaster called Sierra Sidewinder.

On November 22, 2013, Knott’s Berry Farm announced major improvements in the area of Camp Snoopy. Camp Snoopy received a makeover for its 30th anniversary. In summer 2014, Knott’s Berry Farm opened up new rides in Camp Snoopy.

The 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge Grand Sierra Railroad takes guest on a four-minute train ride through the reflection lake. The ride was made shorter with the construction of Silver Bullet. As part of the 30th Anniversary makeover, the train ride received a series of Peanuts vignettes made by Garner Holt Productions) along the track and narration by the character Linus.

Knott’s has portrait artists, as well as face painters and caricature artists in two different locations in Camp Snoopy operated by Kaman’s Art Shoppes. Portrait artists have a long history at Knott’s, dating back to 1951. Claude Bell, who created the concrete characters on the benches at Knott’s, operated the portrait concession from 1951 to 1986. Bell also sculpted the minuteman statue on display at Independence Hall.

Camp Snoopy also hosts kid-friendly entertainment at The Camp Snoopy Theatre, which showcases a variety of seasonal performances starring Snoopy, Charlie Brown, along with the whole PEANUTS Gang.

Indian Trails
Located next to the Bottle House in Ghost Town, Indian Trails is a small area sandwiched between Camp Snoopy, Ghost Town, and Fiesta Village, showcasing Native American art, crafts, and dance.

Public area
Many of the original attractions are outside the gates of the current-day theme park along Grand Ave. at the California Marketplace, mostly things which would no longer be considered interesting to today’s audience, or things which were merely there for decoration. Near the restrooms behind Berry Place are the waterfall overshooting the water wheel and historic gristmill grindstone, a replica of George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate fireplace hearth, and what remains of the visible beehive. Some attractions still exist, but have been incorporated into backstage areas, such as the Rock Garden, now an employee smoking area. Other attractions have been removed, such as the historic volcano, and the cross-section of giant sequoia with age rings denoting historic events such as Christopher Columbus visiting America.

East property
The east side of the property, divided by Beach Blvd., features the main parking lot, Knott’s Soak City a seasonal water park that requires separate admission, the picnic grounds rental areas, complementary admission to Independence Hall and gift shop, and the Church of Reflections which was moved outside the theme park in 2004 and held non-denominational Sunday services until 2010. A tunnel and pedestrian underpass beneath Beach Blvd. connects the main parking lot to the shops, restaurants and theme park.

Knott’s Soak City Waterpark
Knott’s Soak City Waterpark is a separately gated 15- acre water adventure park immediately adjacent to Knott’s Berry Farm. It requires separate admission from Knott’s Berry Farm. In addition to the water park across the street from the main theme park, Cedar Fair also formerly owned two other Knott’s Soak City Parks, in Palm Springs and Chula Vista.

Soak City boasts 23 speed, tube and body slides including Shore Break featuring 6 different waterslide experiences and a thrilling family raft ride, The Wedge; the 750,000-gallon Tidal Wave Bay wavepool; a one‑third‑mile Sunset River; and the three‑story Beach House, featuring 200 water guns, nozzles, sprayers and other interactive surprises. Soak City is open mid-May through early-September.

Cuisine
Treat yourself to tasty preserves and jellies, a fine assortment of gifts and souvenirs, or some famous fried chicken at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. It’s all here at the California Marketplace at Knott’s Berry Farm.

Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant first opened in 1934 with Mrs. Knott and her children serving the first customers in their tea room. The restaurant has grown over the years into one of the largest in California, but the classic fried chicken dinner is still made the same way today using Mrs. Knott’s recipes.

Chicken-To-Go provides the delicious, Mrs. Knott’s Fried Chicken in convenient takeaway packaging. We offer selected meals which include side dishes from our famous restaurant. Chicken-To-Go has a variety of meal sizes to feed the whole family or just an individual.

Located in the Knott’s California MarketPlace, the Berry Market features the world’s largest selection of Berry Market signature jams and preserves, gift packs, flavored coffees, gourmet foods, and gifts.

Special Events
Fun is always in season at Knott’s Berry Farm with five Seasons of Fun events throughout the year! The Seasons of Fun kick-off at the beginning of the year with the Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration, uniquely dedicated to celebrating the beloved PEANUTS characters. No matter what the season, you will always find the most things to do in Southern California at Knott’s Berry Farm!

Every spring, celebrate Knott’s delicious roots during the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival with an unforgettable lineup of exquisite boysenberry food, drinks, and dazzling family-friendly entertainment!

During the summer the interactive Ghost Town Alive! experience returns to the park complete with bandits, cowboys, robberies, judges, a good ol’ western hoedown, and much more! The summer also brings fireworks, special entertainment and extended park hours.

In the fall, the annual daytime, family-friendly Halloween celebration, Knott’s Spooky Farm, brings “spooky” activities geared for ages 3-11, including trick-or-treating, themed rides and live shows.

End the year with the merriest of seasons as the park wondrously transforms into Knott’s Merry Farm, a Christmas celebration for all ages. Knott’s Berry Farm harvests great special events in Buena Park all year long.