Knott's Berry Farm Information

Knott's Berry Farm Theme Park, 8039 Beach Blvd., re-creates the atmosphere of the Old West and encompasses six theme areas on 160 acres. Old West Ghost Town is an 1880s boom town with cowboys, gun fights, stagecoaches and panning for gold, plus two western-style roller coasters: GhostRider, a 118-foot-high wooden coaster; and Silver Bullet, a suspended coaster with corkscrews, spirals and a 109-foot drop.

Thrill rides on the Boardwalk include RipTide, a floorless gondola that spins in 360-degree vertical arcs; and Xcelerator, 20 stories straight up and straight down. Camp Snoopy features rides especially for the younger crowd, including Lucy's Tugboat and Joe Cool's GR8 SK8. Major entertainers perform in the Charles M. Schulz Theatre. Other theme areas include Fiesta Village, Wild Water Wilderness and Indian Trails.
Food is available.

Although destined to always be in the shadow of Mickey's megaresort, the reality is that Knott's doesn't even attempt to compete with the Disney empire: Instead, it targets Southern California thrill-seekers (droves of them) by offering a far better selection of scream-inducing thrill rides.

Like Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm is not without historical background. In 1920, Walter Knott began farming 20 acres of leased land on Highway 39 (now Beach Blvd.). When things got tough during the Depression, Mrs. Knott set up a roadside stand, selling pies, preserves, and home-cooked chicken dinners. Within a year, she was selling 90 meals a day. Lines became so long that Walter decided to create an Old West Ghost Town -- America's first theme park -- in 1940 as a diversion for waiting customers.

Today Knott's amusement park offers a whopping 165 shows, attractions, and state-of-the-art rides that are far more intense than most of rides at the Disneyland Resort. Granted, it's less than half the size of the Disney Resort and doesn't have nearly the magical appeal of Disneyland, but if you're more into fast-paced amusement rides than swirling tea cups, spend your money here.

Despite all the high-tech multimillion-dollar rides, Knott's Berry Farm maintains much of its original Old West motif and also features the Peanuts gang: Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Woodstock, and pals are the official costumed characters of Knott's. The park is divided into six themed areas, each one of which features at least one of the thrill roller coasters that are the Knott's claim to fame. The California MarketPlace is located adjacent to, but outside of, the theme park, featuring 14 unique shops and restaurants, including the original favorite, Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant and the new TGI Friday's franchise.

Ghost Town--The park's original attraction is a collection of authentic 19th-century buildings relocated from deserted Old West towns in Arizona and California. You can pan for gold, ride an authentic stagecoach, take rickety train cars through the Calico Mine, and get held up aboard the Calico Railroad. If you love wooden roller coasters, don't miss the clackity GhostRider.

Fiesta Village--Here you'll find a south-of-the-border theme -- festive markets and an ambience that suggests old Spanish California. A cluster of carnival-style rides (in addition to the roller coasters listed below) includes a 100-year-old merry-go-round, plus Knott's version of Disneyland's Tea Cups, where you can sit-and-spin in your own sombrero. You can stroll the paths of Fiesta Village, which are lined with old-time carnival games and state-of-the-art electric arcades.

The Boardwalk--The park's most recently renovated area is a salute to Southern California's beach culture, where colorful architecture and palm trees are the backdrop for a trio of thrill rides. Other amusements include arcade and boardwalk games, the Dinosaur Discover Center, and the Charles M. Schulz Theatre, where seasonal productions include a Snoopy ice show or holiday pageant (check the marquee or park entertainment schedule for show times).

Camp Snoopy--This will probably be the youngsters' favorite area. The first-ever theme park area dedicated solely for kids, it's meant to re-create a wilderness camp in the High Sierras. Six rustic acres are the playgrounds of Charles Schulz's beagle and his pals, Charlie Brown and Lucy, who greet guests and pose for pictures. There are over a dozen rides in the camp; several kid-size rides are made especially for the younger set, while the entire family can enjoy others. Scaled-down stock cars, locomotives, steamboats, 18-wheeler semis, hot-air balloons, and even the Peanuts gang's school bus give kids a playland of their own. There's also a child-size version of Supreme Scream, called Woodstock's Airmail, and Joe Cool's GR8 SK8, a minithrill ride for the whole family. Interactive attractions include the new Camp Snoopy Theatre starring the Peanuts gang (little kids are transfixed by this show).

Wild Water Wilderness--This $10-million, 3 1/2-acre area is styled like a turn-of-the-20th-century California wilderness park with a raging whitewater river, cascading waterfalls, soaring geysers, and old-style ranger stations.

Indian Trails--Explore the ride-free Indian Trails cultural area, which offers daily demonstrations of native dance and music by authentically costumed Native American and Aztec dancers, singers, and musicians performed in the round on the Indian Trails stage. In addition, the compound showcases a variety of traditional Native American structures from the Pacific Northwest, Great Plains, and Southwest. The area includes four towering totem poles, standing from 15 to 27 feet high; three authentic tepees, representing the Arapaho, Blackfoot, and Nez Perce tribes; and more. The arts and crafts of Native American tribes from the western part of North America are also demonstrated and displayed. While exploring Indian Trails, visitors can enjoy a sampling of Native American foods, including Navajo tacos, Indian fry bread, and fresh-roasted ears of corn.