Yesterland: Independence Hall at Knott's Berry Farm

Hardly anyone noticed a significant milestone in theme park history earlier this month, on July 4, 2016—the Quinquagenary (50th anniversary) of Independence Hall at Knott’s Berry Farm.

This isn’t a “Yester” article about something that’s gone. You can still visit Independence Hall at Knott’s. And you really should.

Read the rest at Yesterland

So Cute! Fergie and Her Son Axl Snuggle Up to Snoopy at Knott’s Berry Farm

After setting the internet ablaze this month with her smokin’ hot “M.I.L.F.$” music video, Fergie spent her day off at the amusement park with her son Axl Jack.

The singer — who’s married to actor Josh Duhamel — was spotted riding the newly relaunched Ghostrider ride July 14 with her sister, Dana, and had a sweet moment with Axl, 2, later in the day while cuddling up to Snoopy.

“Axl loved playing with Snoopy,” says a source, who adds that the trio also stopped in to dine at Ghost Town Grill.

Read the rest at People

Knotts Scary Farm 2016: Returning Scare Zones

New towers, six slides will open at Soak City next season

Knott’s Berry Farm’s first Soak City expansion project in 10 years will feature a 165-foot water tower feeding four new slides and another 150-foot tower with two slides sure to keep guests cool during warm summers.

“This expansion is really to enhance what we have at the park,” said Jeff Gahagan, Knott’s vice president of maintenance and construction. “We’ve turned into the local park that everybody can call home.”

Read the rest at the OCRegister

Yesterland: Henry’s Auto Livery Ride

You might think that car rides at theme parks and amusement parks always have a guide rail down the center of the track.

Not this one!

You actually get to steer your car—in fact, you have to.

Welcome to Henry’s Livery. Here, you can drive a horseless carriage replica. You don’t need a driver’s license. The attraction is owned and operated by the Beckman family, one of the park’s many concessionaires.

Read the rest at Yesterland

Join Knott's at 9:45pm for a 4th of July fireworks show

Join is this weekend as we celebrate America with a 4th of July fireworks show at 9:45pm #Knotts 🎇🎢🎆 pic.twitter.com/w6Nn12esLd

— Knott's Berry Farm (@knotts) July 1, 2016

The Seasons Pass Podcast #329 - Knott's Ghost Town 75th! w/ Kaprelyan, Gahagan, Knibbs, Disney, & More

Coverage of the Knott’s Berry Farm Ghost Town 75th Anniversary media event, on June 9th, 2016: Hosted by Doug Barnes and ThemeParkReview.com’s Rick West. Reviews of Ghost Town Alive, the freshly renovated Ghostrider wooden coaster, and the restored, renewed, Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. This show also includes interviews with Raffi Kaprelyan (Former GM, Knott’s/Area Director, Cedar Fair), Russ Knibbs (VP of Food and Beverage, Knott’s), Jeff Gahagan (VP of Maintenance, Knott’s), Jim Disney (WestCoaster.net), and more! Enjoy.

Listen to it at SeasonPassPodcast

Ghost Town Lives Again at Knott's Berry Farm

While in college, I attended a performance of "Tamara" by John Krizanc. The play was staged inside Hollywood's American Legion Hall, a perfect setting for the interactive production. Rather than observe the performance from their seats, the audience followed a cast of 10 performers around the sprawling mansion as the play unfolded all around them. Members of the audience could follow an actor as he left a scene, stay in a room to see what happened next, or switch gears and follow a more intriguing character if they chose. The members of the audience each experienced a different version of the story depending on the choices they made. I was completely enchanted, and regret that I only got to see it once.

What does this have to do with theme parks? Absolutely nothing—but it probably explains why I find the new Ghost Town Alive experience at Knott's Berry Farm so compelling. Like "Tamara," Ghost Town Alive puts you into the middle of the story, as the citizens of Calico go about their day. There's mystery, mayhem, romance, politics, intrigue and crime, and a cast of characters ready to take you as deep into the action as you care to go.

Read the rest at MousePlanet

'Ghost Town Alive:' Visitors interact with characters in Old West drama at Knott's Berry Farm

Visitors can help the sheriff catch the bad guys, deliver telegrams, or even help out the bad guys, all in a day in Calico during “Ghost Town Alive” at Knott’s Berry Farm.

It is all part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Ghost Town at the Farm.

For the anniversary, designers wanted to bring the town to “life” by infusing it with characters from the Old West, much like would be found in a town back then.

Read the rest at the OCRegister

Knott's News: They have footage of the evening hoedown in it's new location at the recently opened Calico Park.

Knott's Berry Tales episode #10

Eddie Sotto shares concept for unbuilt Ghost Town attraction "Flash Flood Rapids"

Fun yesterday on Knott's berry panel. Shared unbuilt ghost town ride "flash flood Rapids" 1979. pic.twitter.com/58dddqX6EA

— Eddie Sotto (@boss_angeles) June 11, 2016

Knott's News: The ambition of pre-Cedar Fair Knott's has yet to be matched. People like Eddie Sotto and Robin Hall really went all out when designing attractions. While Knott's has been heading in the right direction since Matt's arrival, they're still afraid to let their imaginations run free. They say "These are legacy attractions, we can never do those again and can't compete with Disney, so why bother". 

Pre-Cedar Fair Knott's never stopped trying and produced wonderful things like the Roaring-20's and Camp Snoopy areas, Knott's Bear-y Tales, Kingdom of the Dinosaurs, Wacky Soapbox Racers, and Mystery Lodge. My worst fear is Cedar Fair slipping back into old habits and throwing in coasters and flats again. 

Prove me wrong Knott's, blow my mind!

Steve Martin Sends Happy 75th Anniversary Greetings to Knott's Ghost Town

Knott’s Eyes Land for Parking

Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park plans to buy 1.1 acres for $250,000 as part of a $5 million expansion of its Soak City water park by May 2017.

Read the rest at the OCBJ

Knott's Berry Farm Ghost Town 75th Anniversary (Ghost Town Alive!): Look Who's Traveling

Imagining what a Peanuts dark ride at Knott's Berry Farm could look like

A Peanuts dark ride.

You'd think adding one to Knott's would be a no-brainer, even more so than reviving the Knott's Bear-y gang. And yet, 30+ years later, nothing. Sure, The Peanuts gang was added to the Grand Sierra Railroad via Garner Holt as part of Camp Snoopy's 30th anniversary, but that was more of a half-measure. It only served to wet our appetites.

Then the movie came out and while it only garnered moderate success at the box office, I thought for sure Knott's would throw together some kind of attraction tie-in. Unfortunately disappointment set in again, as a red carpet for the movie was about all they did.

Knott's, it's time to take the plunge and deliver us that dark ride.

Vintage Photos of Ghost Town at Knott’s Berry Farm

It was 1940. Walter and Cordelia Knott had a farm growing berries and rhubarb along Highway 39, a few miles south of the little agricultural town of Buena Park, California. Their farm had something that others in the area didn’t have: an incredibly successful restaurant selling chicken dinners to families who drove down from Los Angeles.

That year, Walter Knott began adding Ghost Town near the restaurant. He artfully arranged authentic historical buildings along with matching new construction. By mid-1941, visitors could enjoy a wild mining town of the Old West, full of delightful details. Although there was no charge for admission or parking, Ghost Town would make the farm even more of a destination.

It was the beginning of Knott’s Berry Farm as arguably the first true theme park in the United States—and still one of the greatest.

Knott’s is celebrating the 75th anniversary of Ghost Town this summer with a spruced-up Ghost Town, a restored GhostRider roller coaster, new shows, and an interactive entertainment experience, Ghost Town Alive!

But this is Yesterland. So today you’ll find 14 never-before-published historical photos of Ghost Town from an earlier time—around 1958, give or take a few years.

Read the rest at Yesterland

Ghost Town Alive! An In-Depth Look at Knott’s Berry Farm’s Newest Interactive Offering

As someone who got really in-depth with Disneyland’s Legends of Frontierland a couple of summers ago, it’s hard not to compare the two experiences. It’s clear that while both Wild West experiences were setting out to create a more interactive land experience, I think that Knott’s Ghost Town Alive comes out the champion, and could be a model for other short-term interactive events in the themed environment space. This look offers no direct spoilers, but some images may spoil story aspects.

Read the rest at MiceChat

Hoedowns are now at the new Calico Park

Knott's Berry Farm Circus of wonders

Knott's berry tales episode #9 ghost town alive