While a good portion of Knott's Berry Farm is devoted to yesteryear and the Old West, there are plenty of amazing thrill rides and roller coasters. Plus a whole section of the park is devoted to the kiddies. We bring you our guide to the best Knott's rides and attractions. But this park has so much more to offer, so definitely take your time to explore.
Despite its status as one of the most popular theme parks in the United States, Knott's Berry Farm has a storied place in California's history first as a farm, then as a restaurant and finally as a theme park. In fact, the oldest theme park in America began as a farm in the 1920s. Walter and Cordelia Knott introduced the boysenberry to the world, selling jams, jellies and pies, but it was Cordelia's fried chicken dinners that would make her so famous. Out of that, Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant was born.
You could say the theme park sprung up around the restaurant. Walter Knott built Ghost Town in the 1940s with authentic buildings he bought from deserted ghost towns so that customers would have something to do while they waited many hours for a table. He continued adding on, bringing in the Calico Mine Ride and Timber Mountain Log Ride in the 1960s, both of which remain to this day.
To say that Knott's Berry Farm is steeped in history is an understatement. But even with its connection to the past, the park, now owned by Cedar Fair, continues to grow and bring in more attractions. There's always something hoppening at Knott's, so you may also get to experience one of the toadally fun Knott's Berry Farm events when you visit. In fact, our favorite Knott's event is a special after-hours Halloween event in September and October called Knott's Scary Farm!
Here Is Our List of Not-to-Miss Knott's Rides and Attractions
Hop aboard an ore car and take a ride through the mines in one of the park's original attractions. The Calico Mine Ride was rededicated in 2014 after a lengthy restoration that saw the addition of new scenes, 50 new animatronic characters and state-of-the-art LED lighting. Get a taste of early 1900s mining as you weave in and out of the mountain.
2. Camp Snoopy
Camp Snoopy is part of what makes Knott's such as family-friendly park. The six-acre Peanuts-themed land has numerous rides to please your tadpoles. Little ones can take flight with the World War I Flying Ace, go for a kite ride with Charlie Brown and hop aboard Pig Pen's mud buggies. Plus, you can meet your favorite Peanuts pals. Be sure to hop over to our post on tips for visiting Knott's Berry Farm with kids.
This modern Knott's ride near the entrance is always Leap's and Tad's first thrill ride of the day. This suspended coaster leaves your feet dangling you climb to a height of 146 feet, then soar back down with an initial drop of 109 feet. You will spiral, corkscrew, fly into a cobra roll, and experience overbanked curves. Overall, you will find yourself upside down six times including one vertical loop of 105 feet.
Get ready to fly on this hot rod roller coaster that hits 82 mph in 2.3 seconds, ascends 205 feet into the air and then plummets back down at a 90 degree angle. We recommend that thrill seekers make this one of their first stops in the park.
It's not called the Supreme Scream for nothing. This 252-foot tower takes guests up, up, up before dropping them back down at a top speed of 50 mph with three seconds of pure weightlessness. Like the nearby Xcelerator, Supreme Scream is a must-do for thrill ride enthusiasts.
Hang 10 ... more like 10 seconds from the top of this surf-themed dive coaster before dropping over the steepest — 96 degrees — fall in California. The most extreme view is from the front seat! After that you'll be riding the craziest "waves" ever seen on the West Coast, with gravity-defying inversions and mid-air suspensions. But perhaps the scariest part is climbing straight up with only a seatbelt and lap bar to hold you in. This is for true thrill seekers only.
One of the world's first log rides and said to be Walt Disney's inspiration for Splash Mountain, the Timber Mountain Log Ride is one of the original Knott's rides. The log ride underwent an extensive refurbishment in 2013. It restored its classic scenes theming and details, and added a few new scenes and characters, not to mention a catchy tune.
8. Ghost Town
Did you know you can go panning for gold, talk to a prisoner in the jail, watch an authentic blacksmith working metal and catch a good, old-fashioned gun fight or saloon show? Walter's original Ghost Town remains the heart of Knott's Berry Farm and know an interesting peek into yesteryear.
9. Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair
You can't miss the newest oldest ride. Wait what? The newest ride at Knott's — Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair — is a throwback to a 1975 classic dark-ride attraction, Knott's Bear-y Tales, but with a modern twist. Armed with jelly blasters, you'll need to shoot jam at Crafty Coyote and his band of pie thieves to stop them from stealing all the pies. You'll compete with your friends and family members for the highest score on this 4-D ride. Be sure to take a whiff and smell the boysenberry pie! We love that this ride is fun for the whole family.
Keep an eye out for the ride characters in the park after you ride. But keep them away from your snacks!
10. Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner
No trip to Knott's would be complete without a trip to Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant, located right outside the theme park. Of course times have changed, and you can find a varied menu that includes gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian items. But the real draw is still the buttermilk biscuits, boysenberry pie (Yum!) and fried chicken that made Cordelia Knott famous. The long wait for her fried chicken is the whole reason Ghost Town, rides and later the whole theme park were built. If you can't stay and eat, you can order full chicken meals to go.
We hope you've enjoyed our look at the not-to-miss Knott's rides and attractions. Ready to go? If you're looking for help planning your trip, start with our Los Angeles Planning Guide, which includes all of the area major attractions.
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Hoppy planning!
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