Knott’s Berry Farm is celebrating its 100th Anniversary and this is ending soon on Labor Day! The anniversary started on May 21st and celebrating Walter and Cordelia Knott founding the theme park. Mrs. Knott’s famous fried chicken dinner had such a long wait, they built the Ghost Town to keep diners interested before they would eat. No reservations needed now! There are several meet and greets, Boysen Bear-y and Whittles, didn’t see them, and the Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair attraction. It may have been that I was too early for character apperances. I already covered Bear-y Tales: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2021/05/strolling-through-theme-park-knotts_13.html. The first attraction I went for was riding “The Galloping Goose”, the sign read it is one of seven made in the 1930’s. The lead engine looks like an old-time automobile with cars on the railroad track. The other train is the Grand Sierra Railroad which was resting on the other side of the tracks. The best part, also something you won’t encounter at other train rides, is a robbery! This is a fun experience.
Knott’s 100th Anniversary, Knott’s Berry Farm, photo by the author.
Next was another ride on Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair. Knott’s Scary Farm is returning so there was also the Into the Fog: A Scary Farm Tribute. We also covered that store display at Knott’s Fall-O-Ween: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2020/10/strolling-through-theme-park-knotts.html. This is a nice tribute store with the 100th Anniversary. There was some grey pumpkins and the atmosphere is spooky with the music. There was some standout artwork; “Until Death” by Shay Larby and an illustration by Lilli Goldschmidt, “The Marriage Massacre” both featuring ghostly brides. You can buy prints for $10 and there are also mini-prints and items at the front of the display. There was also a series of what looks like comic book covers, “PI Comics” by Michael "Thrash" Ornelas, love them! There are skeletons around the park that are set up for Scary Farm. I was able to take in the stage show, “Happiness Is…” with the Peanuts gang. It’s a very fun show, but I only stopped by for one number, I hope this show returns!
Happiness is… stage show, photo by the author.
My objective for this trip was to see the photo ops for the 100th Anniversary! The first was the Haunted Shack, I had to ask a worker where they are located, it had opened in Ghost Town in 1954 and closed in 2000. It was the go-to whenever I stopped by at Knott’s, it was free at one time, you just walked in and had fun with attractions like the shack. It had some optical illusions that looked supernatural. The facade is there, right in front of the Boothill Cemetary at Ghost Town. A bucket pours water into a barrel outside. The photo op is a window outside that you can set your camera and take the pic inside with people at different places in the Haunted Shack to be taller or smaller! The next one was Kingdom of the Dinosaurs which replaced Knott’s Bear-y Tales in 1987, but closed in 2004. I was so upset at the Bear-y Tales closure that I never went on the new ride. The photo op is on the other side of the Bear-y Tales entrance by Johnny Rockets. There is an interesting T-Rex, a returned part of the ride?, so it is a nice photo-op.
Haunted Shack photo-op, photo by the author.
The next photo op ride was by the Sky Cabin which is still there, but it also had an attraction, the Parachute Sky Jump! The photo op is next to Coast Rider. It opened in 1974 with the Sky Cabin and made its last jump in 1999. You went up 20 stories in a metal cage, people in the Sky Cabin would look at you through the window, and then you drop! I remember going up and then at the drop my knees were uncontrollably knocking together! The last one is still one of my favorite rides, Wacky Soap Box Racers! This was at the site where Xcelerator is located. The photo op is right at the exit of Supreme Scream. Wacky Soap Box Racers replaced Motorcycle Chase in 1980 and was an improvement since it has Saturday Morning-type characters. The ride closed in 1996. It is basically the old steeplechase coasters with four tracks that you would compete against other racers. I just remember at the end was an explosion in a warehouse before you return. These were all great nostalgic rides and photo ops. I ended the day at Pan for Gold, because you don't want all of that gold lying around do you? There is so much fun to have at Knott’s 100th Anniversary, remembering all of the rides, going on one that returned, and of course eating that delicious chicken!
#KnottsBerryFarm, #Knotts100, #HauntedShack, #KingdomOfTheDinosaurs, #SkyJump, #WackySoapBoxRacers.
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