Disneyland and SeaWorld may get all the attention, but Knott's Berry Farm Theme Park has the distinction of being America's first theme park, and still to this day one of the most popular attractions according to tourists in the California area. Knott's Berry Farm Theme Park, as you might suspect, actually developed from a traditional berry farm. In the early 1920's Walter Knott and his family sold berries and pies from a roadside stand beside State Route 39. He developed a unique taste in Boysenberry pie (courtesy of Rudolph Boysen) and also began serving dinners with the help of his wife. The area was conveniently located and as Southern California expanded, so did Knott's developing restaurant.
As the years passed, lines of diners would increase to several hours of waiting time and so Knott thought of the idea of creating an entertainment venue to coincide with the park. In the 1940's a western ghost town was build, which was later followed by a train ride, and mine ride. Even Walt Disney, who was busy planning Disneyland in Anaheim, enjoyed Knott's Berry Farm on more than one occasion and even hosted the family at his own park. Walter Knott and Walter Disney even occasionally worked together in various community causes. It wasn't until 1968 that the Knott family began to get into the amusement park business. The park soon began charging admission and letting visitors in to see the Old West Ghost Town, the Fiesta Village and the Roaring Twenties exhibit. Other notable attractions throughout Knott's history included the Corkscrew roller coaster, the Barn Dance, featured Bobbi & Clyde, the Kingdom of the Dinosaurs, Wild Water Wilderness and the Boomerang roller coaster.
Knott's Berry Farm Theme Park of today has moved away from the nostalgic and quaint period settings of the theme park of yesteryear and instead has focused attention on thrill rides. There are a large number of thrilling roller coaster rides in the park, leading many amusement park fans to believe that Knott's Berry Farm Theme Park is possibly the best theme park in the Los Angeles area when it comes to rides. There are also other tourist-spots located near or around the park such as Medieval Times and Pirate's Dinner Adventure. However, today's amusement park fans hardly mind Knott's Berry Farm misnomer—the name has stuck for nearly a century and continues to entertain audiences from around the world. Most recently, the Radisson Resort Hotel was renamed to Knott's Berry Farm Resort Hotel, to capitalize on the popularity of Knotts Berry Farm name. Knott's Berry Farm Theme Park continues to entertain guests with its 165 rides and live shows as well as numerous restaurants.
When exploring Knott's Berry Farm remember how the theme park is divided: Independence Hall, Ghost Town, Fiesta Village, The Boardwalk, Camp Snoopy, Wild Water Wilderness and Indian Trails. If you want to ride exciting features like the Montezooma's Revenge, the Jaguar, the GhostRider and the Xcelerator then remember the quaint name for the most exciting theme park: Knotts Berry Farm!
