page_title: Knott's Berry Farm
section_title: Timeline
hierarchical_section_title: Knott's Berry Farm / History / Timeline
caption_attribution_description: There are no known copyright restrictions on this image. All future uses of this photo should include the courtesy line, "Photo courtesy Orange County Archives."
context_page_description: Knott's Berry Farm is a 57-acre theme park located in Buena Park, California, owned and operated by Cedar Fair. In 2018, it was the twelfth-most-visited theme park in North America and averages approximately 4 million visitors per year. The park features 40 rides including roller coasters, family rides, dark rides and water rides.
  The theme park began in the 1920s as a road-side berry stand run by Walter Knott along State Route 39 in California. By the 1940s, a restaurant, several shops, and other attractions had been constructed on the property to entertain a growing number of visitors, including a replica ghost town. The site continued its transformation into a modern amusement park over the next two decades, and an admission charge was added in 1968. In 1997 the park was sold to Cedar Fair for $300 million, just two years after the Knott's food business was acquired by Conagra, Inc. in 1995.
context_section_description: 1920: Ten acres of berry farm land leased by Walter and Cordelia Knott
  1927: Ten leased acres of berry farm purchased, named Knott's Berry Place
  1929: Ten more acres purchased
  1932: Rudolf Boysen gives Walter his last six crossbreed berry plants, as yet unnamed
  1934: Tea room opens and Cordelia serves the first chicken dinner
  1940: Living Ghost Town tribute started with free entertainment.
  1941: 100 more acres of land are added, totals 120.
  1946: Steakhouse
  1947: Name change from Knott's Berry Place to Knott's Berry Farm.
  1948: Bottle House and Music Hall
  1949: Stagecoach
  1951: Calico Saloon
  1952: Ghost Town & Calico Railroad
  1954: Haunted Shack, Bird Cage Theater
  1955: Dentzel Carousel, Merry-Go-Round Auto Ride (later the Tijuana Taxi), Hunter's Paradise Shootin' Gallery, Model 'T' Children's Ride, Cable Cars
  1958: Mott's Miniatures
  1960: Calico Mine Ride.
  1966: Independence Hall
  1968: Fence surrounds the park, and admission is charged.
  1969: Timber Mountain Log Ride; Fiesta Village themed area; Tijuana Taxi (re-themed from Auto Ride); Mexican Whip; Fiesta Wheel; Happy Sombrero.
  1971: John Wayne Theater (later the Good Time Theater, then the Charles M. Schulz Theater)
  1973: Inaugural Knott's Scary Farm Halloween event
  1974: Wild West Stunt Show replaces Wagon Camp shows.
  1975: Corkscrew; Bear-y Tales.
  1976: Motorcycle Chase; Sky Jump; Sky Cabin; Propeller Spin; Loop Trainer Flying Machine; Whirlpool; Gasoline Alley; Whirlwind.
  197?: Knotts Berry Farm Hotel opened.
  1978: Montezooma's Revenge, Old MacDonald's Farm removed, Cable Cars removed
  1980: Dragon Swing, Wacky Soap Box Racers
  1983: Barn Dance featured Bobbi & Clyde Country Western Dancing; Camp Snoopy themed area built, forcing removal of Knott's Lagoon and its attractions around a lake which had been built north of Independence Hall, so that a parking area could be relocated.
  1984: Studio K debuts. The most successful teen dance facility in the nation. Opened with a Dick Clark Special, "Rock Rolls On".
  1986: Bear-y Tales removed; Tijuana Taxi removed; Fiesta Wheel removed; Mexican Whip removed.
  1987: Kingdom of the Dinosaurs; Tampico Tumbler; Gran Slammer; Slingshot; Happy Sombrero renamed Mexican Hat Dance.
  1988: Calico River Rapids (former Bigfoot Rapids); Bear-y Tales Funhouse.
  1989: XK-1; Greased Lighting moved into enclosed building and renamed Whirlwind. Corkscrew removed/ refurbished and moved to Idaho; Propeller Spin removed; Loop Trainer Flying Machine removed.
  1990: Boomerang built on former site of Corkscrew;
  1991: Studio K closed.
  1992: Indian Trails themed area.
  1994: Mystery Lodge.®
  1995: Jaguar! added
  1996: The Boardwalk themed area (retheme of Roaring 20's); HammerHead; Greased Lightning renamed HeadAche; Whirlpool renamed Headspin; Wacky Soap Box Racers with Gasoline Alley removed.
  1997: Windjammer Surf Racers; Cedar Fair Acquires Knott's; Bear-y Tales Funhouse removed.
  1998: GhostRider; XK-1 removed; Supreme Scream; Woodstock's Airmail; Slingshot renamed Wave Swinger; Mexican Hat Dance renamed Hat Dance.
  1999: Wipeout; Coasters restaurant; Charlie Brown Speedway; Sky Jump removed; HeadAche removed and renamed The Blue Thunder at Miracle Strip Amusement Park; Pacific Pavilion removed; Radisson Resort Knott's Berry Farm.
  2000: Windjammer Surf Racers closes; Perilous Plunge; Knott's Soak City U.S.A. water park; Haunted Shack removed.
  2001: VertiGo;  removed; Wipeout relocated; Headspin relocated and renamed Wilderness Scrambler.
  2002: Xcelerator added; VertiGo removed
  2003: Tampico Tumbler removed; Gran Slammer removed; La Revolución; Joe Cool's Gr8 Sk8; HammerHead removed.
  2004: Silver Bullet; Lucy's Tugboat; Rip Tide and Screamin' Swing opened; Kingdom of the Dinosaurs closed; Church of Reflections relocated to outside of park; Radisson Resort Knott's Berry Farm renamed Knott's Berry Farm Resort Hotel. Grand Sierra Railroad shortened to accommodate Silver Bullet.
  2005: T.G.I. Fridays restaurant (California Marketplace).
  2006: Pacific Spin (Soak City U.S.A.); Johnny Rockets restaurant; New Perilous Plunge boats put into operation; Walter K Steamboa
caption: Stagecoach circa 1950, added as the first ride in 1949
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