Knott's Berry Farm

Buena Park, California

About Knott's Berry Farm

Location: Knott's Berry Farm is located in Buena Park, California, about 45 minutes south of Los Angeles and five minutes west of Disneyland. You can get driving directions by clicking the Knott's Berry Farm link on Theme Park Insider's Google map of U.S. theme parks.

History: Knott's really once was a berry farm. Walter Knott built a themed Ghost Town to entertain diners waiting for tables at his wife's fried chicken restaurant. Over the years, the park grew into a destination of its own. Today, the park is owned by the Cedar Fair company.

Hours: http://www.knotts.com. Knott's is open 365 days a year, except Christmas.

Tickets: Buy and print online. Always try to buy your tickets in advance, to save time when you get to the park.

Reservations: Knott's does not have a ride reservation system.

Strategy: Silver Bullet's located right by the front gate, and should be your first stop when the park opens. From there, head to Ghost Town to ride GhostRider, then work your way to the back of the park for Perilous Plunge, Supreme Scream and Xcelerator. Those are the park's five world-class thrill rides. From there, fill in the rest of the day with old-school rides like the Log Flume (where Disney got the idea for Splash Mountain), the Mine Train (ditto on Thunder Mountain) and the Stagecoach.

If you've got little kids, head to Camp Snoopy and just spend the day there until the kids tire out. Wrap up with a ride on the Carousel, a chicken dinner at Mrs. Knott's then call it a day.

Note on food: The star food attraction, Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant, is actually located outside the park. That means you do not need park admission to dine there, but it does mean you'll have to get your hand stamped and exit if you are visiting the theme park.

New rides: "Pony Express" debuted on Memorial Day weekend 2008. The roller coaster is a Zamperla design that places riders on one of 16 "horses," which launch from zero to 38 mph in three seconds. -- Last edited by Robert Niles

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