Knott's Berry Farm
A California amusement-park and heritage-food brand that grew from the Knott family’s berry farm, roadside market, and chicken-dinner restaurant.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Knott's Berry Farm is a 57-acre amusement park and heritage brand in Buena Park, California. Its origins date to 1920, when Walter Knott and his family settled in the area and began cultivating and selling berries. By the early 1920s, the family operated a roadside stand known as Knott's Berry Place, offering fresh berries, preserves, and pies to travelers along California State Route 39. The business expanded beyond agriculture in 1934, when Cordelia Knott began serving fried-chicken dinners in a tea room. Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant became a major destination in its own right, creating demand for shops and diversions for customers waiting for tables. The property’s transition from farm and roadside attraction to amusement park began with Walter Knott’s construction of a replica Old West Ghost Town in 1940–1941. The attraction reflected his interest in California history and the pioneer experiences of his family. It included buildings, shops, demonstrations, and displays designed to give visitors a historical entertainment experience. A Western Trails Museum collection, donated by Marion Speer in 1956, strengthened the site’s historical and educational character. During the 1950s, the property increasingly adopted the form of a full amusement destination, including a summer county fair and additional themed areas. Knott's became known for combining regional history, food, live entertainment, and rides rather than presenting itself solely as a conventional midway. The park was initially free to enter, with visitors paying for individual rides through a ticket system. In 1968, an admission charge was introduced for Ghost Town, partly reflecting the park’s growing scale and the operators’ desire to control visitor access. The Calico Log Ride, later known as the Timber Mountain Log Ride, opened in 1969. Subsequent decades brought attractions ranging from family rides and historical exhibits to major roller coasters and water rides. The brand has also had a political and cultural dimension. During the 1960s, the park attracted conservative organizations and audiences, and Barry Goldwater held a 1964 California primary rally at the property with Ronald Reagan among the speakers. The park’s idealized presentation of the American West appealed to visitors seeking nostalgia during a period of social and political conflict in California. This historical framing remains an important part of the brand, although modern operations place substantial emphasis on thrill rides, seasonal events, and entertainment programming. After Walter Knott died in 1981, his children continued to operate the family business. The family sold the specialty-food operation to ConAgra in 1995. The food brand subsequently passed to The J.M. Smucker Company, which discontinued retail grocery sales of Knott's Berry Farm jams in 2024. The amusement-park operation was sold to Cedar Fair on December 29, 1997, after the Knott family declined an opportunity to sell it to The Walt Disney Company because of concerns that Disney would substantially alter Walter Knott’s creation. Under Cedar Fair, the park invested heavily in roller coasters, water attractions, family rides, refurbishments, and themed lands. Knott's continued to operate annual events including Knott's Scary Farm and Knott's Merry Farm. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the park closed in March 2020, while the marketplace later reopened and the property introduced outdoor food festivals such as Taste of Calico and Taste of Knott's. Regular park operations resumed on May 6, 2021, alongside the delayed opening of Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair. On July 1, 2024, Cedar Fair merged with Six Flags, and the resulting Six Flags Entertainment Corporation became the park’s parent company. Knott's Berry Farm remains an active Southern California destination with more than 40 rides and attractions, including approximately ten roller coasters, while its identity continues to connect berry-farm ori…
History
The Knott family established the original berry farm in Buena Park in 1920. Around 1923, Walter and Cordelia Knott began selling berries, preserves, and pies from a roadside stand. The operation gained a second major draw in 1934 when Cordelia introduced fried-chicken dinners. Guests often waited for tables, encouraging the family to create shops and attractions around the restaurant. Walter Knott began building a replica Ghost Town around 1940, and it opened to visitors in 1941. The area was inspired by Western history and by the Knott family’s pioneer heritage. Artist Paul von Klieben researched Western towns, produced architectural and scenic designs, and helped give Ghost Town its distinctive visual character. In 1956, collector Marion Speer transferred a 30,000-item Western Trails Museum collection to the property, where he served as curator until 1969. During the 1950s and 1960s, the site developed from a roadside attraction into a broader amusement destination. It hosted a summer county fair and added rides, museums, restaurants, shops, and entertainment. The park’s conservative cultural associations became particularly visible during the 1960s, when conservative organizations used the property and Barry Goldwater held a 1964 California primary rally there. In 1968, the park introduced an admission fee for Ghost Town after years of free entry with separate ride tickets. The Calico Log Ride opened in 1969. The 1970s and 1980s brought new themed areas, tower attractions, family rides, and increasingly ambitious mechanical attractions. The Sky Tower supported Sky Jump and Sky Cabin, while Motorcycle Chase was later transformed into Wacky Soap Box Racers. Knott's added attractions including Knott's Bear-y Tales, Kingdom of the Dinosaurs, and Bigfoot Rapids. In the 1990s, the park opened Boomerang, Mystery Lodge, and Jaguar!, among other additions. Following the deaths of Walter and Cordelia Knott, their children sold the businesses. ConAgra acquired the specialty-food business in 1995, and Cedar Fair acquired the amusement-park operation in 1997. Cedar Fair expanded the park’s thrill-ride portfolio while continuing to preserve Ghost Town, the chicken-dinner tradition, and seasonal programming. Major later developments included Perilous Plunge, Boardwalk family rides, refurbishment of Timber Mountain Log Ride and Calico Mine Ride, and the return of Knott's Bear-y Tales as an interactive dark ride. The pandemic caused a prolonged closure beginning in March 2020. Knott's adapted with marketplace reopening and ticketed outdoor food festivals, including Taste of Calico, Taste of Knott's, Taste of Fall-o-ween, and Taste of Merry Farm. Normal operations returned in May 2021. The 2024 Cedar Fair–Six Flags merger placed the park within Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, while Cedar Fair shareholders retained controlling shares of the combined company.
- 2024
Six Flags merger completed
[1]Knott's becomes part of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation through the Cedar Fair merger.
- 2021
Regular operations resume
[1]The park reopens fully and debuts Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair.
- 2020
Pandemic closure and food festivals
[1]The park closes during the pandemic and develops outdoor Taste of Knott's events before reopening.
- 1997
Cedar Fair acquires the park
[1]Cedar Fair purchases Knott's Berry Farm’s amusement-park operations.
- 1995
Specialty-food business sold to ConAgra
[1]The Knott family sells the packaged-food operation, separating it from the amusement-park business.
- 1969
Calico Log Ride opens
[1]The attraction later known as Timber Mountain Log Ride joins the park’s lineup.
- 1968
Admission fee introduced
[1]The park begins charging admission for Ghost Town after years of free entry.
- 1941
Ghost Town opens
[1]Walter Knott’s replica Old West town becomes the foundation of the amusement park.
- 1934
Mrs. Knott's chicken dinners launch
[1]Cordelia Knott begins serving fried-chicken dinners, creating a major visitor draw.
- 1923
Roadside berry stand begins
[1]The family sells berries, preserves, and pies from Knott's Berry Place.
Products and positioning
A heritage-oriented California theme-park brand combining Old West storytelling, family entertainment, seasonal festivals, and the Knott family’s berry and restaurant traditions.
Theme park · 1947
Knott's Berry Farm amusement park
The core offering is a 57-acre California amusement park with more than 40 rides and attractions. Its portfolio spans roller coasters, family rides, children’s attractions, water rides, themed lands, live shows, historical exhibits, restaurants, and seasonal programming. Ghost Town and other heritage features distinguish it from a purely thrill-oriented park.
Specialty food · 1923
Berry preserves and jams
The packaged-food line grew from the family’s original roadside berry business and included jams, jellies, preserves, and related berry products. The food operation was separated from the park in 1995 and later owned by The J.M. Smucker Company. Retail grocery sales were discontinued in 2024.
Restaurant · 1934
Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant
Cordelia Knott’s fried-chicken dinners became one of the property’s defining food experiences. The restaurant helped transform a berry stand into a destination by attracting visitors independently of the later rides and themed areas.
Seasonal event · 1973
Knott's Scary Farm
An annual Halloween event that began in 1973 and turns the park into a separately themed nighttime attraction featuring haunted mazes, scare zones, shows, and seasonal entertainment.
Dark ride · 2021
Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair
An interactive 4D dark ride reviving the Knott's Bear-y Tales concept. It was announced for the park’s 2020 centennial celebrations, delayed by the pandemic, and opened in 2021.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Taste of Knott's food-festival series
United States
During the pandemic closure, Knott's converted parts of the park into outdoor, ticketed food experiences. The program evolved from Taste of Calico to Taste of Knott's and seasonal editions including Taste of Fall-o-ween and Taste of Merry Farm. It provided a temporary operating and engagement format before regular park reopening; the approach received recognition in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards.
Outcome. Provided a temporary operating and engagement format before regular park reopening; the approach received recognition in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards.
Brand decisions
2020
Shift to outdoor food festivals during closureStrategyBackground
COVID-19 restrictions prevented normal amusement-park operations after March 13, 2020.
Action taken
Knott's reopened its marketplace and created ticketed outdoor food events across Ghost Town, Fiesta Village, and Boardwalk areas.
Aftermath
The events enabled limited visitor activity during the closure period and preceded the return to normal operations in 2021.
1997
Sell amusement-park operations to Cedar FairM&ABackground
After the Knott family decided to divest its businesses, the amusement-park operation faced a choice between Cedar Fair and a possible sale to The Walt Disney Company.
Action taken
The family sold the park to Cedar Fair rather than Disney, citing concern that a Disney acquisition would remove or substantially alter much of Walter Knott’s work.
Aftermath
Cedar Fair expanded the park’s thrill-ride and attraction portfolio while retaining major heritage and restaurant elements.
Recent events
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