Former attractions at Knott's Berry Farm

The following is a list of former attractions at Knott's Berry Farm.

Former attractions

Attraction Year Opened Year Closed Manufacturer Description
Cable Cars 1955 1979[1] various[2] Authentic California Street Cable Railroad San Francisco Cable Cars, converted to battery-electric power, were operated as transportation tram servicing the East parking lots – North and South. Sold back to San Francisco Muni[1] in 1979 for the proposed California St. & Hyde St. expansion of the National Monument and clearing the lot for Camp Snoopy.
Corkscrew 1975 1989 Arrow Dynamics Steel roller coaster featuring two barrel-roll inversions. This was the first modern roller coaster to combine vertical and horizontal inversions. It was sold to Silverwood in 1989 to make room for the Boomerang.[3]
Fiesta Wheel 1969 1986 Chance Industries A Chance Trabant ride. Riders boarded a circular ride platform which undulated and rotated simultaneously which spun and tilted riders at the same time as the ride changed direction rapidly. To make room for the Grand Slammer in 1986 it was moved near Sky Tower and renamed Wipeout.
Gasoline Alley 1969 1996 Arrow Dynamics Powered automobile ride. This electric car-track was under the motorcycle chase/wacky soapbox racer. Both rides were removed in 1996 to make room for Windjammer Surf Racers, and later, Xcelerator.
Gran Slammer 1987 2003 Chance Industries A Chance Falling Star pendulum. Riders boarded a large stadium-like platform, which then orbited a central axis for the duration of the ride cycle. This ride removed in 2004 to make room for La Revolucion's queue line.
Hammerhead 1996 2003 Zamperla This Zamperla Rotoshake riders on a platform three rows flipped upside down while the main arm lifted them high into the sky and around again. At the end the platform inverted and the fountains below squirted up to nearly douse riders. It was removed in 2003 due to costly mechanical problems, and replaced with Rip Tide. This ride made a brief appearance in Voyage to the Iron Reef.
Haunted Shack 1954 2000 Walter Knott A walk-through attraction demonstrating curious aberrations of gravity. The Haunted Shack at Calico, CA still operates. Replaced by VertiGo, then Screamin' Swing upcharge attractions.
Henry's Auto Livery 1957 1980s Walter Beckman This ride was located out of the main park near the corner of Beach Blvd. and Crescent. The gasoline powered Model-Ts had no center guiderail, instead the roadway was edged with bumper-rail fencing. Removed sometime in the 1980s.
Knott's Bear-y Tales/Kingdom of the Dinosaurs 1975 2004 Fantasy Fair This dark ride first took riders past a fairy-tale like plot set in the Roaring 20's with a Bear Family named, Raz, Boysen, Girlsen, Elder, and Flapper Bear-y on a journey to the fair while being in contact with a pie thief named Crafty Coyote and Other Animals from the Fantasy Scenes. It later was revamped with a dinosaur theme in 1987 (While Bear-y Tales moved to the Peanuts Playhouse after Kingdom of the Dinosaurs opened to be renamed Bear-y Tales Funhouse until 1997)that took riders back in time to the Pre-Historic Times which would be permanently closed on December 23, 2004 due to aging parts and lack of popularity. The ride building suffered vandalism from park employees sometime after closing, with several set pieces and animatronics damaged. Some of the animatronics, set pieces and props went onto be reused throughout the park, including the Timber Mountain Log Ride as well as several Halloween Haunt mazes and scare zones. The ride building was finally gutted of all ride equipment (including ride vehicles and track), set pieces, props and animatronics in July 2014 to make way for the new interactive 4-D dark ride "Voyage to the Iron Reef", which is set to open Spring 2015.
Knott's Lagoon ? 1983 various Several attractions – Carousel, duck pond, Cordelia K. side-wheel riverboat, rowboat rental, and miniature train ride. The connecting underpass now leads to the main parking. When Camp Snoopy expansion replaced the North parking lot, Knott's Lagoon was bulldozed and paved over for the new main parking lot.
Loop Trainer Flying Machine 1976 1989 Anton Schwarzkopf Riders spun in a 360-degree orbit. A standard Enterprise (ride) that was a bit smaller than most park models operating today. In 1989, this ride was removed to make room for the XK-1 in 1990.
Merry-Go-Round Auto Ride/Tijuana Taxi 1969 1976 Arrow Dynamics equipment, Bud Hurlbut design. Miniature Model T automobiles followed an electric center-rail track through storage tunnel, up hills, around surprising features and over bridges. The shotcrete landscape created by Bud Hurlbut was demolished in 1976 to accommodate the expansion of Fiesta Village.
Mexican Whip 1969 1986 Sellner Manufacturing A classic Tilt-A-Whirl, riders experienced intermittent bursts of sudden directional changes. Removed in 1986 along with Fiesta Wheel to make room for the Tampico Tumbler.
Motorcycle Chase/Wacky Soap Box Racers 1976 1996 Arrow Dynamics Quadruplet steel roller coaster that featured gentle dips. This steeplechase roller coaster had four tracks parallel to each other. A favorite of many park goers, it was taken out in 1996 to make room for the Windjammer Surf Racers and later, the Xcelerator.
Mott's Miniatures 1956 1992 Allegra & DeWitt Mott Museum – collection of Miniature Homes and furnishings, featuring the world's smallest working Television Set. Moved to La Palma Avenue at the exit of Knott's parking as museum and doll house furnishing store. The Museum portion closed in 1997 and was auctioned off.[4] The store moved and then closed. The Mott's Miniature mail-order business is thriving.[5]
Perilous Plunge 2000 2012 Intamin A shoot the chutes water ride featuring a steep 15-story drop.
Propeller Spin 1976 1989 Frank Hrubetz and Co. Riders spun in a 360-degree orbit. This Hrubetz Super Round Up ride operated from 1976 to 1989, until this space was vacated. Today, it is part of Perilous Plunge's track layout.
Sky Jump 1976 1999 Intamin Riders simulated a parachute free-fall to terra-firma from over 15 stories in the air. This parachute jump freefall ride was the highest ride in the park until its more modern successor, Supreme Scream, was built 25 years later. It was a reimagining of a similar ride at Coney Island in New York. The ride's companion, Sky Cabin, still stands.
Tampico Tumbler 1987 2003 Zierer Riders orbited and spun in two different directions simultaneously. A Zierer Hexentanz or Fireball ride. Two cars are mounted on each arm (eight arms total.) The entire ride lifts so that each arm can rotate both cars over each other at a rapid pace. Removed to make room for La Revolucion in 2004.
VertiGo 2001 2002 S&S Worldwide Riders were catapulted 330' up into the air. This S&S "Totally Insane" ride was removed because of an incident with an identical ride at Knott's sister park, Cedar Point, where removal of running wires during the off season resulted in one of its supports shearing off.
Walter K. Steamboat 1969 2004 Arrow Dynamics A simulated steamboat (diesel-powered) which sailed around "Reflection Lake." The lake was made smaller due to the installment of Silver Bullet, then removed completely to make room for Sierra Sidewinder.
Whirlwind/Greased Lightning/HeadAche 1976 1999 Reverchon This standard Mack Matterhorn Himalaya ride. Riders orbited a central point while undulating repeatedly. It opened with the Roaring 20s area, renamed Greased Lighting for Knott's Airfield, renamed HeadAche for The Boardwalk, removed in 1999 – replaced with Perilous Plunge. This ride relocated to Miracle Strip Amusement Park where it opened as The Blue Thunder.
Windjammer Surf Racers 1997 2000 TOGO International Twin racing steel roller coaster that featured vertical loops, spirals, tight banking turns and multiple dips. It was removed in 2000. It was known to be a mechanical nightmare, failed to complete the circuit in even light winds, and was closed more frequently than open. Even when it was open, it was reported that many guests received headaches and injuries on the ride because it was extremely bumpy. It was removed to make room for Xcelerator.
Windseeker 2011 2013 Mondial A 301 ft tower swing ride. Riders orbit a central tower at heights exceeding 25 stories. Originally slated to replace Sky Tower. The ride was closed after two incidents where riders were stranded for over three hours at the top of the tower. It will be relocated to Knott's sister park, Worlds of Fun where it will be renamed as SteelHawk.[6]
XK-1 1990 1997 Intamin Riders pivoted upside-down in enclosed pods while orbiting a central tower. This rare Intamin Flight Trainer ride had a short eight-year run. After 1997, it was removed to make room for Supreme Scream

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Cable Cars at Knott's Berry Farm" section of Cable Car Lines in Other California Cities by Joe Thompson.
  2. ↑ "San Francisco California Street Cable Car Rosters." California Street Cable Cars.
  3. ↑ Murray, Kathy (September 12, 1989). "Knott's Berry Farm pulling Corkscrew from its ride lineup // Prototype coaster is sold to Idaho amusement park". The Orange County Register (Evening ed.). p. B03. |section= ignored (help)
  4. ↑ Morgan, Lily (February 22, 2010). "The Fascinating Story Of Mott’s Miniatures Museum". Articles Base.
  5. ↑ "Shop Page – Mott's Miniatures & Doll House Shop, Inc". Mottsminis.com. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Knott's Berry Farm's shuttered Windseeker ride to move to Missouri park". Southern California Public Radio. September 2, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.

External links

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