Knott's Berry Farm, back when it was still just a berry farm (school district, cabin)

[NW4me]

Originally Posted by kauaidooley

Been going to knots since about the late 50's . Not so much to have a chicken dinner but to enjoy the overall western style ambiance and fun attractions.

At that time, Next door to Knots was an alligator farm, where they had a few hundred gators and the announcers / trainers would run across the backs of the gators to all of our amazement. However, they also had a huge pit with about 5 huge, huge crocks. At the time , I was 16 or 17 years old, I was not aware of the difference of a gator and a croc.

Well, there is a big difference, the gators were peaceful, sometimes barely opening their jaws as the trainer ran across their backs
.
No big deal. But at the Crocodile pit, very deep, they took large poles with dead chickens attached and lowered them into the pit. Those crocs leaped, snarled, and snapped big time. One heck of a lot of enormous violence. Good lesson for me in later years when we sailed and eco tripped Australia..

When I was kid, the alligator farm was my favorite!


Enjoyed Marineland too.


.

[TimTheEnchanter]

Originally Posted by Racer46

Been to just about every amusement park in So California, including those now closed. Knott's was always one of my favorites due to the old section. Watched it grow and grow and ... well grow. Disneyland was next, as a kid I used to ask people leaving if I could have any of their ride tickets (yes this was long ago) and they would give me them and that kept me having fun all day. The entrance fee was minimal.

When I started at Disneyland in 1974 General Admission (admission into the park, no rides) was $5 for adults, $4 for Juniors (12-17) and $2 for Children (3-11); under 3 were (and are) free. Few people ever bothered since a Deluxe 15 Ride booklet was $7 for Adults, $6.50 for Juniors (12-17) and $6 for Children (3-11). Some clever people did just buy the $2 Child General Admission and then use Adult or Junior Coupons for the child.

[Racer46]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

When I started at Disneyland in 1974 General Admission (admission into the park, no rides) was $5 for adults, $4 for Juniors (12-17) and $2 for Children (3-11); under 3 were (and are) free. Few people ever bothered since a Deluxe 15 Ride booklet was $7 for Adults, $6.50 for Juniors (12-17) and $6 for Children (3-11). Some clever people did just buy the $2 Child General Admission and then use Adult or Junior Coupons for the child.

I was there in the 60's and the cost was a little cheaper and yep those are the coupons. rarely got any E coupons, but enough of the others for a good time.

[Justabystander]

I remember Knott's from the 70's as a kid. Our church would buy their sheet cakes from their bakery; they were so good and I would pick them up with my dad. I also remember getting in for free in the ghost town area, and there was a place in a house where the gravity was different and it was hard to walk in- I think they called it haunted. Those were the best days before Knotts took off and became huge; although I always liked the log ride, where I got my first kiss from a girl I liked in one of the tunnels.

They had chickens running loose in the Knott's parking lot, and my little brother had taken a chick home from school and it grew, and grew, and grew until we called it Dino chick. It had torn up all our landscaping in our backyard, and my dad had enough. We put the chicken in the back of our station wagon and drove to Knott's ( we lived in the Sunny Hills part of Fullerton) opened the back of the station wagon, and pushed him out. He could have served 3 for the chicken dinner steps from where we dropped him off!

[NORTY FLATZ]

In the 1970's, the Knott family had a farm in San Luis Rey Valley. (Adjacent to North River Rd and Wilshire Rd.) It was known as "Camelot Ranch." Yes, they grew veggies (cauliflower being one of them.)

Don't know if the family still owns the property, but it is still farmed today. I'd ride over there and take a pic or two, but this site doesn't have tapatalk app.

[American_Renaissance]

There actually used to be an airport called Anaheim Airport (previously called Luebkeman Airport) about a mile west of Knotts. This was in the 1940s.

[mr_california]

When we used to go on a trip to Disneyland from San Francisco every year, my father would make us go to Knotts Berry Farm for one of the days because they served alcohol, and he couldn't get a beer to drink in Disneyland.

I remember the ride where you stand on some platform with fake looking parachutes above you and it takes you up and then drops you. It looked fun from the ground, but as a little kid I was terrified of the ride once I got on it.

I remember the Western town and the log ride also. I haven't been there since the 1980's, so I'm not sure how much it's changed since then.

[amokk]

So many boomers on this forum. crazy.

[Huckleberry3911948]

So I am told by Japanese historical society friends-A portion of what is now known as knots berry farm was Japanese property that was entrusted to some American family when the Japanese were interned -when they were released -the American refused to return it to its owners
And it eventually ended up as part of knots berry farm -I am looking for the link now to support this comment
But clearly knot berry farm was a thriving farm and tourist spot long before ww2

[TimTheEnchanter]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

So I am told by Japanese historical society friends-A portion of what is now known as knots berry farm was Japanese property that was entrusted to some American family when the Japanese were interned -when they were released -the American refused to return it to its owners
And it eventually ended up as part of knots berry farm -I am looking for the link now to support this comment But clearly knot berry farm was a thriving farm and tourist spot long before ww2

I've never ever heard this. I know there were some Japanese farms south of Buena Park, but as far as I know the Knott family owned that land since the 1920's.