A few years ago, I picked up this old Knott's Berry Farm souvenir book on eBay for cheap. Calling this a book is a stretch, as it is really more of a 30-page, oversized pamphlet. However, this book is a very nice throwback to the park's early days that I'm sure some of my readers will enjoy! Having never visited Knott's, there's only so much that I can say on these pictures, but I'm sure that there will be some people who will be happy to chime in with some of their personal thoughts. Of course, you can click on each image for a larger view.
The cover features this dusty street, complete with prospector and mule. The Ghost Town Railroad billows steam in the background.
The book opens with a word of thanks and welcome from Walter Knott himself and also reveals that the book was put together by a "Mr. Matt Gibson."
A lengthy essay on the Knott's origin story starts the large historical section of the book; I wish theme parks always paid tribute to their roots so completely in this way! The invention of the Boysenberry is briefly overviewed, as well.
This "then and now" section provides a brief timeline of the farm's first 30 years or so as a roadside attraction, starting with as a simple berry stand, progressing through the famous chicken dinners...
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| Hooray for the farm's 900 employees! |
...into the start of Ghost Town. Given that "today" comes right after 1946, this book is definitely from the 1950s. I wonder if it might even pre-date Disneyland?
It's obvious that Knott's was a business heavily focused on their roots and family origins at this time. What other park devotes a two-stage spread in their souvenir book to the family members of its owners? Certainly not Disney.
Of note is how the book breaks down which family member heads what division of operations. With such a large family, there has to still be some Knotts out there, I assume?!
The section on "Markets and Gift Shops" includes lots of large color photos. According to the Knott's website, a shop still carries the name of the Berry Market outside the park today.
Virginia's Gift Shop apparently survives today in some form too. I hope they still carry gag gifts!
Of course, the Knott's don't miss an opportunity to promote their gift baskets in the book. I love Santa with his cowboy hat and stagecoach full of gifts.
Here's a bonus: blog reader "TokyoMagic!" was kind enough to share some recent souvenirs that Knott's has put out with the "Santa and stagecoach" artwork.
This is a Christmas card with story of the art included. It's great that Knott's has souvenirs like this! Thanks again to TokyoMagic!
There will be two more parts of this Knott's souvenir book in the future! We haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet. I hope that you enjoyed my first go at scanning some old amusement park memorabilia and that you had a good Christmas.
6 comments:
This is the Souvenir Edition that was published when I first visited Knott's Berry Farm back in the early 1960's. It was really different back then before they added the amusement rides. I still remember bits of that first visit. The Volcano and the Calico Mine Ride is what I remember most on that first visit and both left a big impression on my young mind.
I still love going to Knott's Berry Farm. In fact it's replaced Disneyland as my favorite theme park to visit these days. So much history is tied into this park and it's still different and unique compared to the usual theme parks. It has changed greatly over the years, but for the money it's one of the best deals as I always have a blast whenever I visit. And I still do buy souvenirs from Virginia's Gift Shop.
I hope TokyoMagic! chimes in on today's post as he's the expert when it comes to all things Knott's Berry Farm.
Thanks for sharing this Knott's Souvenir Edition, Andrew. I love it.
I hope you and your family had a nice holiday season this year.
What a great post, Andrew! Knott's did this kind of souvenir "book" for many years...decades, actually. It was sort of along the same lines as Disney's "Pictorial Souvenir" booklets that they used to produce for Disneyland.
That cover photo view wouldn't look too different today, if you were to stand in the same spot. The road would be paved, all those wonderful trees would be gone, and the Log Ride would be visible just beyond the train. But all of those buildings have pretty much remained the same over the years.
In the photo showing the Chicken Dinner Restaurant, you can see some windows on the second story of those buildings. The Knott Family used to live up there, above the Berry Market. As you said, the Berry Market is still there, but that section of it below the windows, is now the Knott's Bakery and the Chicken To Go take-out counter.
That photo on "Page 8" shows the Berry Market. While the displays have changed over the years, the basic footprint of the shop is the same. That area of the shop that extends back (on the far right of the picture) is what is now the Bakery and Chicken to Go, but they are still connected to the Berry Market. Those glass doors on the left are still there today and lead to some of the oldest "attractions" at the farm.....the rock garden and waterfall, the replica of George Washington's Mount Vernon fireplace, and the "Old Mill Stream" waterwheel and mill stone. I think those might be listed separately in the souvenir booklet, but not 100% sure.
The Farm Market and Marion & Toni's shop were bulldozed (along with the Volcano) when construction began on the park's wooden roller coaster, GhostRider. You are right about Virginia's Gift Shop still being there, today. Unfortunately, the offerings are not as "unique" and the shop pretty much sells the same T-shirts, mugs, key chains, etc., that you can get in all the other shops inside the park. They do have a small section that carries items related to "I Love Lucy," the Beatles, and D.C. Comic characters, but they no longer carry the nice glassware and ceramic pieces that can be seen in that photo. By the way, that terra cotta horse looks like the one from the "Brady Bunch" living room!
That vintage artwork with Santa and the stagecoach, was reused on a "retro" Christmas card that was available to purchase last year. This year, they used the same artwork on a souvenir coffee mug and a "barista tumbler." I took a pic of those items earlier this month. Let me know if you would like me to send you the pic!
Thanks for scanning and sharing this with us, Andrew! I'm looking forward to more posts from you, on this item!
K. Martinez, I can only imagine the extent to which Knott's would affect a young kid's mind. Combined with Disneyland, you're really lucky that you were exposed to such quality in amusement parks at a young age. When I go to Disneyland, I will be sure to also visit Knott's, and it won't just be for the roller coasters!
Thanks for reading, and keep an eye out for more from this book soon.
TokyoMagic, wow, wow, wow! I knew that you knew a lot about Knott's, but I had no idea that you were so aware on how everything fits into the "puzzle" today. It's nice to hear that a lot stays the same at the farm that was shown in this book. Although I understand that Silver Bullet removed a lot of the charm of the old lake, I'm glad that there's still so much of Ghost Town left.
I have a copy of "Knott's Preserved," (I'm sure you do - great book) and I recall the fact that the Knott family lived above the chicken restaurant. I also have heard about the waterfall and think that it's nice that such a simple attraction, minor as it is, has been left intact. I guess the "authentic" volcano is gone, though, so not everything remains of those early, free diversions.
Again, I really appreciate you sharing your extensive knowledge through such a nice comment! I can now say that I probably know more about these little shops than most people who visit the park.
Note to self: I need to find a "barista tumbler" with stagecoach Santa on it. ;) You can certainly email me a picture if you'd like - andrewpaulmcl@gmail.com
Thanks for sharing, Andrew.
My first visit to KBF was in early '75, before the addition of the Roaring '20s (it was actually in the early phases of construction) or any of the roller coasters, so, with the exception of the dirt streets, this is pretty close to what I remember.
TM! is definitely the community expert on KBF. I'm not sure if you were aware, but he worked there for several years.
I hope you are able to visit on your CA trip. It's changed quite a bit over the years with addition of many thrill rides, but you can still find much of the original park still in place. From what I've read (I haven't visited the property since '06 or been in the park since '95), Cedar Fair under Matt Ouimet has made a concerted effort to restore and preserve a lot of "classic" Knott's that had been ignored during the Dick Kinzel era.
Chuck, that's awesome that you got to experience Knott's when it was relatively still in its infancy. I had no idea that TM! once worked at Knott's; that explains a lot, I guess! As for visiting the park, I think that I'll find both the thrill rides and the classic attractions appealing... it's quite amazing that they've invested the time, money, and effort into the refurbishments of the Log and Mine Rides, especially under Cedar Fair. Thanks for reading!
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