This is part four of an epic series of posts on the Knott's Berry Farm souvenir book that I started quite a while ago. There's not as many photos of the Farm itself this time around, but that doesn't mean that there isn't lots of great info!
The Wagon Camp was the scene of many live performances over the years, chiefly the type of event exemplified below. The idea of having the audience sit in covered wagons around the perimeter of the theater is genius!
The Calico Mine Ride was open at this point, so I guess that this dates this book as at least from 1960. However, beyond two pictures, there is no mention of it in the text, so that makes me think that the majority of the descriptions were probably recycled from earlier publications. No Hangtime or Xcelerator in the background of this picture! I believe that the picture of the Ghost Town and Calico Railway is where the Pony Express coaster sits today, which I understand gets quite a bad rap for being a short and weak ride.
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Speaking of the Mine Ride, check out this awesome diagram from the Orange County Register!
Walter Knott also purchased a real ghost town in the Mojave Desert, Calico, and it gets some publicity in this book. I can guess that some of the more imaginative structures (the bottle house?) were likely constructed during the Knott years. I hear that you can still visit the Haunted Shack here!
Even though they were featured more prominently earlier on in the brochure, the Knott's "Specialty Shops" don't fail to get another word in.
I'm very glad I have this map to help me find Knott's Berry Farm when I want to go there. Can anyone tell me where Pennsylvania is located on it? Notable is the fact that the spots representing such foreign, insignificant places as "Disneyland" and "Marineland" are barely half the size of the picture of the Chicken Dinner Restaurant.
And that will do it for this series of posts. Thanks for coming along on the trip!
9 comments:
Andrew, I've enjoyed your Knott's Berry Farm series! It's been many many years since I was last there (in 1976) and I only have a few memories of being there - so it's great to read your blog (and TokyoMagic's comments) to fill in the missing pieces. As always, you do a great job on your posts - thank you!
Sue
Thanks as always for reading, Sue! Wow, 1976 definitely is a long time ago! I bet that you would hardly remember a lot of things if you went back today.
This has been such a great series, Andrew! Do you have any other Knott's items in store for us in the future, by any chance? After you visit the park this summer, I hope you will do at least one "trip report" post!
Gee, when you look at that diagram for the layout of the Calico Mine Ride, you realize that it is pure genius! At least, I think so.....for the time in which it was designed. Back then there was no "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Haunted Mansion," or any other "layered" dark rides on a grand scale like that yet. I guess the Alice in Wonderland ride at DL was a very small version of something somewhat similar.
I have never been to the town of Calico, but it is on my "list" of things to do. I don't know why I haven't done it yet!
TokyoMagic, this is the only Knott's souvenir item I have... but I NEED THEM ALL, so I'd love to get some more in the future! I will definitely do several "trip report" posts from the parks I visit this summer... I love the thought that I'm going to have some of my own pictures of Knott's, Disneyland, etc. to share!
That's a very interesting point about the Mine Ride being a pioneer in "layered" attractions. I can imagine that constructing it was quite the process.
Thanks a lot for commenting, TokyoMagic!
Andrew, I would love to see lots of California posts from your trip, as it’ll be interesting to see things from your perspective! So takes lots of notes and pictures!
Sue
So many of these pictures are familiar from a guidebook we bought at Knott's in 1975 or 76.
The statement "only narrow-gauge passenger train in the United States operating on a year-round daily schedule" was technically true, as long as you only counted historic narrow-gauge passenger trains. As you imply, Disneyland also operated a narrow-gauge passenger train on a year-round daily schedule, although the only historic portions were locomotives added in 1958 and 1959. While the D&RGW was still operating the GT&C's sister equipment in revenue service in Colorado & New Mexico, it wasn't operating every day, and through most of the '50s operated most of their runs as mixed passenger and freight consists.
I saved a copy of that diagram of the Calico Mine Train when it was first published and was just amazed at how much track and scenery Bud Hurlbut managed to squeeze into such a relatively small area.
I remember one day diagramming the layout of Pirates of the Caribbean from memory (this was in 1995, before most of us had access to the Internet and it was nowhere near as comprehensive a research tool as it is today) and being similarly impressed about how they had managed to pack so much into such a small area without letting you realize that you were wrapping back on and up and around where you had already been. That was when I realized that the lighthouse in the town scene was hiding the support for the center of one giant room, with a flume wrapping around it.
Thanks again for another trip to vintage Knott's!
1976...I wonder if Sue & I were at Knott's at the same time?
The background on the GT&CRR is very cool, Chuck. Thanks for sharing it! I guess I could sort of assume that they specifically meant historic railroads. Figuring out the layouts of darkrides is always a lot of fun, but like you said, the Internet and available schematics can be viewed as taking out the fun of trying to figure it out for yourself.
Overall, though, I do appreciate being an amusement park fan today as opposed to the pre-Internet days, as there is so much more info to read all about (although I guess that could possibly be seen as bad...), even if things have been removed over the years. Anyway, I'll have to keep an eye out for the Pirates lighthouse you mention - is that the one CMs are posted in? I've heard of some type of "tower" position on the attraction. I'm glad you enjoyed these posts!
Chuck, I think I was at Knott’s mid-July 1976. Do you recall when you were there, in 1976?
Sue
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