Former Attractions
| Attraction | Year Opened | Year Closed | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cable Cars | 1955 | 1979 | various | Authentic California Street Cable Railroad San Francisco Cable Cars, converted to battery-electric power, were operated as trasportation tram servicing the East parking lots – North and South. Sold back to San Francisco Muni 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 | ? | 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 80s. |
| 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 removed on December 23, 2004 due to aging parts and lack of popularity. |
| 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. The store moved and then closed. The Mott's Miniature mail-order business is thriving. |
| 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. It was removed to make room for Xcelerator. |
| 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 |
Read more about this topic: Knott's Berry Farm
Famous quotes containing the word attractions:
“The world,—this shadow of the soul, or other me, lies wide around. Its attractions are the keys which unlock my thoughts and make me acquainted with myself. I run eagerly into this resounding tumult. I grasp the hands of those next to me, and take my place in the ring to suffer and to work, taught by an instinct, that so shall the dumb abyss be vocal with speech.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Fantasy love is much better than reality love. Never doing it is very exciting. The most exciting attractions are between two opposites that never meet.”
—Andy Warhol (1928–1987)