Monday, November 19, 2007

Old MacDonald's Farm, Knott's Berry Farm

How do you have a farm within a farm? Well, I have no idea. Oh wait, yes I do! Knott's Berry Farm once had its own version of a petting zoo, with plenty of small animals for youngsters to enjoy. Well, goats anyway. Lots and lots of hungry goats. The setting sun lends this photo a warm Thomas Kinkade feeling.


To our left, just out of frame, is a seal enclosure, complete with a lovely blue pool. Buy some seal food at the counter in the background, and just for fun, eat it yourself. It will drive those seals crazy!

To the right, a workman is spoiling the bucolic scene with his electric power tool...I can't tell if he is busting up some cement, or if he is sawing some wood. Either way, it can't be sounding good.

9 comments:

Merlinsguy said...

Great photo, with a late-in-the-day mood.

Anonymous said...

Another unique photo. You have got to wonder why the photographer included the carpenter. Well, I’m glad he did because it gives the pic so much more character.

My memory of that area was of a chicken that, after you inserted a dime into a coin operated box, would peck out a couple of notes on a toy piano.

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Sweet photo, I love the workman!

Hey I remember that piano playing chicken! It was near the model A car ride. That chicken was pecking out a tune at least thru the mid 70's! . It was a quarter by the time i saw it, it was odd, you put your coin in a slot at the front of the cage, and I think a light or something came on, the chicken would then play a real tune on this little piano, then some food would fall thru a slot into a dish as a reward! It was a fat Chicken as I recall!!!

Anonymous said...

Major

Is this one of your pictures.If it is can i get a high res of this one.

Major Pepperidge said...

Anonymous, I would be happy to provide you with a high-res version of this slide...but I don't know who you are or how to get it to you! An email address would be helpful.

Anonymous said...

Major

Here is my e-mail raharris41@aol.com.If you can make it 8x10 with a 400 dpi great.Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I used to work at Old MacDonalds Farm in the mid/to late 60's to pay my way through school. We wore calico dresses with bonnets and gave birthday parties and sold tickets in that little booth in the photo. My favorite animal there was Tillie the tapir. Every now and then Tillie would get out of the gate and I would have to chase her through the park wearing that long dress and bonnet. The owners of the farm were lovely people to work for and a lot of Orange Co. teens worked there. Great times. Thanks for your blog! I am looking for a photo of Tillie. :)

Anonymous said...

I’m amazed that I found out about Tilly!! I grew up near Knotts Berryfarm.
There was no admission when I met the Tapir.
The petting zoo was closing up for the night and all the ducks and geese were herded into a pen. The tapir went over and opened gate latch and walked into the pen sending all the squawking honking birds out again.
She seemed very proud oh herself and amused.
I wrote about this incident in a school essay. A tapir seemed like an odd thing to find on Old McDonald’s Farm!
The goats had a feast on the multicolored loose Kleenex my Mom had in her plastic net bag she had for trips with us kids

Anonymous said...

Would love to see a picture of Tilly. Was she the two toned version?
Just remember a funny animal I had never seen or heard about. Something out of a Dr. Seuss book🤪