Knott's Berry Farm, 1956
Here are three Knott's photos from the good old days!
This first picture shows a view that is probably similar to what you would have seen as you approached the entrance to the Ghost Town. This rose garden (which reminds me of my grandma's yard) was surrounded by the old Steak House, the Candy Shoppe, and Marion and Toni's Sport Shop. There's the "Dreger Clock", presumably only recently installed. To the left of it you can see a sign pointing guests in the direction of the original berry stand.
If you have a ghost town, you might as well decorate it with items like this old broken-down (but nicely whitewashed) stagecoach. In the background you see a sign for the display of antique pianos, Mott's Miniatures, and the mostly-forgotten boxing museum. I wish I could see all of those!
I believe that this teepee was on an island in the middle of the lake next to the Church of the Reflections. Sometimes an Indian chief would be nearby for a photo op... something to show the folks back home.
If you have a ghost town, you might as well decorate it with items like this old broken-down (but nicely whitewashed) stagecoach. In the background you see a sign for the display of antique pianos, Mott's Miniatures, and the mostly-forgotten boxing museum. I wish I could see all of those!
I believe that this teepee was on an island in the middle of the lake next to the Church of the Reflections. Sometimes an Indian chief would be nearby for a photo op... something to show the folks back home.
8 comments:
Major, I can't get my bearings in that first pic. I'm guessing this is before the Candy Parlor was built and that we are facing sort of Southeast. That would mean the arbor on the left would've been connected to the Farm Market and that the Steak House would have been behind us? I hope someone out there can say for sure.
That second pic kind of throws me off too, but I think that sign is hanging on the west side of Jeffries Barn and that this photo was taken from the train.....at least it looks like there are railroad tracks in the bottom left corner.
Major, these are cool. Good to see something I never got to see. (huh?)
Your Grandmother had a beautiful yard.
But I can't orient myself to these pics, other than they are Knotts, and the indian chief needs a better screen door.
JG
Hmm. I remember those forbidding old rose gardens from when I was a kid.
The old ladies must have loved them because they were popular, but to me they had a touch of the unwelcoming. Sparse foliage, barren earth, and thorns. The blooms did not offer much in way of compensation.
If flowers could talk, this garden would say "keep out".
Chris, as usual I'm useless when it comes to Knott's details... I tried to figure things out by looking at one of the old souvenir maps, but it was only moderately helpful. And yes, those have to be railroad tracks! They look authentically oily.
Connie, I know, I wish I had had the chance to see that stuff as well.
JG, my grandma was nuts about flowers, especially roses! And she had a big yard in Encino that was really neat.
Katella, maybe the fact that kids didn't like roses is precisely why old ladies DID like them!
TokyoMagic is right on with the location and angle of the first picture. I printed out a copy of and went out this morning and compared it. The building in the center with the smoking stack on it is what we call the "Steam Plant". It is still there today just south of GhostRider. Also, the scalloped shadow in the lower right hand corner is from the tile roof of the Steak House. The thing I'm wondering about is the building that you can see the roof of down in front of the Steam Plant, is that the "original" Berry Stand? When I started here it was in about this same location but turned and facing the Dreger clock.
My Father was stationed at NAS Los Alamitos in early years, I was 1 yr. old in 1953,anyway we new Knott,s Berry farm when it was a small berry farm.
One day about '58' my German Shepard and I walked following railroad tracks by Los Al racetrack to look Knott's over, no way a kid can do that now.
I do remember the Boxing museum it was a memoir I still recall, the Horse that could count and all the to me later amazing building.
Nothing stays the same and those where years of my youth as well as camping at Trebuco Canyon creek.
Anonymous, thanks for sharing your great childhood memories!
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