9 Tips for Fun at Knott’s Berry Farm

Most people head to Anaheim for a Disneyland vacation. But we took our kids to Anaheim to explore Knott’s Berry Farm and had an amazing family vacation. Although it was my second time to the theme park, it was my kids’ first visit… and it did not disappoint.

While waiting in line to enter the park – since we arrived before it opened – I spoke to a man who visits the park almost every day. I asked him for his best tips for Knott’s Berry Farm and I jotted them down to share them with you as well.

So based on our experience in the theme park, and the tips from our friend in line, here’s a rundown on tips that will help you maximize your experience and fun at Knott’s Berry Farm.

NOTE: We didn’t experience Soak City, so there aren’t any tips on that experience.

Directions, Parking and Tickets to Knott’s Berry Farm

Knott’s Berry Farm is located in Anaheim, California, roughly 15 minutes northwest of Disneyland. But this amazing theme park is definitely not a Disneyland. It’s an underrated vacation destination that’s perfect for families.

You’ll want to approach Knott’s Berry Farm from the north, because the one-way road (Grand Avenue) is how you access the paid parking lot. The cost is $25 per day for automobiles and motorcycles ($30 for busses and RVs). Once you find your parking spot, you can follow the walkways past all the shops, cafes and restaurants to the park entrance. You can take public transit (bus), Karmel Shuttle Service or even snag an UBER/Lyft to get to the park.

The best way to purchase tickets is online in advance of your visit. You can purchase Daily Tickets online from Knotts.com, but if you plan to visit the park more than once, you’ll really want to consider getting a season pass. There are payment options where you can split the cost up into monthly payments so you don’t have to drop one lump sum but can still enjoy the park.

If you’re wanting to visit the waterpark portion of Knott’s Berry Farm – Soak City – then you’ll want to make sure you include that pass in your purchase. Soak City tickets are sold separate from regular daily admission tickets.

Ticket prices vary depending on the day of the week and season you plan to visit. They start at $69 per day. Age brackets are 3-11 & 62+, and ages 12-61.

Arrive at Knott’s Berry Farm Before it Opens

One of the best ways to maximize a visit to Knott’s Berry Farm is to get there about 15-30 minutes before the park officially opens. Since others will have the same idea, the line will start to build up at the entrance, and you want to be at the front of the line.

The opening and closing hours of the park vary by season. Generally speaking, the park opens at 10 a.m. However, there are some days it opens at 9 a.m. Closing times vary as well. During our visit in October, the park closed at 5:30 p.m. so they could prepare the park for Knott’s Scary Farm (the haunted version of the park for Halloween).

When you arrive before the park officially opens, just wait in the lines until they start scanning tickets. Once through the front gates, you’ll have to wait for just a few more moments before you can venture into the park. After a patriotic moment near the flagpole, the ropes drop and you’re free to run to the fun.

Tackle the Rollercoasters First

One of the tips I got from the guy we met earlier in the day was to ride the rollercoasters first. As the day progresses, more people start to come in the afternoons with plans to stay until close. So if you hit them up first, you can spend the afternoon/evening on the other rides.

Here’s the order we went in with the roller coasters (and I’ve noted which one we loved the best).

• GhostRider (It’s amazing!)
• Silver Bullet (My wife and I had a little vertigo after this ride, but our kids rode this one multiple times)
• Coast Rider
• Hang Time (My wife threw up after this ride, and I had some vertigo)
• Jaguar (Pretty basic, so great for younger kids)
• Sierra Sidewinder
• Pony Express (Loved this one)
• Xcelerator The Ride (It was closed during our visit, so we didn’t get to ride it)

RELATED POST: Check out the best rides at Disneyland

As you can tell from a couple of the comments on the roller coasters… my wife and I may be getting a little too old for the crazy coasters. 🙁

Visit Knott’s Berry Farm on a Weekday/Off Season

As is typical with just about any theme park, visiting them at iff-season times will help keep smaller crowds. And smaller crowds mean shorter wait times.

There are some major seasonal events hosted (and marketed) for Knott’s Berry Farm. You’ll want to know when those are so you can plan accordingly.

• Peanuts Celebration (Daily January 28 – February 26, 2023)
• Boysenberry Festival (Daily March 10 – April 16, 2023)
• Summer at Knott’s (May 19 – September 4, 2023)
• Knott’s Scary Farm (Select Nights September 14 – October 31, 2023)
• Knott’s Merry Farm (November 18 – January 8)

Read about each of these activities on the Knott’s Berry Farm Seasons of Fun webpage.

We were there in October during the Knott’s Scary Farm event. However, we didn’t stay for the nighttime events – mainly because it was an extra cost for tickets to attend. But during the day, we enjoyed the rides, Halloween decor, shows and even some trick-or-treating stands throughout the park.

Don’t Miss the Water Rides – You Will Get Wet; You May Get Soaked

Some people – like my wife – shy away from water rides. She has no interest in getting wet and then spending the rest of the day in wet clothes. But the kids and I enjoyed the two water rides at Knott’s Berry Farm – not to be confused with Soak City (the water park section of the larger park).

The Timber Mountain Log Ride at Knott’s Berry Farm was much better than the log ride we’ve been on numerous times at Lagoon Amusement Park near Salt Lake City, Utah. The ride begins with an uphill climb, and then you spend a chunk of time making your way downhill. It’s really only the final drop near the end where getting wet (or soaked) is an issue.

The other water ride is a tube ride down a raging river – Calico River Rapids. You never know how your tubes going to attack the rapids, so you may or may not get wet. But there’s also the larger potential of getting soaked.

On a hot and sunny California day, either of these water rides can be a welcomed event.

Enjoy the Other Rides for More Fun

Beyond some of the thrilling rollercoasters, there are several other rides that are more laid back. As you’ll note from the photo above, bumper cars is one of them. Although, with the way my kids drive, it can be a thrilling experience trying to keep away from their bumping rampage. 😉

There are three different trains you can ride on at Knott’s Berry Farm. The Calico Mine Ride looked like it was going to be similar to Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We were rather disappointed as the train made its way (slowly) through a mountain and mine. Younger kids (not teenagers) may enjoy the ride, and parents with young kids may enjoy a break from all the walking. But it’s definitely not a thrill ride.

RELATED POST: Visit the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum near Anaheim

The Calico Railroad is a large-scale steam engine that takes passengers around the park. It’s a beautiful looking train, and one that would be perfect for a little relaxation for tired feet. The third is the Grand Sierra Railroad, which is a smaller-scale steam engine.

Here are some of the other rides we really enjoyed:

• Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair (a 3-D glasses blaster game to compete for the most points)
• Pacific Scrambler
• Sol Spin
• Wipeout

There are many more rides than this at Knott’s Berry Farm, but those were some of our favorites.

Take a Break and Enjoy Shopping, Games or a Meal

When it came time for lunch, we had lots of options to choose from throughout the park. There are fancy sit-down restaurants, food shops, convenience stores and even drink stands. After my wife lost her lunch following an intense roller coaster, I bought a soda from a convenience store… along with a large pickle (the pickle was for my daughter). It was a great little snack and the drink helped my wife.

For lunch, we didn’t want to spend the money on a sit-down restaurant, so we went to Strictly on a Stick and enjoyed some mini corndogs and fries. It was a great little lunch that would tide us over until we left the park and grabbed dinner somewhere else.

RELATED POST: Take the kids to the California Science Center for some educational fun

Knott’s Berry Farm has a few different types of sit-down restaurants. For example, you could grab something from chain restaurants like Panda Express or Johnny Rockets. Or you can try something specific to the park, including Boardwalk BBQ, Coasters Diner, Calico Saloon or Ghost Town Grill to name a few.

As for games, the Boardwalk area of Knott’s Berry Farm is where you’ll find your typical theme park games. Try your hand at some of the games to see how your skills stack up.

Located inside and just outside of the park are numerous shops. It’s a great place to buy souvenirs, including mugs, clothing, toys, hats and more.

Take the Kids to Camp Snoopy

Even though there are some amazing roller coasters at Knott’s Berry Farm that are perfect for the older kids and adults, Camp Snoopy has several rides geared toward younger kids. Some of the rides still have a minimum height requirement, but some of them are waived if accompanied by an adult.

The rides are themed around the Peanuts Gang – Charlie Brown, Lunis, Lucy, Pigpen, etc. So if you’re a fan of the Peanuts, you’ll enjoy riding their rides.

Catch a Performance at Knott’s Berry Farm

Throughout Knott’s Berry Farm, there are numerous stages or places where you can catch a performance. One of those performances includes a Meet & Greet with the Peanuts Gang, located in Camp Snoopy.

During our visit, the Calico Mine Stage was all decked out for some Halloween-themed performances. We heard some music performed by some amazing fiddlers, and it looked like there were some acrobatic stunts setup for later in the evening – when it became Knott’s Scary Farm.

In addition to performances and Meet & Greets, the Ghost Town area also has some demonstrations. The Blacksmith Shop is a great place to watch horseshoes or other metal objects being made. We spent a few minutes watching him pound on a piece of metal.

Check out their full list of shows and entertainment at Knott’s Berry Farm.

Grab a Fully-loaded Funnel Cake for Dessert

I know I already wrote about food places throughout the park, but I wanted to place a little more emphasis on one of the best treats we had during our visit to Southern California. As our day wrapped up, we opted to get a funnel cake from Sutter’s Funnel Cake. When we saw someone with what they called a Loaded Funnel Cake, we opted to go that route.

The funnel cake comes dusted in powdered sugar, topped with boysenberry (or another fruit) and loaded with soft-serve vanilla ice cream. One of the treats provided enough dessert for our family of six. You can see from the photo above, it was pretty big. The funnel cake was so delicious, that my son ended up licking the plate clean.

Summary

Our kids weren’t sure what to expect at Knott’s Berry Farm. But they were NOT disappointed. I know we live 700 miles from the park, I would really consider buying a season pass to Knott’s Berry Farm and then making the trek a few times a year to enjoy the park. Our single day there wasn’t enough to full experience what the park has to offer, but the rides were amazing and provided the thrill our teenagers needed for a fun family vacation.

PIN THIS