Knott's Ghost Town 75th Anniversary Construction Tour

Knott’s Berry Farm is celebrating the 75th anniversary of Ghost Town this year, and to commemorate the occasion they’re refurbishing the area and adding several new experiences. Knott’s invited us to take a construction tour to see the current progress, so check out our report below to see everything that’s in store for Ghost Town’s big anniversary!

We’re at Knott’s to see all the progress being made for Ghost Town’s 75th anniversary celebration!

First up, there was a brief presentation to let us know everything that’s coming soon to Knott’s. Starbucks is opening March 18!

The Boysenberry Festival is returning March 19 through April 3! We’ll be back at Knott’s in a couple weeks for a closer look at what’s in store for this year’s festival, so keep your eyes peeled for that report!

Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant is currently undergoing a complete refurbishment, and is scheduled to re-open Spring 2016.

The Ghost Town 75th Anniversary celebration will run May 27 - September 5.

The centerpiece of the anniversary celebration, Ghost Town Alive!, will run May 27 - September 5 as well.

And we were happy to learn that Ghostrider will complete its full refurbishment on May 27 as well!

Time to check out all the progress around Ghost Town! Special thanks to the crew at Knott’s - Russ Knibbs, Jeff Gahagan, Lara Hanneman, and Jeff Shadic - who gave the construction tour and answered all our questions!

First up we took a peek at the Wagon Camp.

If you look on the left, you’ll notice the stage is being completely re-built from the ground up.

There will be a new stunt-filled show here for the 75th!

Ghost Town is getting spruced up with new paint and additions.

The centerpiece of the 75th anniversary celebration is Ghost Town Alive! The whole town will be populated with characters who guests can interact with. You’ll now get to enter the peek-ins (rather than just peeking in at mannequins) and interact with the residents of the town! This should be a ton of fun!

We can’t wait to meet all the residents!

Having the town populated with characters should really bring the area to life! In the Sheriff’s office you may be asked to help make a wanted poster or you may be asked to become a deputy and help out.

Each day, a story will unfold in the town throughout the day. The day will culminate in a hoedown to celebrate the 75th year of the town, but beware of the Mayfield Gang attacking and trying to take over!

The Barn is being completely re-done to look more realistic, and it will now have real horses and a mule inside.

The Haunt Museum is no more. Instead, this will become the Town Hall.

This building will be the Calico Bank. The absent-minded bank owner keeps losing the combination to the safe, so he may need your help to figure it out! Also, beware of bank robbers!

There was lots of painting going on. Everything will look nicely touched up!

It’s nice seeing Ghost Town getting some TLC!

The Calico Square stage is being relocated to the area where Screamin’ Swing used to be - between the Mine Ride and Pony Express. The area the stage occupied will become the location for the big nightly Ghost Town hoedown.

The Calico Saloon is getting tons of love! It’s really looking great!

Outside it has been repainted and has new railings and fixtures.

There are new lanterns.

This design board gives a good idea of the finishes and style they’re going for.

Inside you can get a feel of how extensive the refurbishment is. Pretty much everything is getting worked on. The bar is brand new!

There will now be beer on tap! (Yay!) And air conditioning! (Yay!)

There’s lots to be done still!

The staircase has been replaced with a new one.

Ooooh, ahhh.

We can’t wait to escape the summer heat in here - sitting in the cold AC watching a show while sipping a beer sounds pretty nice!

Is it May yet?

The new Calico Stage is mostly just an empty lot so far. In a couple months this view will look very different!

Keep out!

Moving on, lets check out Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant!

This board gives an idea of what the finished building will look like. All furniture, flooring, lighting, and decor will be renovated.

This shows an overhead view of the restaurant.

And if you look closely, you’ll notice a full service bar has been added to the restaurant in place of the Garden Room. This should be a great addition!

For the first time, there will also now be an outdoor seating area. Guests will enjoy views of the Marketplace fountain and the newly restored GhostRider.

Russ stressed that when it comes to the food, their focus is on quality above all else. Anyone who knows Knott’s history can tell you that Knott’s Berry Farm wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the Chicken Dinner Restaurant - so Knott’s is working hard to honor that foundation by preserving Mrs. Knott’s original recipes and preparing them with the highest quality ingredients.

They were even nice enough to prepare some biscuits for us, some with boysenberry butter, and some with Knott’s own Berry Market jam.

Mmmmmm!

Finally, lets see how the Ghostrider refurbishment is coming along!

The coaster has been undergoing a full refurbishment intended to make it as good or better than when it was new.

When it re-opens the mid-course brake run will be gone! Yay!

The coaster is being completely re-tracked. You can clearly tell the new wood from the old wood.

Some parts have been re-profiled to give more airtime and a more thrilling ride!

If you look closely, you can see the bolt holes where this track used to be attached. The track was raised to give a bigger pop of air here.

The refurbishment appears to be coming along nicely. The coaster will also be getting new Millennium Flyer trains and magnetic brakes!

We can’t wait to fly over this drop again without the mid-course brake!

We also got to peek into the maintenance area. This is the area under where they store the extra train.

And here it is from above.

We also got to see the lift motor. The chain wasn’t attached at the moment.

Grease globs should be enough to get any coaster enthusiast salivating.

When Ghostrider first opened it was a great ride - we’re really excited to get to experience it that way once again. With the new trains, removed mid-course brake, re-profiled portions, and magnetic brakes at the end, we expect it to be even better than when it first opened!

As you can see, the Ghost Town 75th Anniversary is shaping up to be a must-see event at Knott’s. With new interactive entertainment, new shows, refurbishments throughout the area, the new-and-improved Chicken Dinner Restaurant, and the return of Ghostrider - its shaping up to be a great anniversary celebration! Thanks to Knott’s for showing us around, and thanks to you for checking out our report! The Ghost Town 75th Anniversary celebration begins May 27 - don’t miss it!

Knott’s Berry Farm is celebrating the 75th anniversary of Ghost Town this year, and to commemorate the occasion they’re refurbishing the area and adding several new experiences. Knott’s invited us to take a construction tour to see the current progress, so check out our report below to see everything that’s in store for Ghost Town’s big anniversary!

Great report. I can't wait to see all this in person.

If you look closely, you can see the bolt holes where this track used to be attached. The track was raised to give a bigger pop of air here.

Details like this make me really happy. Glad they are putting this level of effort into it.

Ghostrider deserves to be an amazing coaster again. If I was running for president, my platform would be "Make Ghostrider Great Again". Can I get this on a trucker hat?

They were even nice enough to prepare some biscuits for us, some with boysenberry butter, and some with Knott’s own Berry Market jam

I love those freakin' Knott's Berry Farm biscuits, especially when they're smothered with gravy. Boysenberry Jam works, too.

I will be visiting Knott's for the very first time in July. I am so glad I'm going to get to experience this park during the 75th anniversary. Can't wait!

Good to see a construction tour and see what's going on, thanks for that.

I went twice last year and will DEFINITELY make it back this fall! I want to finally do Knott's Haunt event...but it's really the chicken dinner that keeps calling me!

Well damn now I want some fried chicken.

I went twice last year and will DEFINITELY make it back this fall! I want to finally do Knott's Haunt event...but it's really the chicken dinner that keeps calling me!

My family used to make a trip to Disneyland every year, but we always started off with a fried-chicken dinner and an evening at Knott's.

Mmmmmm, I can't wait till WCB rolls around in early Sept.

Last time Mrs. Knotts served me fried chicken, it was..... 1996!

Unfortunately, the 75th Celebration (might) will be "just over" at that time.

But of course, it's all about the fried chicken, yes? No?

Good news? Bar in the Chicken Dinner restaurant!

Bad news? I'm a little bummed they got rid of the garden room. It added to the charm. The good news is that it sounds like they will be making the entire restaurant more themed overall, so I'm sure I'll get over it.

Knott's continues to do great things year after year! I am super excited to see all this stuff in person at West Coast Bash!

Great report! Excited to hear the reports on Ghostrider when it reopens, it was my first wooden roller coaster so I've got a soft spot for it. Hopefully the reports will be good, wish I could visit Knott's again this year.

Very good trip report! I need to head out to Knott's sometime and experience this!

Good news? Bar in the Chicken Dinner restaurant!

 

Bad news? I'm a little bummed they got rid of the garden room. It added to the charm. The good news is that it sounds like they will be making the entire restaurant more themed overall, so I'm sure I'll get over it.

Personally, I always thought that room was a little ugly. I didn't mind it overall, but I won't necessarily miss it either.

Everything looks fantastic. I can't wait to visit in April.

I have yet to try the knotts chicken. from what I have gathered from people that have ate there, it is better than sex. If this is the case, I wonder why they have not extended the brand? Being from Michigan, it's not the easiest place to get to. I wonder if cedar fair has looked into maybe branching it out to some of the other parks?

We have only been out to knotts once about 7 years ago, and did not know this even exsisted.

I do remember, there was a few years (in the 1970s I believe), when Knott's tried to market

their Fried Chicken, in "flash frozen" form, for reheating, for selling at grocery stores, etc...

Locally.

I guess it eventually dawned on them, that the gp didn't want their fried chicken that way.

They would come to Knott's and get it for them self, at Mrs. Knott's Kitchen.

So Knott's stopped production of it.

What I heard.

(Photos below, are from our first trip to California together. In September,1975.)

Me on the left on the "Sombrero Ride". David on the right, with "The Chicken" in it's take out/away box.

We were both salivating for it, at this point, I remember. (o;

Good news? Bar in the Chicken Dinner restaurant!

 

Bad news? I'm a little bummed they got rid of the garden room. It added to the charm. The good news is that it sounds like they will be making the entire restaurant more themed overall, so I'm sure I'll get over it.

Personally, I always thought that room was a little ugly. I didn't mind it overall, but I won't necessarily miss it either.

Yeah, it was definitely ugly. Thats why I enjoyed it...it was a reminder of the old KBF. But a full bar is definitely something that will get me in...I'd rather eat and drink there than at Friday's.

^Fried chicken, biscuits, and booze . . . sounds like the makings of a country song.

^ Works for me! I shall be there, in September.