Return to Ghost Town, Pt. 1

It had been three years since my last visit to Knott’s Berry Farm (and twice as long for the neighboring theme park in Anaheim!), so when history expert/neon aficionado Eric Lynxwiler suggested we meet in Ghost Town, I immediately said “yes”!

Billing itself as “America's 1st Theme Park,” Knott’s Berry Farm is currently celebrating its 100th Anniversary a year late, due to the pandemic. For me, the draw of Knott’s is Ghost Town and its charming recreation of a Gold Rush mining town. The rest of the park…meh.

There are portions of Ghost Town that have drawn controversy because of their perceived “racist” nature. Some stumble upon the hangman’s noose when they first enter and immediately assume that it’s a reference to the lynching of Blacks.

Not so. It pays to read the signage and do the research before jumping to conclusions. It’s a bit unsettling to see this, but I do applaud its inclusion as it provides an opportunity to have a dialogue. Yes, dialogue can be good and allows an acknowledgement of unsavory parts of the past and whether there has or hasn’t been progress made in the years since. Erasing those elements leads to the possibility that those dark events will be repeated.

Eric pointed out all of the ghostly-paint that still exists on the original wooden structures:

I love seeing these remnants of the past that hang on to their existence despite “progress” and the ravage of the natural elements, like sunlight and termites!

The peek-ins are fun glimpses into the businesses of the past, complete with mannequins, originally carved by Andy Anderson.

Want to see the bottles in the Drug Store?

Zooming into the image in the mirror, you can see an ad for Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound, an herbal medicine that was supposed to relieve menstrual discomfort and menopausal symptoms. It contained 20% alcohol!

A card game at the Sheriff’s office:

A winning hand?

Goldie’s Place, a hotel that provides “extra” room service.

The swinging leg should give you an idea of what you might encounter inside:

Goldie:

and her girls:

The puns strewn throughout Ghost Town give it a home-spun charm that is refreshing.

Kind of like the jokes on the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland: the last vestiges of non-corporate/spontaneous fun.

The often seen front of the sign:

…and thanks to Eric, I saw the rarely-seen back of the sign:

See more Knott’s Berry Farm Ghost Town photos at my main website.