Ghost Town: Halloween Haunt Museum

Today's vintage Knott's Berry Farm photo shows Mrs. Murphy's Boarding House, which was originally the post office in Downey, California. It was moved to Knott's in 1952, where for many years it featured an animated family dinner scene. In 1967 it became the Calico Spice Shop, followed by Grandma Botts' Bonnets, and is currently The Halloween Haunt Museum, as can be seen by the photo I shot below in October.



Knott's legend John Waite is shown standing next to some of his handiwork for Knott's Scary Farm:



A vintage shot of John putting the finishing touches on the Mine Ride, circa 1977:



Let's zoom in for a better look at that photo:



One of Elvira's costumes can be seen in the museum; the couch seen in this photo was used in several of Elvira's shows at Knott's and was also in "Elvira's Chamber" at the Knott's Hotel in 2001. Guests could spend the night in an Elvira-themed room. My mind is racing with the possibilities!



A VERY creepy marionette called Pinocchio Unstrung. I don't think the Blue Fairy would care for this at all.



Two more exterior views of the Halloween Haunt Museum:



This one will give me nightmares for weeks.



See more Daveland Ghost Town Halloween Haunt Museum photos at my main website.

Ghost Town: Goldie's Place

Obviously, Disneyland is my favorite theme park, but nearby Knott's Berry Farm still has a charm that has been unspoiled by commercialism and the fear of being offensive to the masses. This is especially true in Ghost Town, which is the more authentic version of Disneyland's Frontierland. When it came to "harsh realities," I think Walter Knott was willing to put the truth out there with a little less varnish than Walt Disney. You would certainly never find a Whore House at Disneyland, but that's exactly what Goldie's Place at Knott's is.



Built in 1940-41, it was based on an actual building in the famous ghost town of Bodie, California. First photo for today is the original building, followed by an April 2010 shot, just before it was completely rebuilt (using some of the original materials).



This photo from my October 2014 visit shows Goldie's today:



The interior peek-in circa 2010:



and how it looks today:



The infamous leg out the window, 2010:



and the 2014 version:



See more Daveland Ghost Town Goldie's Place photos at my main website.

Timber Mountain Log Ride

Another day at Knott's Berry Farm as I take you on a journey through the Timber Mountain Log Ride. Debuting in 1969, this classic attraction was recently refreshed in 2013. I can't help but get annoyed by the background tower, which takes me out of my Ghost Town haze.



The rock work doesn't quite seem up to Disneyland standards, but it still works.



Plenty of waterfalls along the queue.



A little animated gif loop of the first hill in the attraction.



The back-side of water, Knott's-style:



A nice tribute to Bud Hurlbut:



The view as I saw it up the first hill (it was a challenge keeping my camera dry!):



Lots of animatronic figures along the way:









They all look fairly realistic, but I prefer the artistic stylings of the Marc Davis figures from Pirates of the Caribbean instead vs. a figure that attempts to look perfectly human.







A few animatronic animals to give a bit of a scare:





This detailed view shows another Hurlbut tribute:



Plenty of action:



Still, this attraction just doesn't pack the same wallop for me as the Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean. Maybe somebody more eloquent can express why the individual scenes from those two attractions seem much more exciting and beg more frequent trips than the Timber Mountain Log Ride.







Another lift:









Either the blast effects were off or the grand finale just isn't very grand:



Ken Stack (of Liberty Ranch fame) and John Waite are shown finishing up their journey on this attraction:



Overall, it was a fun ride; you definitely get wet and compared to Splash Mountain, the thrills seem much more uncontrolled (in a good way!). Still, without any truly memorable characters (like the Red Headed Wench, Hitchhiking Ghosts, etc.), other than to reshoot it with my low light lens, I really can't say that I have a huge interest in riding it again soon. I have been spoiled by the Disneyland dark-ride attractions that are thought out like a very well-planned movie: perfectly designed, perfectly lit, and full of heart & humor.

See more Daveland Knott's Berry Farm Timber Mountain Log Ride photos at my main website.

Meeting at Ghost Town Grill

A few photos from my lunch at Knott's Berry Farm's Ghost Town Grill. The red-eyed ravens were perched by the restaurant's sign as part of the Knott's Scary Farm overlay.



The menu; what would you care to order?



One of the very cool murals inside the restaurant that first opened in 1946:



A panoramic view of the same mural:



You know me and light fixtures; I'm obsessed.



I love how the wagon has been incorporated into the order/serving window:



The mural above shows a covered wagon camp:



One of the cozy booths:



Vintage looking Halloween decor (including muslin cobwebs) adorned the interior:



The Boysenberry Shake that I ordered was tasty!



The Sourdough Frisco Burger hit the spot. Hazel, our waitress, made sure I cleaned my plate.



My lunch companions included Ken Stack (be sure to check out his Liberty Ranch Facebook page on amusement parks), OC Historians Phil Brigandi, Stephanie George, and Chris Jepsen. On the far right is Knott's legend John Waite (more on him in future posts!).



After lunch, we rode a few of the Knott's Berry Farm classic attractions, which will be featured here soon!

For Ken, from yesterday's post, here's a closeup of the Sierra Tower of the Disneyland Hotel:



For Cox Pilot - is this the area you thought was the Harbor Drive sign? Sorry there's not more detail!



See more Daveland Knott's Berry Farm photos at my main website.