Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business 
Buena Park is a city in northwestern Orange County, about 20 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles and just north of Anaheim. It was founded in 1887 on farmland along the new Santa Fe railroad, and for decades it was a quiet town of dairies and berry fields. That farming past gave rise to its most famous business: in the 1920s Walter and Cordelia Knott sold berries from a roadside stand on Beach Boulevard, popularized the boysenberry, and in 1934 Cordelia began serving the fried chicken dinners that drew long lines of hungry visitors.
To entertain the crowds waiting for dinner, Walter Knott built an Old West ghost town in 1940, and over the following decades the farm grew into Knott's Berry Farm, often called America's first theme park. Buena Park incorporated as a city in 1953 and grew into a busy suburb of around 84,000 people, but entertainment remains its calling card.
Today Beach Boulevard is lined with attractions that make Buena Park a classic Southern California family stop. Knott's Berry Farm mixes record-setting roller coasters with its historic Ghost Town and stagecoach rides, Knott's Soak City offers summer water slides, and dinner shows such as Medieval Times and Pirates Dinner Adventure stage jousting knights and swashbuckling pirates. Away from the rides, Ralph B. Clark Regional Park offers trails, a lake and an interpretive center known for its fossil exhibits.
Knott's Berry Farm began as a roadside berry stand in the 1920s and grew into a large theme park with roller coasters such as GhostRider and Silver Bullet, family rides, Camp Snoopy and seasonal events like Knott's Scary Farm. Buy tickets online for lower prices and arrive at opening to ride the big coasters with short lines.
Knott's Soak City is a summer water park next to Knott's Berry Farm with high-speed slides, a wave pool, a lazy river and splash areas for small children. It is open seasonally, usually from late May to early September. Weekdays are less crowded, and renting a cabana or locker helps on busy summer weekends.
Medieval Times in Buena Park is a dinner show in a castle-style arena where knights on horseback compete in jousting, sword fights and horsemanship while guests eat a four-course meal with their hands. Each section cheers for its own knight. Book ahead online and arrive early for seating and the castle exhibits.
Pirates Dinner Adventure in Buena Park is an interactive dinner show staged around a full-size pirate ship in an indoor lagoon, with acrobatics, sword fights, singing and audience participation over a three-course meal. Children enjoy cheering for their pirate crew. Reserve tickets ahead, especially on weekends and holidays.
Ghost Town is the original heart of Knott's Berry Farm, an Old West town built from real buildings moved from abandoned mining towns, with a stagecoach, steam train, saloon shows and the Calico Mine Ride. Gold panning and blacksmith displays add hands-on fun. Look for the historic buildings' plaques as you wander between rides.
Across Beach Boulevard from the theme park stands a full-size brick replica of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, built by Walter Knott in 1966. Inside you can see a copy of the Liberty Bell, with its crack, and exhibits on the American Revolution. Entry is free, making it a good short stop for families before or after the park.
Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant, outside the Knott's park gates in the California Marketplace, has served fried chicken dinners with biscuits and boysenberry pie since 1934. No park ticket is needed. Expect a wait at dinner time on weekends, and pick up boysenberry jam at the shops next door.
Ralph B. Clark Regional Park in northern Buena Park is known for its fossil beds, with an interpretive center showing remains of mammoths, sabertooth cats and whales found on site. The park also has lakes, ball fields, trails and picnic areas. Visit the interpretive center during its limited weekly hours, and parking costs a small fee.
The Whitaker-Jaynes Estate Museum is run by the Buena Park Historical Society and includes a Victorian-era house and the Bacon House, among the oldest homes in the city, with period furniture and local history displays. Docents give tours on scheduled days. Check the society's hours before visiting, as the museum opens only part of the week.
The Source OC is a shopping and dining center on Beach Boulevard with a strong Korean flavor, including a large Korean supermarket, bakeries, Korean barbecue and other Asian restaurants, plus a cinema and events plaza. It is busy in the evenings. Come hungry and try several small eateries rather than one big meal.
Buena Park Downtown is an indoor regional mall near the Knott's area with department stores, chain shops, a food court and an entertainment center. It is a practical place for supplies, a meal or a cool break during hot days at the theme parks. Parking is free, and it is a short drive from the main hotel strip on Beach Boulevard.
No reviews yet. Been to Buena Park? Be the first to share your experience.
Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.
Log in to write a reviewBeen to Buena Park? Add your best shots to the gallery.
Log in to add photos
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
Photo: METRO96, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Sony 1992, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Sony 1992, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Sony 1992, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Jmohler1970, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: METRO96, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: T1madpaintballer at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Photo courtesy Orange County Archives., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Tomás Del Coro from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Tomás Del Coro from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Jay Galvin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Sony 1992, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Steve D, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Orange County Archives from Orange County, California, United States of America, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Photo courtesy Orange County Archives., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view from Los Angeles, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Ingrid from Berkeley, CA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Davefoc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Davefoc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Davefoc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Davefoc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Davefoc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Temaciejewski, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0