Experience the Ice Kingdom, Glacier Glide Ice Tubing, Ice Skating and Holiday Entertainment at the Coolest Place in Southern California
The Ice Kingdom Introduces the New Holiday Ice Bar
The Queen Mary will once again be overtaken by a deep freeze for the fourth annual CHILL, opening onNovember 20, 2015. Experience the frozen magic that will bring holiday wonderment and artic temperatures to Southern California.
A holiday extravaganza like no other, CHILL transforms over two million pounds of sparkling ice into larger than life hand carved colorful ice sculptures in a giant Igloo called The Ice Kingdom, located inside the Queen Mary’s Dome, once home to the legendary Spruce Goose. The Ice Kingdom will bring Charles Dickens’ classic tale of A Christmas Carol to life with Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come frozen in glistening ice. Walk-through chilling scenes from the Nutcracker complete with castles and sugar plum fairies. Get lost in the life size candy cane forest and explore the penguin village. Slip down ice slides off of a 30’ high replica of The Queen Mary and enjoy a festive cocktail at the all-new ice bar aboard the ship’s frozen bow. Each ice exhibit is precisely hand sculpted and created by an international team of expert ice carved from Harbin, China and enhanced with LED lighting to create a visually awing experience. The Ice Kingdom is kept at a frosty nine degrees Fahrenheit to preserve the ice. Guests receive parkas to help protect them from the chilling temperatures.
The 4th annual CHILL welcomes back Glacier Glide Ice Tubing with six lanes of glistening ice slides standing two stories tall and 100-feet long in front of the Ice Kingdom. Ice skate under the stars on the 6,000 square-foot ice skating rink with the backdrop of the picturesque Queen Mary ship. A holiday village will offer visits with Santa Claus, holiday carolers, snow days and live festive entertainment.
“CHILL truly embodies the spirit of holiday magic,” commented Steve Sheldon, director of entertainment events at The Queen Mary. “We bring the cold festive weather of the North Pole right here to the families of sunny Southern California.”
CHILL pricing starts at $34.99 for adults and $24.99 for kids (ages 4-11). Tickets include entrance to The Ice Kingdom, Ice Tubing, CHILL Village and access to the Queen Mary ship. Lodging packages are also available. CHILL will be open select dates Nov. 20 through Jan. 10. For more information, including hours or to purchase tickets online, visit http://www.queenmary.com/events/chill/
– Knott’s Berry Farm announces a complete refurbishment of Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. Construction began November 2, 2015 and a grand reopening is planned for spring 2016. The project will refresh and preserve the original “tea room” dining room and bring cosmetic and thematic upgrades throughout the restaurant’s other dining areas.
Throughout the restaurant’s four main dining rooms and two banquet rooms, all furniture, flooring, lighting, and décor will be renovated. The large dining room to the right of the main entrance will be remodeled with a look inspired by Mrs. Knott’s kitchen pantry, as the room will be adorned with a potbelly stove and nods to Cordelia’s home kitchen, evoking themes of warmth, family, and togetherness. The main dining room accessible from the courtyard entrance will be divided into two smaller dining rooms, with a theme inspired by farmhouse motifs.
For the first time, a new outdoor seating area on the restaurant’s north side will allow guests to dine al fresco with beautiful and unique views of the MarketPlace fountain, the theme park’s Ghost Town, and the newly restored GhostRider roller coaster.
The busy kitchen that services one of the most popular restaurants in the world will also be modernized, while the culinary team carefully preserves the recipes and techniques that make the restaurant so special.
The restaurant will feature a new, welcoming lobby area, where diners who provide a cell phone number will be sent a text message when their table is ready, allowing more time and flexibility to explore the Knott’s MarketPlace or to grab a drink around the restaurant’s new full service bar, which will replace the restaurant’s Garden Room.
The restaurant will close on January 4 until the grand re-opening in spring 2016. During construction, Chicken To Go, the counter service take out dining location that serves staples of the Chicken Dinner Restaurant menu will remain open. Brunches held on the first Sunday of each month, the “Winterfest” buffets, and the seasonal “Breakfast with Santa” will not be offered in 2015.
“Walter and Cordelia Knott would be very proud of the plans for the restaurant’s renovations,” said Russ Knibbs, vice president of food and beverage for Knott’s Berry Farm. “When Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant reopens next spring, it will continue its long history of celebrating the legacy of Cordelia’s welcoming hospitality and home style service.”
Were it not for Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant, Knott’s Berry Farm would not be the beloved, world class theme park it has become over the past 75 years. To entertain the long lines of guests waiting for a seat at his wife, Cordelia’s, popular restaurant, Walter Knott began erecting a collection of modest old west buildings that established the basis of Ghost Town. As Ghost Town looks ahead to its 75th anniversary in 2016, the land that celebrates the old west, and the fried chicken that made it all possible resonate with guests as much today as they did in 1941
New Calico Stage, Re tracked Ghostrider with new trains, and Knott’s Chicken Dinner Rentovation!
In 2016, Knott’s Berry Farm’s Ghost Town will celebrate its 75th anniversary with two major offerings next summer. The centerpiece of the summer 2016 celebration is the interactive entertainment experience, Ghost Town Alive!, which immerses guests in new stories and adventures in the familiar town of Calico. The west is about to get even wilder when GhostRider returns from a major restoration project with all new trains that will gallop along over 4,500 feet of new wooden track.
In summer 2016, Ghost Town Alive! will allow guests young and young at heart to live the west through inventive new ways to interact with characters and environments as each day, a different story will unfold throughout all of Ghost Town. From pledging one’s allegiance to notorious bandits, to saving the day alongside courageous cowboys, guests play an active role in shaping the events of the day. Every evening, the day’s story culminates with a town wide celebration of 75 years of Calico.
Walter Knott’s love for the Wild West was evident in the attention to detail that he put into the peek-ins peppered throughout town. Next summer, select peek-ins will be transformed into authentic working establishments, and guests will be welcomed to step inside. At the Barber Shop, guests can walk in and meet Calico’s trusted barber who’s rife with town gossip.
In the Sheriff’s office, guests can try their luck at a game of cards with the sneaky Sheriff and other Calico townsfolk. Here, guests can also decide whether they join the lawmen to hunt down the bandits or choose the criminal life and end up with their face on a handmade wanted poster.
In the heart of Ghost Town, the Barn will close on April 4, and when it reopens for Ghost Town Alive!, it will have been transformed into a working horse stable where guests can visit with Calico’s friendly equestrian team.
Construction is underway on a new Calico Stage, which will open across the train tracks from its current location, in the area Screamin’ Swing formerly occupied. The stage, themed after an old abandoned mine, will feature an all-new show for summer 2016. The standing viewing area for the new stage is nearly twice as large as the current viewing area, ensuring even more guests can enjoy seasonal live entertainment. The new venue is scheduled to open in Spring of 2016.
When the new Calico Stage opens, the space that the existing stage and viewing area currently occupy will become Calico Park. Here, guests will enjoy a shady respite from the hustle and bustle of the Town, with a small stage for live performances, and twinkling lights adorning the trees after the sun sets. Calico Park is set to open in Summer 2016. Adjacent to Calico Park stands the iconic Calico Saloon, which will feature a raucous new show next summer. A new western stunt show in Wagon Camp will also debut in summer 2016. Both the Calico Saloon and Wagon Camp will close in early 2016 in for renovations and new show preparations.
Ghost Town Alive! will take interactive storytelling to new heights when it debuts next summer, and for guests really seeking to achieve some heights, they should look no further than to the return of the beloved classic wooden roller coaster, GhostRider.
Since 1998, GhostRider has been giving white-knuckle rides to even the toughest cowpokes. It still looms over Ghost Town as the longest, fastest and tallest wooden rollercoaster on the West Coast. In September 2015, work began to completely restore and preserve this classic wooden rollercoaster. The project is a partnership with Great Coasters International and includes re-profiling and a complete wooden re-tracking of the entire 4,533 ft. long track.
All of the coasters trains will be replaced with state of the art new Millennium Flyer trains designed to look like mining cars, each with gold, silver, or copper accents. As part of the construction, the mid-course brake run will be removed, allowing riders to enjoy a relentless, ride from the moment the train descends the first 108 ft. drop to the moment it returns to the station’s new, smooth magnetic brake run.
“GhostRider was the last attraction commissioned by the Knott family, and this restoration project ensures that the family’s final gift to the park will continue to thrill generations of thrill seekers to come,” said Raffi Kaprelyan, Knott’s Berry Farm’s vice president and general manager. “Seventy five years ago, Walter and Cordelia Knott created a place where guests could live out their dreams of the Wild West, and I think they’d be very proud of how it continues to resonate with guests of a new generation.”
When GhostRider re-opens, the queue will snake past Panning for Gold, which returns to its original Ghost Town home next summer. The return to its former location will allow for a more spacious panning experience, which means a more comfortable experience and better photo ops to capture the moment when a loved one strikes it rich!
In 1940, Walter Knott looked for a way to entertain and educate hungry guests waiting for hours to dine at the iconic Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. Ghost Town was born from Walter’s passion for providing restaurant patrons with unique entertainment and fondness for Wild West. The area celebrates the California-bound pioneers that crossed the desert by covered wagon, just as Walter’s family had back in 1868. Brick by brick, building by building, the old west town of Calico came to life in 1941 and has been visited by millions for the past 75 years.
While reflecting on Ghost Town in a letter written in December 1954, Walter Knott wrote, “I [am] very proud of this place we have built. You know we never fully enjoy the things we love until we share them with those we love.” Next summer, Knott’s invites families to share in Ghost Town’s anniversary celebration with the ones they love, and make new memories in the old west.
For more information on Ghost Town Alive! and GhostRider’s comprehensive restoration, visit Knotts.com or download the Knott’s Berry Farm app for your smart phone. Join the conversation using #GhostTown75.
Now that the Halloween season is over … wah, Theme parks in So Cal turn into a Winter Wonderland! Knott’s Merry Farm is a must every year! This year even more Snow at Ghost Town! Full line up listed below for more info visit Knotts.com
Starting November 21st, Knott’s Berry Farm is filled with the spirit of the holiday season as it wondrously transforms into Knott’s Merry Farm!
The perfect place to make holiday memories and traditions invites guests to celebrate with thrillingattractions, live entertainment, a crafts fair, festive food, lavish holiday decorations, and nightly snow in Ghost Town.
Returning this year, the PEANUTS® gang, and a cast of world class ice skaters perform in the breathtaking ice show, Merry Christmas, Snoopy! in the 2,100 seat Charles M. Schulz Theatre. In this whimsical show, Snoopy enjoys all of the best parts of the season, including trimming the Christmas tree, awaiting Santa’s arrival, and attending the Christmas Ball! Select dates, November 21 – Jan 3(dark Wednesdays).
The Wilderness Dance Hall in Ghost Town transforms into Santa’s Christmas Cabin for the holiday season. Here, the young and the young at heart can share their wish lists with jolly ol’ St. Nick and take home a picture of the occasion. Indulge in holiday delights like Santa’s homemade cookies, mouthwatering pastries, fresh roasted nuts, seasonal craft beer, and decadent cinnamon rolls. Knott’s world-famous holiday treats can be found all throughout Ghost Town, including fresh poured-to-order maple lollipops at the Gold Trails Hotel, holiday churros from the Churro Factory, and warm gingerbread men baked at the Farm Bakery.
The Ghost Town and Calico Railroad will once again invite guests to celebrate Christmas on Engine 41. Vintage railcars are filled with an ever-changing group of cheery Ghost Town denizens eager to share their busy Christmas plans. A perfect reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, the Camp Snoopy theater will debut an all-new show,Christmas Time is Here, Charlie Brown.The show features a delightful mash up of some of your favorite holiday songs with a cheerful and heartwarming dose of the Peanuts gang.
Relax and unwind in Knott’s Christmas Crafts Village, as Ghost Town transforms into a shopping wonderland filled with dozens of local artisans selling their unique gifts. Can’t-miss highlights of the Village include powerful chainsaw sculpting and elegant glass blowing demonstrations. Entrance to the Knott’s Christmas Crafts Village is free Monday through Thursday, November 23 – December 10, and is included with theme park admission every day.
Strolling the pathways of Ghost Town, The Calico Carolers share the sounds of the season through songs and hand bell chimes. In the intimate setting of Ghost Town’s historic Bird Cage Theatre, Knott’s melodrama company brings to life Charles Dickens’A Christmas Caroland O. Henry’s A Gift of the Magi with daily performances.
When the sun sets on the Farm, the buildings and paths in Ghost Town will twinkle to the beat of holiday music while snow gently falls. This year, snow falls across even more of Ghost Town, from the School House to the Saloon and down to the Assay Office.
Another nighttime tradition at Knott’s Merry Farm is Snoopy’s Merriest Tree Lighting show on the Calico Square Stage. This whimsical tree lighting features a cast of marching toy soldiers, the loveable Mrs. Claus, dancing snowmen, and the world’s most famous beagle, Snoopy!
The toe tappin’, hand clappin’, comedy and bluegrass of Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies continues their Knott’s Merry Farm residency this holiday season in the Birdcage Theatre on select nights. Plus, the upbeat blue grass quartet, the Ghost Town Miners, make their eagerly awaited return to the Fireman’s BBQ stage. Southern California’s finest live bluegrass bands can only be seen at Knott’s Merry Farm.
The perfect stocking stufferis now on-sale! A 2016 Season Passincludes one free admission in 2015, unlimited visits in 2016 with no blackout dates, discounts on select food and merchandise, and access to exciting year-round seasonal events. For affordable year-round fun for everyone on your “nice”list, Season Passes start at just $81.00, the best price of the year for a limited time.
To learn more visit knotts.com or call (714) 220-5200. Join the festive conversation using the holiday hashtag #MerryFarm on the Knott’s Facebook or Twitterpages.
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