Knott’s Is Adding Some Punch to the Berry Farm

In an effort to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving theme park industry, the new owners of Knott’s Berry Farm said Friday they will spend more than $35 million to create three new attractions and refurbish Independence Hall.

The project, which includes Orange County’s highest structure, will be the costliest and most ambitious expansion at Knott’s, said Cedar Fair, the Sandusky, Ohio, company that acquired Knott’s in December. The company also expects to add 100 employees.

Cedar Fair executives said Knott’s will retain its theme, but the nation’s oldest theme park will add much-needed pizazz with two big-name thrill rides, including the 30-story Supreme Scream, which will take riders up more than 30 stories, the highest point in the county, pause momentarily and plunge back down at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. The ride opens July 4.

“We needed something people will talk about,” said Jack Falfas, Knott’s general manager. “We wanted to make a big splash and be noticed.”

But it’s getting harder for a smaller park to stand out in Southern California, where competition is brutal.

Knott’s, the nation’s 12th-busiest park, wants to raise attendance and consistently draw 4 million patrons a year with its brand of family entertainment.