RETRO Photo TR: Knott's circa 1987 & 1991

Here are a few photos I managed to dig up from my parents' huge photo trunk. The first six are from my first trip in 1987, with the old Corkscrew prominently featured. This is the day I fell in love with going upside-down, a very intense feeling for a six-year-old, BTW (ahhh, love at first ride). The following are from a trip 4 years later. Funny thing, they all seem to be of rides that are no longer there . Anyway, enjoy .

A night shot of the Tumbler (sniff). We were actually stuck on this thing for about 20 minutes.... good times, good times.

My sister in her pre teenage-from-hell years (I love you, BRAT!). Does anyone actually remember these spinning barrels in Camp Snoopy? Yeah, me neither.

One of the shows I truely miss at Knott's. It wasn't a stellar show, but it was one thing that gave it a certain edge over any other park within an hour away.

I know that for most SoCal natives their first driving experience was on DL's Autopia, but I actually got my start on these years before stepping foot on Autopia. R.I.P. Gasoline Alley!

We begin our 1991 segment with a familiar landmark, taken from us too soon..... yep, that's me coming down in that cage.

After that first great ride, I decided to pose in front of my conquest with those less fortunate enough not to ride (some for obvious reasons). From left to right: uncle, me, cousin, bro.

Entering the second inversion.... complete bliss!

And down the hill she goes! Yup, that's me in there.... somewhere.

Wow, what a lift! At 70 ft. this thing was a monster to any six-year-old.

My uncle and older sister. I believe this is where the old Whirlpool used to be (now Wilderness Scrambler). Can anybody guess the name of the building in the back?

First ride of the day, Tilt-a-Whirl. My dad must be very proud of his boys, what with them riding their first big ride. Needless to say, I graduated to the big-leagues about 20 minutes later;)

wow, i really have to go to Knotts more often! for living right ny the park, i don't go as often as i should, i mean, they took out the tumbler??

it still baffles me why they would take out the first inverting coaster EVER to put in a Bommerang...

anyway, great TR! it's cool to see what knotts looked like when i was born, compared to what it is now. (thanks for all the pavement cedar fair! ) oh, i have a question. did you stand up in the parachute ride?

I think I went to Knotts for the first time around the same time! I had never been anywhere else other than Disneyland up to that point. I remember looking up at the Corkscrew and being scared to death of such a "huge" coaster.

Needless to say I chickened out. I wasn't a very brave kid. Even the Matterhorn scared me when I was that young.

^Actually, the only ride to scare the poop out of me was the parachutes. The Corkscrew, no problem 8) .

^^Yes, you did in fact stand up on that ride, with no restraints whatsoever :shock: .

haha, yeah that's why i was wondering^^^

i mean, i rememember riding it as a kid and i wasn't scared at all, but now, the thought of beeing that high in a little basket just seems REALLY freaky, but this is coming from a kid who screamed on DCA's farris wheel. Then again, that was the scariest thing i have ever been on! Goliath? X? S:TE? No problem, but a farris wheel? NOO!!!!

Very cool pics!

Ahh, photos from when it used to be a good park.

*sigh*

--Robb "I miss those days." Alvey

I remember all those rides! Except for the corkscrew as that was ripped out around the time I was born (but if you ever hit up SilverWood, you can visit it, again, or for your first time!). But man, that dolphin show was awsome, but then they went all trippy and had that funky thing with that character with the cone shaped nose (anybody remember what I'm talking about) and the boardwalk was totally different then. Its amazing how many changes knotts has really been through. The place that has stayed the same the most (at least that I can remember) is camp snoopy, but even that has changed..

I still wish they had never taken out the Soap Box Racers, but oh well. At least they put something good in it's place.

I remember... I remember when Cedar Fair bought Knott's. That was the first time I ever heard of the park.

Sweet photos!

Ahh, photos from when it used to be a good park.

 

*sigh*

 

--Robb "I miss those days." Alvey

Yeah, it was a mistake replacing the Roaring 20s with that generic "boardwalk" theme.

Chuck "Missing the Wacky Soapbox Racers" Campbell

I still wish they had never taken out the Soap Box Racers, but oh well. At least they put something good in it's place.

You mean Windjammer?

^ although it didn't feel the best, that whole area was just simply amazing, and looking at the helix, and everything was just so good. All the detail they put into it, it just made you feel like they wanted it to be successful, and aside from the head banging, it was kinda cool, in particular the loop.

I wish Knott's was still like this! Corkscrew was my first inverting coaster also! I felt so cool going on it and leaving my little brother behind!