The History of the Boysenberry exhibition returning for the 2025 Knott’s Boysenberry Festival offering a glimpse into the origin of Walter and Cordelia Knott’s involvement with the boysenberry and how it became the beginnings of what would eventually become the Knott’s Berry Farm we know today.
Here’s everything you need to know about The History of the Boysenberry exhibition at the 2025 Knott’s Boysenberry Festival.
About the Exhibit
History of the Boysenberry exhibition shares details on the origin story of Knott’s Berry Farm’s most iconic fruit, the boysenberry. Walter and Cordelia Knott settled in Buena Park in 1920, growing berries along Highway 39. In 1927, they bought land and later cultivated the boysenberry, a hybrid fruit that became the farm’s hallmark along with Cordelia’s famous fried chicken feed hungry visitors. The small farm gradually transformed into a ghost town attraction and, eventually, a thriving theme park.
Walter and Cordelia’s determination shaped Knott’s Berry Farm from a roadside farm into a true California icon. During the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival, you can learn more at the Calico Town Hall in Ghost Town. Signage around the park sheds some fun facts including:
- It was 1920 when Walter and Cordelia Knott brought their young family to Buena Park to farm berries and vegetables.
- The Berry Market was built in 1927 to sell Knott’s farm-fresh berries. The store still stands on Beach Boulevard.
- The boysenberry’s popularity helped Knott’s berry farm and many American farmers survive during the Great Depression.
- Knott’s Boysenberries debuted in 1934—the same year Mrs. Knott served her first, famous fried chicken dinner.
Video
Below is a short excerpt of the presentation that plays on repeat inside the History of the Boysenberry exhibit.
See it for Yourself
Knott’s Boysenberry Festival runs daily at Knott’s Berry Farm from March 28 through April 27, 2025.
MORE INFO: See all MouseInfo coverage for the Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival
