Timber Mountain Log Ride, one of the classic attractions installed by Walter Knott.

City / town · California

Buena Park

Timber Mountain Log Ride, one of the classic attractions installed by Walter Knott.

Best timeJan–Dec
From you
Nearest airportLGB · 9 mi
On this page

Overview

Buena Park is a city in Orange County in Southern California. Buena Park is nestled between Los Angeles and San Diego, and is best known for a Knott's Berry Farm on what used to be Walter and Cordelia Knott's farm.

1 sights · 8 things to do · 6 places to eat · 5 places to stay

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Best things about Buena Park

Knott's Berry Farm

Knott's Berry Farm

Originally a roadside berry farm selling boysenberries (a cross between a raspberry, blackberry, and loganberry). Now a large theme park with a plentiful list of amusements and rides, including scream machines like the S…

Knott's Soak City

A water park filled with water slides, a river and a wave pool.

Independence Hall at Knott's Berry Farm

A recreation of Independence Hall (site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence) is so accurate that the original structure in Philadelphia used Knott's blueprints for its own restoration. The replica also stoo…

Los Coyotes Country Club

Golf course with restaurant, wedding and event facilities.

Arcave Room

Private retro arcade party venue for kids and adults, available by booking. Features 1980s music, classic arcade games, and consoles including Xbox and Nintendo Switch

Medieval Times Tournament and Dinner Show

A medieval feast, with dinner show featuring knights, maidens, kings and jousting.

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Jan–Dec. Summer highs reach about 89°F; winter lows dip to about 48°F. Wettest: Feb and Jan. (climate data from nearby Anaheim)

Jan: 3.3 in rain3.3"Jan: high 71°F, low 49°F71°49°JanFeb: 3.5 in rain3.5"Feb: high 71°F, low 49°F71°49°FebMar: 1.9 in rain1.9"Mar: high 74°F, low 51°F74°51°MarApr: 0.8 in rain0.8"Apr: high 77°F, low 53°F77°53°AprMay: 0.5 in rain0.5"May: high 78°F, low 58°F78°58°MayJun: 0.2 in rain0.2"Jun: high 82°F, low 62°F82°62°JunJul: 0.1 in rain0.1"Jul: high 87°F, low 66°F87°66°JulAug: 0.0 in rain0"Aug: high 89°F, low 66°F89°66°AugSep: 0.1 in rain0.1"Sep: high 88°F, low 64°F88°64°SepOct: 0.7 in rain0.7"Oct: high 83°F, low 59°F83°59°OctNov: 1.0 in rain1"Nov: high 77°F, low 53°F77°53°NovDec: 2.0 in rain2"Dec: high 71°F, low 48°F71°48°Dec

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

  • From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
  • LGB Long Beach International Airport, Long Beach — 9 mi away (major hub). Directions
  • SNA John Wayne Orange County International Airport, Santa Ana — 14 mi away (major hub). Directions
Full “Get in” guide ↓

Budget & where to stay

No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.

Sample 2-day itinerary

Day 1

  • Morning Arcave Room, Knott's Berry Farm, Independence Hall at Knott's Berry Farm
  • Lunch Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant
  • Afternoon Pirates Dinner Adventure, Knott's Scary Farm
  • Dinner Porto's Bakery

Day 2

  • Morning Knott's Soak City, Los Coyotes Country Club
  • Lunch Rock & Brews
  • Afternoon Medieval Times Tournament and Dinner Show, Beach Boulevard Club
  • Dinner Portillo's Hot Dogs

Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.

Food for you

Cuisine (tap to filter)

What to ask about, for your diet

    Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder

    Photos

    Timber Mountain Log Ride, one of the classic attractions installed by Walter Knott.Xcelerator, one of a breed of rides that emphasize big thrills over theme and scenery.Knott's Berry FarmBuena Park

    Map

    Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.

    Understand

    European settlement of the area dates to the Spanish "ranchos", which were huge land grants in the late 1700s. A rail connection to Los Angeles was established in 1875. Buena Park was established as a community in 1877 (in conjunction with the railway development) and incorporated as a city in 1953. There has been some industrial activity in the area (such as a Nabisco factory which closed in 2006).

    Get in

    By car

    • I-5 (Santa Ana Freeway) or CA-91 (Riverside Freeway) takes you directly to Buena Park. Take the Knott Ave, Beach Blvd, or any of the other Buena Park exits. Anaheim is just south of Buena Park, with Fullerton to the east, so both of those cities can serve as an entry as well.

    By plane

    • Fullerton Municipal Airport only accepts private airplanes and is 3 miles (4.8 km) from Buena Park.
    • Long Beach Airport is about 15 miles (24 km) from Buena Park. JetBlue Airways serves it nonstop from 14 destinations. It is also served by Alaska Airlines, American, and Delta.
    • Orange County/John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, is about 16 miles (25 km)/24 minutes from Buena Park. It is served by Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin America
    • Los Angeles International Airport is served by a wide array of foreign carriers as well as most US airlines.

    By rail

    • Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner runs from Paso Robles to San Diego; the closest station is Fullerton.

    Go Buena Park (Metrolink)

    Metrolink's Orange County Line runs from Los Angeles to Oceanside, with stops in Buena Park and Fullerton.

    📍 8400 Lakeknoll Dr
    MapsWebsite

    Get around

    By foot

    • The main tourism corridor in Buena Park is located along Beach Boulevard. Most of the main attractions, including Knott's Berry Farm, are located here and are within walking distance of each other. Additional attractions include Pirates Dinner Adventure, Beach Boulevard Club, and Medieval Times.

    By transit

    • Many Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) lines come together in Buena Park. Route 29 (Beach Blvd.) runs north-south, from the Brea Mall to downtown Huntington Beach and the Pacific Coast Highway, straight through downtown BP. Route 38 (La Palma Ave.) runs east-west, from Lakewood to the Anaheim Shopping Center, serving the Buena Park Promenade. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority Route 460 connects BP with downtown Los Angeles, Norwalk, Fullerton, and Disneyland. All three routes serve Knott's Berry Farm.
    • The Knott's Berry Farm Resort Hotel and other hotels in Buena Park provide a shuttle to Disneyland.

    By car

    • Buena Park is small enough for driving, but most attractions are on Beach Boulevard.

    See

    See Independence Hall at Knott's Berry Farm

    A recreation of Independence Hall (site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence) is so accurate that the original structure in Philadelphia used Knott's blueprints for its own restoration. The replica also stood in for the actual Independence Hall in the film National Treasure.

    📍 8039 Beach Blvd🕒 10AM-4PM💲 Free☎ +1 714-220-5200Checked Jun 2022
    MapsWebsite

    Do

    Do Los Coyotes Country Club

    Golf course with restaurant, wedding and event facilities.

    📍 8888 Los Coyotes Drive☎ +1 714-994-7788
    MapsWebsite

    Do Arcave Room

    Private retro arcade party venue for kids and adults, available by booking. Features 1980s music, classic arcade games, and consoles including Xbox and Nintendo Switch

    📍 6161 Lincoln Ave Unit C2Checked Jun 2026
    MapsWebsite

    Dinner theatre

    Do Medieval Times Tournament and Dinner Show

    A medieval feast, with dinner show featuring knights, maidens, kings and jousting.

    📍 7662 Beach Blvd🕒 Show times vary based on day on the weekChecked Jun 2022
    MapsWebsite

    Do Pirates Dinner Adventure

    A four-course feast, promoted as fit for a pirate king, served while buccaneers from an 18th-century Spanish galleon battle each other with swords, knives, and fists.

    📍 7600 Beach BlvdChecked Jun 2022
    MapsWebsite

    Do Beach Boulevard Club

    A 1920s classy cocktail lounge featuring dueling pianos, elegant cocktails and delicious bites.

    📍 7600 Beach BoulevardChecked Jun 2022
    MapsWebsite

    Knott's Berry Farm

    Knott's Berry Farm is America's oldest theme park. In 1920, it was a working farm selling berries, with Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant serving its first chicken dinners in 1934. Once the restaurant started drawing a crowd, Walter Knott began constructing a replica Ghost Town in 1940; the park's first ride attraction (the Ghost Town & Calico Railroad) opened in 1952. Knott's Berry Farm remained family-owned until late 1997. The park is now owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation and the food brand was acquired by the J.M. Smucker Company.

    The park has the first, largest or only version of various amusements: the Calico Mine Ride (1960) the world's first themed amusement park attraction, Timber Mountain Log Ride (1969) the first log flume with thematic elements, Corkscrew (1975) the first modern roller coaster to successfully turn riders upside-down, Xcelerator (2002) the world's first hydraulically-launched roller coaster.

    Knott's Berry Farm

    Do Knott's Berry Farm

    Originally a roadside berry farm selling boysenberries (a cross between a raspberry, blackberry, and loganberry). Now a large theme park with a plentiful list of amusements and rides, including scream machines like the Silver Bullet rollercoaster and the Supreme Scream Drop Tower . A Peanuts cartoon theme appears on attractions for little ones within Camp Snoopy.

    📍 8039 Beach Blvd🕒 Daily except Christmas Day, hours vary seasonally☎ +1 714-220-5200Checked Jul 2026
    MapsWebsite

    Do Knott's Soak City

    A water park filled with water slides, a river and a wave pool.

    📍 8039 Beach Blvd🕒 Open seasonally during spring and summer months.☎ +1 714-220-5200Checked Jul 2026
    MapsWebsite

    Events

    Do Knott's Scary Farm

    Knott's is transformed into a Halloween Haunt extravaganza for mature audiences.

    📍 8039 Beach Blvd💲 Price varies based on dayChecked Jun 2022
    MapsWebsite

    Buy

    Shop Buena Park Downtown Mall

    Affordable shopping options, restaurants, and entertainment for kids and adults alike.

    📍 8308 On the Mall☎ +1 714-462-8620
    MapsWebsite

    Shop Knott's Marketplace

    A shopping and dining district. One of the highlights is the Berry Market where Knott's jams and jellies can be purchased.

    📍 8039 Beach Blvdadjacent to Knott's Berry Farm
    MapsWebsite

    Eat

    • .

    Sleep

    Stay Courtyard by Marriott

    24-hour convenience store and on-site restaurant are available. No resort fees.

    📍 7621 Beach BlvdCheck-in 3PM · out noon☎ +1 714-670-6600Checked Jun 2022
    MapsWebsite

    Stay Knott's Berry Farm Resort Hotel

    Knott's Berry Farm's on-site hotel offers package deals with special entrance to the park, complimentary shuttle to Disneyland, and special themed Snoopy rooms complete with tuck-in service provided by Snoopy. Great for kids.

    📍 7675 Crescent Ave☎ +1 714-995-1111Checked Jun 2022
    MapsWebsite

    Stay Fairfield Inn & Suites

    Includes a free breakfast with offerings such as fresh fruit, omelets, mini waffles, sweet breads, Greek yogurt, and bacon.

    📍 7828 Orangethorpe AveCheck-in 3PM · out noon☎ +1 714-670-7200Checked Jun 2022
    MapsWebsite

    Stay Hampton Inn & Suites

    Breakfast, parking, and WiFi are complimentary with your stay.

    📍 7307 Artesia BlvdCheck-in 3PM · out 11AM☎ +1 714-716-1800Checked Jun 2022
    MapsWebsite

    Go next

    • Anaheim - the home of the Disneyland Resort - 10 to 20 minutes (travel south on Beach Boulevard then east on Katella Avenue, take LA Metro, Interstate 5, or use the free shuttle from the Knott's Hotel)
    • Long Beach - 20 minutes (travel west on State Route 91 then south on Interstate 710)
    • Los Angeles - 25 minutes (take I-5 or an Amtrak/Metrolink train to LA Union Station)
    • Hollywood - 32 minutes (travel to LA Union Station and transfer to the LACMTA Red Line)
    • Orange County beach cities - 25 to 43 minutes (travel south on Beach Boulevard)
    • Yorba Linda - Richard Nixon's Birthplace, Museum, Library, Burial, and Childhood home - 20 minutes (travel north on Beach Boulevard then east on the Imperial Highway/California State Route 90, or simply take the 91 freeway)
    • San Diego - 2 hours (by train from Fullerton)

    Nearby

    My experience

    Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.