On June 13, 2009, the Chicken Dinner Restaurant at Knotts Berry Farm celebrates it’s 75 anniversary. And they’re holding a ceremony to honor America’s theme park pioneers - Walter and Cordelia Knott.

That’s right - Dinseyland may be one of the world’s best theme parks today, with the ability to fill up all of the Anaheim motels and hotels with visitors from around the world, but the reason Anaheim is so famous as a family vacation destination is because of the pioneering spirit of Knotts Berry Farm’s founders - Walter and Cordelia Knott.

In fact, Knotts Berry Farm has been recognized as America’s first theme park. And of course, there is nothing in the world quite like Mrs. Knott’s recipe for fried chicken dinners and boysenberry pies.   

It all goes back to the hardships of the Great Depression. Out of that necessity was born one of America’s greatest innovations - the theme park. Cordelia had started selling boysenberry jams and jellies made from the experimental berries which Walter had managed to keep alive.

Home-baked pies, hot biscuits and sandwiches were soon added to the home-based production. Then, on a night in June 1934, Cordelia served eight fried chicken dinners on her wedding china - for the all-inclusive price of 65 cents each.

It was such a smash hit that Walter got to wondering what to do to keep the waiting customers entertained, and so was born Ghost Town, eventually the first of Knott’s Berry Farm’s six themed areas.

Today, the Chicken Dinner Restaurant seats more than 900 guests at a time, serves more than 1. 5 million guests each year, and is the largest full-service restaurant that serves chicken as its main course.

Chicken Dinner sign photo by Randy Son of Robert. Ghost Town photo by Brymo. For more information about Knotts Berry Farm, Mrs. Knotts Chicken Dinner Restaurant, and the rides and other attractions, visit www.knotts.com/.

Posted on June 8th, 2009 by Thomas
Filed under: Los Angeles