Jungle island at Knott's?

Am I crazy? I seem to remember a jungle island attraction at knott's berry farm, near the liberty hall attraction outside the main park...did I just dream it up? I barely remember a giant pot to cook wayward missionaries in, and possibly a small train....tangaroa, anyone??

What was the name of the thing?

Mick

It was "Jungle Island". We grew up in Buena Park and spent a lot of time running around that place. Bridges, tunnels, all sorts of cool places to hide out for tag or ditch-em.

Trustar

Now that - I have information on!

Tick Mick - you are correct - it was indeed called Jungle Island, and was not part of the gated admission to Knott's, but a separate attraction at the long gone Lagoon amusement area behind Independence Hall...

In the early 60's, Knott's expanded across Beach Blvd. by building an underpass leading towards the future site of Independence Hall. Around this time, a Mr. Forrest Morrow, of Illinois (77 years old at the time) - came out to the Farm & convinced Walter Knott to let him build a haven for his "Wood-imals" - naive art carved from pieces of wood he found in the forest...

Forrest Morrow

Under construction in March of 1964. It opened later that year...

But Jungle Island was more than just the Wood-imals scattered about. It was a dense, Jungle-like area where a kid could get lost, dirty & be adventurous with minimal parental supervision... My fondest memories of Jungle Island are in the 1970s, when my brother & I would get dropped off there when my folks were too cheap to pay for Knott's. It was kinda like Knott's lite...

Crossing through the back end of Independence Hall, you would come across a very Jungle-y area, with a moat, and about 1000 chickens running around - screaming their heads off.

Coming upon an old covered bridge, you'd notice various alligator-like Wood-imals that would shoot water at you (controlled by gleeful kids already on the Island). It wasn't actually an island - it butted up to the back end of Bud Hurlbut's Lagoon amusement area - but the illusion was convincing if you were a kid...

You would buy a ticket from the old lady usually at the booth...

And cross over the rickety covered bridge...

Once inside, it was easy to get lost (at least if you were 8 years old). There were many areas, and hundreds of the Wood-imals, poking out from the brush.

Some of the more memorable creations were this "Rollo-saurus"...

and the afore mentioned Natives with a tourist in a pot...

Albiet, very lo-tech by todays standards (I can't even imagine today's House Of The Dead playing kids going for this) - Jungle Island was a convincing exotic playground for kids in the 60s & 70s...

So, what happened? Well, back in October of 1982, Terry Van Gorder had successfully wrested artistic control from the rest of the Knott family. As the newly appointed C.E.O. of the Farm (a position that had never existed before) - he took one look at Jungle Island, and saw an opportunity to create a entertainment area, for corporations who needed event space.

So it became an outdoor patio, with facilities for eating & entertaining.

What happened to the Wood-imals? A few were saved - last time I was at Knott's, I saw them near the swings by the Peanuts Playhouse... That was a few years ago though... I heard that Jim Webb, Mr. Morrow's son-in-law, had saved a few of them - but I have never been able to track him down (admittedly, I haven't looked that hard). I was told he's now a poet (!) in the Orange County area....

Thus ends the tale of Jungle Island.

"Oh mystic powers - hear my call...
From my limbs, let new life fall..."
http://www.christophermerritt.com

[ Edited by: Tangaroa on 2004-04-12 18:54 ]

Wow - I thought I'd just imagined that place, as nobody I've spoken to ever knew what I was talking about! "What? A FREE place next to Knott's?? With big carved wood creatures, you say? Never heard of it!"
I fondly remember the 'wood-imals' and even more fondly the "Roll-o-saurus". When I was a tyke we'd go there and the older kids would delight in making the 'tumbler' spin as fast as possible (which wasn't really all that fast), so we'd feel like being in the inside of a dryer. But to a dirty, scruffy kid, all the bumps and bruises I sustained made it all the more fun!

Ahh... more fond memories courtesy of Tangaroa...

it seems to me there is some tiny portion of lushly landscaped river or water feature still next to or on the back side Independence Hall? or am i dreaming?

Great pics Tangaroa!
Remember the "Wood-imals" by the pond that you could stand on, and when you rocked them they would shoot a stream of water into the pond? After a fun day there we would head straight to the Alligator Farm (now debunked).
Great memories.
Quote- Futura Girl wrote:
it seems to me there is some tiny portion of lushly landscaped river or water feature still next to or on the back side Independence Hall?
Unquote----------------
No dream, it was there. A large pond. This is where most of the mothers with infants or old people came to feed the ducks and enjoy the sunshine

Thanks Tangaroa!
I have noticed some jungle vegetation near independance hall as well, and that's what made me think about what used to be there!

My brother and I hung out there too. Thanks for the memories.....But somehow I also remember a small fishing pond that had starving trout or catfish, so when you put your bait and hook in the water it took less than 3 seconds to "Catch a Fish". .....or maybe that was at the Alligator Farm?

Nope - you're right - it was at the Farm. Here's a pic of it under construction (I think the clipping is from the late 50s):

I never experienced this one in person - I think it was taken out in the 70s. As the various concessionaires died off or retired, the Farm would usually assimilate the attraction into something else, or just get rid of it... I love the trout weathervane!

Wow, what memeories! I'd almost forgotten about that place. My best friend Craig and I spent many an afternoon running around there in the early 70s.

We also spent a lot of days running around on Tom Sawyer's Island at D-land. Those were the days when you paid an admission fee (2.75!) and then bought whatever tickets you wanted on top of that. This arrangement was great for punk-ass kids like us who used D-land as a day-care center. It's easy to see why they adopted the general admission ticket.

Here is a great video of the Alligator Farm in Lincoln Heights before it moved next to Knott's Berry Farm.
Amazing the children and alligators were only divided by a rickety wire fence.

1941, The California Alligator Farm, Lincoln Heights

The complete story of...

MiceAge: California Alligator Farm (across the street from Knotts)

FaceBook: Knotts Berry Farm Jungle Island

An audio-video version of the story of the California Alligator Farm in Los Angeles/Buena Park, CA

Communicore Weekly: California Alligator Farm

On 2004-04-12 15:01, tiki mick wrote:
Am I crazy? I seem to remember a jungle island attraction at knott's berry farm, near the liberty hall attraction outside the main park...did I just dream it up? I barely remember a giant pot to cook wayward missionaries in, and possibly a small train....tangaroa, anyone??

What was the name of the thing?

I feel weird responding to myself....but this was me when I first signed on to tiki central.....that makes 11 years now!

Anyway, later on I did my own research...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=30585&forum=1&hilite=my%20first%20attempt%20at%20urban

http://soundcloud.com/lucas-vigor/sets/set-3/

I AM A SOCIOPATH!

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2014-03-12 19:34 ]

I didn't go to Knotts as much as Disneyland, but I always loved the optical illusion room where you walked in it all crooked like...and the jail where the sheriff knew all about you-that was worth a laugh once and my Dad got a big kick out of it and the mine roller coaster.

http://www.amazon.com/Knotts-Preserved-Boysenberry-Theme-History/dp/1883318971/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-4&qid=1394680608

On 2014-03-12 20:23, VampiressRN wrote:
I didn't go to Knotts as much as Disneyland, but I always loved the optical illusion room where you walked in it all crooked like...and the jail where the sheriff knew all about you-that was worth a laugh once and my Dad got a big kick out of it and the mine roller coaster.

http://www.amazon.com/Knotts-Preserved-Boysenberry-Theme-History/dp/1883318971/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-4&qid=1394680608

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haunted_Shack

I also love the mine train ride...my favorite ride there.

And does anyone remember the covered wagon show?

http://meettheworldinprogressland.blogspot.com/2011/04/knotts-covered-wagon-show-remnant.html

http://soundcloud.com/lucas-vigor/sets/set-3/

I AM A SOCIOPATH!

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2014-03-14 20:10 ]

Thanks for the name Lucas...I have that great book and should have looked it up. I love that mine roller coaster scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom...reminds me of the Knott's ride.

https://www.google.com/search?q=knott%27s+haunted+shack&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=v8gjU7ysHYuNqwHU4IDwDA&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=667

aparently the sister version of this attraction is at the calico ghost town which is located not too far from the current location of Mojave Oasis...people going to that event can make a brief side trip to the calico ghost town which also has the mine train ride.....

I am not a big roller coaster fan...so i like all the odd, relaxing rides...and miss a lot of the old cool stuff they tore down. At least they still have the mystery lodge!

https://www.google.com/search?q=knott%27s+haunted+shack&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=v8gjU7ysHYuNqwHU4IDwDA&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=667#q=knott's+mystery+lodge&tbm=isch

http://soundcloud.com/lucas-vigor/sets/set-3/

I AM A SOCIOPATH!

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2014-03-14 20:31 ]

The Covered Wagon Show was a living/multi media diorama telling the story of the Knott's family coming West

Knott's Preserved: Covered Wagon Show

There was also the Covered Wagon Camp in which the audience would sit around a campfire and listen to live cowboy entertainment. As Western movies became less popular, they changed the show to a live stunt show.

Covered Wagon Camp

As a kid, I enjoyed the Cowboy singers then when I was a pre-adolescent, I thought it was the corniest cheesiest thing ever. Now I am wishing they would bring back the Cowboy singers. At least they now have Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies (former house band at Disneyland under a different name)
Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies

BTW, did you know that Knott's Berry Farm is where the Everly Brothers played their last show together?

Rolling Stone Magazine: Everly Brothers Biography

[->>King Bushwich 33rd on Hulu.com

I think you hit on an important point King...we loved Knotts as kids but as we got older it was not as cool as Disneyland was. But thinking back, I too would love to relive that nostalgia.

Thanks for the great links everyone!!!

I used to be obsessed with the devil that ran the volcano.

More from Alligator Farm across La Palma from Knotts

Great article by Chris Jepsen of what could have been at Knott's Berry Farm

Tiki Lagoon: The Island of Knott's

Second part of Chris Jepsen's article...

The Island of Knott's Part 2