Knott’s Bear-y Tales

"Welcome one and all! Ya ‘all come have a ball! Things are very fine, ridin’ on the ol’ Knott’s Berry Line."

Knott's Bear-yTales opened at Knott's in 1975.  It was a slow moving dark ride that took riders past various adventures of the Bear-y Family.  Along the way, you’ll see Frog Forest, the Candy Company and bakery where everyone is making boysenberry pies and preserves, the Gypsy camp, where Sara tells your fortune, and the spiders and creatures of Thunder Cave. And you can’t forget the Weird Woods, home of Crafty Coyote, or the trilling conclusion at the Country Fair.

The popularity of Knott's Bear-y Tales stems from its catchy theme song, boysenberry smell throughout the attraction, and the campy, black-light look through the entire ride.  Knott's Bear-ytales wasn't a mass-produced dark ride.  It was 100% Knott's Berry Farm, back before thrills ruled the day and rides were restricted to last only 2 or 3 minutes.  It was a unique and cherished attraction that closed in 1986 to make room for Kingdom of the Dinosaurs.  "KOD" used the exact same ride system, vehicles, and track as Bear-yTales.  It was a decent ride, one that I enjoyed quite a lot.  In a park solely lacking dark rides, KOD filled a niche.  However, time marches on and this too has since closed.  Currently, the Bear-yTales show building is unused, except for an arcade at the lower level.  Word is mixed as to what will become of this space in the future.

Below are pictures of Knott's Bear-y Tales acquired from various sources.  I've done my due diligence to give credit where credit is due. 

A family gets ready to ride through the Frog Forest and other destinations in Knott's Bear-y Tales.

 
This picture was from an old Knott’s Berry Farm Viewmaster disk.

As was this one.

Knott's Bear-yTales Frog Forest, picture by Barry Wallis.

Thanks to the internet, and sites like YouTube, there is more Knott’s Bear-y Tales content now than ever before.  Look around and see what you might find!