Buena Park History

Buena Park's history is linked to that of its neighbor Los Alamitos. Both cities were originally part of a huge land grant given to a man named Sergeant Nieto. Nieto's land was divided into five sections in 1834, to be distributed among his children. One of those sections was called Rancho Los Coyotes, and contained the area that is today's Buena Park.

In 1847, Buena Park played a brief but important role in the fate of California. Rancho Los Coyotes was a resting place for Commodore Robert Stockton and his American army before they defeated Mexican troops in the battle of the San Gabriel River. The site of Stockton's camp was near where the Los Coyotes Country Club sits today.

Over the next 40 years, Rancho Los Coyotes would be sold off in chunks to various landowners. A man named James Whitaker from Chicago purchased about 700 acres with the intention of establishing a cattle ranch. The Santa Fe Railroad, however, had other ideas about the area's potential. Railroad officials met with Whitaker and Whitaker eventually agreed to make his land a township. The original township paperwork was filed with Los Angeles County, because Orange County was not yet in existence. The Lily Creamery was established in 1889, and Buena Park would grow quickly on the strength of the dairy industry. Rail lines by both Santa Fe and Southern Pacific connected Buena Park to neighboring communities and increased traffic to and interest in the region.

The 1920 arrival of a berry farmer named Walter Knott would strongly influence the future of Buena Park. Knott rented a 10-acre parcel of land and began raising berries. Several years later, his family built a roadside stand to sell berries and other items. Cordelia Knott began selling chicken dinners in 1934 for $0.65 a piece. This enterprise continued successfully for several years, when Walter decided to build a ghost town to entertain dinner patrons. Knott's Berry Farm, today a world-class attraction and the city's largest source of revenue, started from these humble beginnings.

About Buena Park

The busiest area of Buena Park is, not surprisingly, around Knott's Berry Farm. Outside of that section of Beach Boulevard, the city is mainly residential housing. The bulk of the housing was developed between 1950 and 1990, though more modern homes are available. Housing values are generally more affordable relative to other Orange County communities that are located closer to the coast. The atmosphere of the city is semi-urban, with a mix of older homes, modern homes, apartment buildings, and condominiums.

Activities

The success of Knott's Berry Farm prompted the establishment of additional flashy tourist attractions. The streets surrounding Knott's are so packed with venues that the area has come to be known as the Entertainment Zone, or just E-Zone. The E-Zone is centered on Beach Boulevard, south of State Route 91. Upon exiting the 91 freeway and heading south, you'll find Medieval Times, Ripley's Believe it or Not! Museum, and Knott's Soak City water park on the left and Movieland Wax Museum and Knott's Berry Farm on the right. Interspersed with these attractions are a variety of hotels, restaurants, and retailers.

Medieval Times presents live dinner shows featuring jousting, sword fights and other tests of valor. Costumed character actors portray knights and royalty of a Middle Aged kingdom facing a conflict of power. Guests are served a royal feast and encouraged to cheer on their favorite knight. The Medieval Times horses can be viewed by guests before and after the shows. The Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum has been a popular destination since it opened in 1990. About 10,000 square feet in size, the self-proclaimed "Odditorium" displays a host of weird and/or rare artifacts. Movieland Wax Museum displays wax replicas of some of the world's favorite personalities. The Buena Park collection includes the Olsen twins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jennifer Lopez, and Keanu Reeves.

Knott's Berry Farm has all the elements of a mainstream amusement park - rides, shows, dining, and shopping - all with an Old West flair. Shows feature Wild West stunt men and can-can dancers. Young kids can spend their time in Camp Snoopy, making use of age-appropriate roller coasters and play areas; teens love the thrill rides like Supreme Scream, Perilous Plunge, and GhostRider. In the summer time, Knott's Soak City becomes a welcome relief to the Southern California heat. The water park is themed around the early surf culture of Southern California beaches. More than 10 water slides, a wave pool, river, and lagoon keep visitors entertained all day.

More activities and events are available through the city's recreation department. Most of these are hosted at public parks, 11 in total, or at the community center. Children can take theatre and art classes, swimming and other sports lessons. Youth sports leagues are also popular. Camps and beach trips are available during the summer months.

At night, the city's hot spot is the Buena Park Downtown complex. Before recent redevelopment, this area was simply known as the Buena Park Mall. New construction in recent years has attracted new stores and a new crowd. The complex is now home to the Krekorian Buena Park Metroplex 18 movie house, restaurants, cafes, department stores and many smaller retailers. Golf is available at the public Buena Park Golf Center and the private Los Coyotes Country Club. Los Coyotes has three nine-hole courses, so golfers may select one of three 18-hole combinations.

Schools

Students in Buena Park are served by Buena Park Elementary School District, Centralia Elementary School District, and Fullerton Joint Union High School District. Buena Park Elementary operates seven campuses, serving kindergarten through eighth grade. Centralia Elementary has campuses Anaheim and La Palma, in addition to its five Buena Park locations. High school students attend Buena Park High, which is part of the Fullerton Joint Union High School District. Higher learning institutions nearby include community colleges in Cypress, Fullerton, Cerritos, Long Beach, and Huntington Beach, plus two private universities. Biola University is in La Mirada, less than five miles from Buena Park. Bethesda Christian University is in nearby Anaheim.

City Fast Facts

Location: Buena Park is located in northeast Orange County near the intersection of Interstate 5 and Beach Boulevard (State Route 39), about 15 miles inland from Huntington Beach.

Total area *: 10.6 square miles
Population*: 78,282
Housing units*: 23,826
Average annual rainfall: 14.3 inches
Average temperatures: summer, 74; winter, 58
*Information provided by 2000 Census

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