Knott's Berry Farm

For some Southern Californians, there’s a profound nostalgia tied to this long-running destination, which started in 1920 as a roadside berry stand, added a ghost town in 1940 and started getting into the rides business in the early ‘50s, even before Disneyland opened a few miles to the south.

But on the whole, the folks at Knott’s Berry Farm have realized that it can’t get by on nostalgia (and boysenberry-flavored treats) alone: Over the past two decades there’s been an effort to haul this formerly old-fashioned enterprise into the 21st century. A few tame, nostalgia-fueled attractions remain, but much of the park has given way to compact roller coasters and kid-friendly Snoopy tie-ins. You won’t find many magical moments or flights of sheer terror, but there’s something to be said for a compact park with relatively cheap admission and manageable wait times.