The Best Things to Do in Buena Park
Buena Park has all the activities for an entertaining, action-packed weekend—with the kids or without
In partnership with Visit Buena Park.
If you’re going to Los Angeles, Buena Park is a must-see. The action-packed Orange County city is a magical trip for kids and adults alike, providing epic amusement parks by day and enchanting entertainment by night. From an enormous trampoline paradise to a swashbuckling dinner theatre show, here’s what to do on your vacation.
Knott’s Berry Farm
What visit to Buena Park would be complete without a trip to Knott’s Berry Farm? Find thrills in Ghost Town, the entertainment area referencing the history of California, from the Calico Mine Ride and the Timber Mountain Log Ride to the Butterfield Stagecoach and the Ghost Town Jail. Head to Camp Snoopy for mini rides for the young ones, like Pigpen’s Mud Buggies and Flying Ace. And feast on Mrs. Knott’s Fried Chicken dinner and the best theme park snacks, from Portillo’s Hot Dogs to Calico’s waffle fries heaped with nacho toppings.
Big Air
A huge draw to Buena Park Mall for kids and adults alike is this incredible trampoline paradise, where you can play Air Strike (an advanced form of dodgeball featuring targets where you can score extra points), jump around in a massive foam pit, joust, climb a timed bouldering wall called the X Wall, ride a bull, and play trampoline basketball. Pizza party afterwards, of course.
Teatro Martini
When the lights go down low and the kids are asleep, parents head out to this dinner theater featuring aerial artistry, mind-bending magic, charming cabaret music, skillful jugglers, and sly comedians. From chorus girls to the twirl of a hula-hoop shaped steel aerial ring called the lyra, there’s more than enough midnight magic at this cabaret.
Pirates Dinner Adventure
This more family-friendly dinner theater lets you step into the world of the dreaded Sebastian the Black, a pirate who has come to kidnap the princess and call a leviathan from the deeps of the sea to attack. Watch as intrepid sailor Benjamin Blue duels the fearsome pirate and tuck into some tasty sea vittles while you’re at it.
Medieval Times
Be wowed by a falcon and his falconer at this medieval castle dinner theater, as well as by stunning stunt tricks by horses and their knights as they joust the night away. Each audience member pledges allegiance to a different knight and cheers for his color, and gets to enjoy the spoils of roast chicken and wine as they watch the audience cheer on the winner.
Knott’s Independence Hall
This exact replica of the original location where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and adopted is a free, fun attraction for history buffs. A personal endeavor of Knott’s Berry Farm founder Walter Knott, the site gives visitors a chance to experience the historic building on the West Coast. At the site, you’ll get to see a replica of the Liberty Bell, see presidential artifacts, and hear our nation’s forefathers discuss the Declaration of Independence.
CGV Cinemas
Sink into the comfy leather seats at this cineplex gem in the Korean-oriented The Source O.C. mall (hello K-Pop Music Town!) and get ready for a wild experience. CGV Buena Park is one of the few cinemas in the country to offer a 4DX experience, featuring depth-enhancing stereoscopic 3D, motion seats, wind, strobe lights, simulated snow, and scents.
PlayPie
This kids’ play center has over 12,000 square feet of play space, including an interactive aquarium, a digital sand art table, a multi-lingual library, games, slides, and more. PlayPie also throws private parties where your kids can wow their guests by letting them take over the entire play space. The center throws many special happenings, including story times and sing-alongs, arts and crafts, dance parties, face painting, and balloon twist events.
Ralph B. Clark Interpretive Center
Take a peek inside a working lab where scientists are excavating and prepping fossils for study and exhibit at the Ralph B. Clark Interpretive Center. Don’t miss the exciting guided tour of the fascinating fossils on display, from a rare nine-million-year-old baleen whale skeleton to a giant sloth and the jaws of a megalodon.
For more tips on what to eat, see and do, check out our weekend guide for Buena Park.
