GhostRider

Facing growing competition from other Southern California parks in the late 1990s, Knott's Berry Farm committed to a $35 million renovation of its historic Ghost Town area, with a $24 million wooden coaster as the centerpiece. Announced in August 1997, the project was designed to give Knott's a genuine record-holder rather than another mid-sized family ride.

Custom Coasters International built GhostRider into the hillside behind Ghost Town, climbing 118 feet before a 108-foot first drop and 4,533 feet of track at up to 56 mph — at the time the tallest and longest wooden coaster on the West Coast. General manager Jack Falfas pushed to accelerate construction, and the ride opened December 8, 1998, weeks ahead of its original early-1999 target, with members of American Coaster Enthusiasts riding during a preview event that same day.

GhostRider quickly became one of Knott's most popular attractions and a fixture on Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Award rankings of the world's best wooden coasters, though its aggressive, terrain-hugging layout also earned a reputation among riders for a rough ride experience as the wooden structure aged. Between 2015 and 2016, Great Coasters International conducted a full renovation, replacing both the track and trains to smooth out the ride while preserving the original layout and structure.

Nearly three decades after it opened, GhostRider remains the longest wooden roller coaster on the American West Coast, still anchoring Ghost Town as one of Knott's most recognizable rides.