MONA Acquires Neon “K” from Knott’s Berry Farm

The Museum of Neon Art (MONA; Glendale, CA) has acquired “a big piece of history from America’s first theme park,” according to a press release: the legendary neon spectacular Knott’s Berry Farm double-sided capital K. The sign is 20 ft. tall with a base measuring 10 x 12 ft., and weighs 5,000 lbs.

Animated to fill with yellow neon row by row, the illuminated K logo was installed in 1976 and sat high atop the park’s Sky Tower and its Sky Jump parachute thrill ride. “The beacon was a landmark in Orange County and was aimed specifically toward drivers approaching Knott’s on the eastbound 91 freeway,” per the release.

In honor of the Farm’s 100th anniversary, the iconic neon K was replaced with a replica, K-shaped LED screen. The vintage sign acquisition was arranged between Knott’s Berry Farm and MONA by Museum Board President Eric Lynxwiler, who has been an advocate for neon preservation, Los Angeles history and Knott’s Berry Farm history for over three decades.

“My earliest memories of neon signs can be traced to the shops and attractions of Knott’s Roaring 20’s themed landscape,” Lynxwiler is quoted in the release. “I only recognized in my adulthood that my interest in neon and the history of Knott’s Berry Farm combined in that one glowing era of my youth when a trip to Knott’s Berry Farm not only meant great food and roller coasters, but also magnificent neon signs.”

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“This is a historic acquisition for the Museum in terms of size as well as historical significance,” MONA Executive Director Corrie Siegel states in the press release. “The K joins our collection of mid-century Anaheim motel signs which once beckoned to Disneyland visitors. By entering this giant into our collection, we are preserving an iconic symbol of America’s first theme park and Southern California’s influential theme park industry.”

For more information, visit neonmona.org.