{"id":212115,"date":"2026-03-09T21:16:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T21:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/212115\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T21:16:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T21:16:15","slug":"knotts-berry-farm-restores-bird-cage-theatre-for-first-time-in-70-years-orange-county-register","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/212115\/","title":{"rendered":"Knott\u2019s Berry Farm restores Bird Cage Theatre for first time in 70 years \u2013 Orange County Register"},"content":{"rendered":"

The beloved Bird Cage Theatre that has been housed inside a temporary tent for more than 70 years is undergoing the first complete overhaul in the storied history of the Knott\u2019s Berry Farm institution.<\/p>\n

The largest refurbishment in the history of the Bird Cage Theatre will be unveiled on Friday, March 13 when the Knott\u2019s Boysenberry Festival<\/a> kicks off at the Buena Park theme park.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Great Bank Robbery\u201d \u2013 which debuted during last year\u2019s Boysenberry Fest \u2013 will be the first show in the newly refurbished 270-seat Bird Cage Theatre.<\/p>\n

ALSO SEE: 6 best things to eat at Knott\u2019s Boysenberry Festival<\/a><\/p>\n

Knott\u2019s Berry Farm Vice President of Entertainment Payden Adams gave me a construction tour of the Bird Cage Theatre as work was concluding on the eight-week project that had been under development since last summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome to one of the country\u2019s oldest, longest running melodrama theaters,\u201d Adams said.<\/p>\n

\"Knott'sKnott\u2019s Berry Farm Vice President of Entertainment Payden Adams. (Courtesy of Knott\u2019s)<\/p>\n

Construction workers were painting the terraced theater floor and the theater crew was installing scenery backdrops during my visit. A collection of ladders sat on the stage. Caution tape hung from the ceiling where ornate bird cage chandeliers would be installed eventually.<\/p>\n

The Bird Cage Theatre opened in 1954 as a replica of the original 1881 Bird Cage Theatre in Tombstone, Arizona.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Ghost Town Theater Company made up of Whittier College students that served as the first Bird Cage Theatre cast in 1954 at Knott\u2019s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott\u2019s)<\/p>\n

The theater facade looks like many of the other Wild West buildings in Calico Ghost Town at Knott\u2019s. The actual theater sits inside a temporary tent erected inside an old carriage barn.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe original Bird Cage Theatre was built by a concessionaire and some actors,\u201d Adams said. \u201cIt was basically a group of actors who came together and built the Bird Cage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA 1950s concept sketch of the Bird Cage Theatre planned for Knott\u2019s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott\u2019s Berry Farm)<\/p>\n

Minor improvements have been made to the Bird Cage Theatre throughout the years, but there has never been a comprehensive overhaul to address systemic issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to do this right,\u201d Adams said. \u201cThis is a part of our history.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA worker slurries the terraced seating area of the Bird Cage Theatre at Knott\u2019s Berry Farm. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

Most of the issues centered around the party tent that had been erected in 1954 inside a pre-engineered steel structure known as a Butler building.<\/p>\n

The theater was known for being hot in the summer and cold in the winter. The newly insulated building should help with the chilly winter nights and the new A\/C should handle any summer heat waves.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a wonderful escape from the summer heat,\u201d Adams said. \u201cThere\u2019s five air conditioning units that will definitely make the space far more comfortable. I\u2019m anticipating people complaining that it\u2019s too cold and I\u2019m looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe cast of the \u201cGreat Bank Robbery\u201d melodrama at the Bird Cage Theater in Knott\u2019s Berry Farm. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

The sound and weather proofing will be appreciated by the audience and cast members alike.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the summer, it\u2019s always been the biggest challenge to keep doing shows in here,\u201d Adams said. \u201cIt was 90 degrees on stage with the lights and all the people in here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe adobe brick used to build the Bird Cage Theatre at Knott\u2019s Berry Farm. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

The vinyl tent provided no sound proofing and was an audio nightmare for the sound crew. Sound reflecting off the tent ceiling and cement floor made it hard to hear or understand the actors.<\/p>\n

The old tent has been removed and replaced by a sound stage enclosure. Fully insulated exterior walls should improve the sound quality while also regulating the indoor temperature. The sound system has been upgraded during the theater overhaul.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very ecstatic that we\u2019ll finally be able to control the sound in here,\u201d Adams said.<\/p>\n

\"LaddersLadders sit on the stage during a construction tour of the Bird Cage Theatre at Knott\u2019s Berry Farm. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

Swooping ceiling draperies will mimic the old tent atmosphere, hide the new lighting rigs, dampen the sound and add a bit of drama to the surroundings.<\/p>\n

A new LED lighting system has been installed \u2013 replacing the old incandescent fixtures that got really hot and used more power.<\/p>\n

\"Knott'sKnott\u2019s Berry Farm\u2019s \u201cCalico Christmas Carol\u201d at the Bird Cage Theater in Buena Park on Friday, November 17, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)<\/p>\n

Theatergoers never saw one of the biggest recurring issues at the Bird Cage Theatre \u2013 even if they occasionally heard or smelled it.<\/p>\n

A 25-foot-long industrial trash compactor has been parked behind the theater for decades \u2013 and will continue to remain there after the extensive renovation.<\/p>\n

\"AA 1956 production of \u201cThe Flying Scud\u201d in the Bird Cage Theatre at Knott\u2019s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott\u2019s Berry Farm)<\/p>\n

The sound of the trash compactor occasionally interrupted rehearsals and shows. You could occasionally smell the putrid trash in the theater, depending on the direction of the wind and your choice of seats.<\/p>\n

Knott\u2019s installed a scent machine that pumped in boysenberry or pine smells depending on the season to try to mask the rank odor. The scent machine was removed during the theater overhaul \u2013 now that it\u2019s no longer needed.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe cast of the \u201cGreat Bank Robbery\u201d melodrama at the Bird Cage Theater in Knott\u2019s Berry Farm. (Brady MacDonald\/SCNG\/Orange County Register)<\/p>\n

Removing the tent will also make the theater more aesthetically pleasing. Long lost design features intended to make the theater look like it was built inside a giant bird cage will be restored.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve finally returned it to a place where it\u2019s back to the soul of what it was meant to be \u2013 an intimate space that honors a lot of our fun, kitschy history,\u201d Adams said. \u201cWe\u2019ve embraced a lot of the really great themes of the Bird Cage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Bird Cage Theatre backstage dressing room at Knott\u2019s Berry Farm. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

Demolition work revealed faded bird cage-themed wallpaper long hidden behind wood paneling for 50 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took the original wallpaper and had it recreated exactly as it was,\u201d Adams said.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe new wallpaper (top) was designed to match the original (bottom) in the Bird Cage Theatre at Knott\u2019s Berry Farm. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

The theater redesign will keep the footlight festoons at the front of the stage. The four opera box facades on either side of the stage will be restored. The stage right live pianist will be back after the remodel.<\/p>\n

The three-foot-deep backstage area will remain extremely tight. The cramped overhead fly space will feature 12 tracks for rolling scenery backdrops. The revolving dry cleaning rack used to create the effect of a moving background will be maintained and restored.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe narrow backstage area of the Bird Cage Theatre at Knott\u2019s Berry Farm. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just want to create the true feeling of attending a melodrama in the late 1800s,\u201d Adams said.<\/p>\n

The ticket booth and the little calliope in the lobby will remain after the extensive makeover. Theatergoers will sit in new black mahogany resin folding chairs.<\/p>\n

\"AA Bird Cage Theatre pianist performs on the calliope wagon at Knott\u2019s Berry Farm in an undated photo. (Courtesy of Knott\u2019s Berry Farm)<\/p>\n

The larger calliope wagon that sat just outside the theater has been undergoing its own restoration for the past six months. The working steam powered calliope organ that has been played before shows and served as a backdrop for post-show photo ops with the theater cast will return in the summer.<\/p>\n

For decades, the Bird Cage has been famous for interactive, campy melodramas where the audience cheers the hero and boos the villain.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe cast of \u201cOur American Cousin\u201d in the mid-1960s outside the Bird Cage Theatre at Knott\u2019s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott\u2019s Berry Farm)<\/p>\n

Bird Cage productions have included \u201cOur American Cousin,\u201d \u201cThe Drunkard,\u201d \u201cTombstone Alive,\u201d \u201cA Christmas Carol,\u201d \u201cThe Wreck of the Bluebell Express\u201d and \u201cThe Streets of New York.\u201d<\/p>\n

The list of notable actors who have performed at the Bird Cage have included Steve Martin (\u201cPlanes, Trains and Automobiles,\u201d \u201cParenthood,\u201d \u201cFather of the Bride\u201d and \u201cOnly Murders in the Building\u201d), Dean Jones (\u201cThe Love Bug\u201d), Lauren Tewes (\u201cLove Boat\u201d), Skip Young (\u201cOzzie and Harriet\u201d) and Donna Mills (\u201cKnots Landing\u201d).<\/p>\n

\"AutographsAutographs by past Bird Cage Theatre cast and crew dot a backstage doorframe at Knott\u2019s Berry Farm. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

The \u201cMiss Cameo Kate\u2019s Western Burle-Q Revue\u201d musical will return this summer to the Bird Cage after the run of \u201cThe Great Bank Robbery\u201d during the Knott\u2019s Boysenberry Festival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The beloved Bird Cage Theatre that has been housed inside a temporary tent for more than 70 years…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":212116,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[2223,163,165,164,1311,7,8311,611,420],"class_list":{"0":"post-212115","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-anaheim","8":"tag-amusement-parks","9":"tag-anaheim","10":"tag-anaheim-headlines","11":"tag-anaheim-news","12":"tag-buena-park","13":"tag-california","14":"tag-knotts-berry-farm","15":"tag-orange-county","16":"tag-things-to-do"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212115\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/212116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=212115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=212115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}