BUENA PARK, Calif. — Theme park fans will soon be able to hop on Ghostrider, ride Hang Time, and hang out in Ghost Town with Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang once again.

What You Need To Know

  • Knott's Berry Farm plans to reopen in May 

  • The reopening announcement comes a few days after Disney said it would reopen Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in late April

  • The state updated its Blueprint for a Safer Economy plan and loosened restrictions that pave the way for theme parks to reopen sooner

  • Knott's Berry Farm's reopening coincides with its 100-year birthday

Knott's Berry Farm officials announced Friday that the Western-themed theme park in Buena Park is planning to reopen sometime in May in time to celebrate their centennial birthday.

"We are encouraged and excited by the recent announcement that came out of the California Governor's Office regarding the reopening of theme parks in the state," a Knott's spokesperson said. "As we look forward to reopening our gates, we still have some work to do. From hiring and training new associates to working with government officials on finalizing guidelines, we will work hard to ensure that we can reopen our park safely for all to enjoy."

The announcement comes a few weeks after the state recently updated its four-color coded Blueprint for a Safer Economy Plan, which measures a county's coronavirus case levels and dictates what businesses can and can't operate.

The state loosened previous restrictions that closed Disneyland, Knott's, and others, paving the way for theme parks across the state to reopen at limited attendance capacity. Earlier this week, the Walt Disney Co. said it plans to reopen Disneyland and Disney California Adventure sometime in late April.

Under the state's new mandate, theme parks can reopen at 15% capacity starting April 1, when their home county reaches the red tier, the second most restrictive level.

Attendance capacity can increase as the home county continues to see coronavirus cases go down. Before the update, the state said major theme parks could only reopen at 15% capacity when their home county reaches the least restrictive tier, yellow.

Knott's Berry Farm, Disneyland, and other theme parks across the state have been closed for nearly a year as part of the state's effort to slow the coronavirus spread.

Since part of the state's orders prohibited large gatherings at indoor locations, Knott's and other theme parks found a loophole that allowed them to continue operating using their outdoor space without rides.

For the past year, Knott's hosted a series of food festivals—a practice that other theme parks began adopting.

Currently, Knott's is hosting the Taste of Boysenberry Festival, which will end on May 2. Knott's officials said the plan is to reopen the theme park, founded in 1920 by Walter Knott, soon after that event ends.

"We can't wait to celebrate 100 years of original family fun during our Knott's Anniversary Celebration this summer," a Knott's statement said. "We especially look forward to creating new treasured memories as we once again open our gates and welcome our family back to the farm."