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Bonfante Gardens Family Theme Park
2006 General Information
(Information available electronically
at
http://www.bonfantegardens.org/media/press.html)
Overview
Bonfante Gardens Family Theme Park
blossoms in 2006 as the state’s only horticultural theme park
introduces South County Backroads Garden, colorful floral
additions in Claudia’s Garden, a redesigned Holly
Garden and three new educational exhibits designed to teach guests
about butterflies, bees and trees. Bonfante Gardens, a 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization, is located in Gilroy, Calif. and features
more than 40 family attractions including six majestic gardens,
educational exhibits, rides and the world famous Circus Trees. The
non-profit park was awarded a 2005 Golden Ticket by International
Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) for Best
Landscaping. For park information and discount tickets, visit
www.bonfantegardens.org or call (408) 840-7100.
Location
The park is located at 3050 Hecker Pass Highway in Gilroy, Calif.
Take Hwy. 101 to Hwy. 152 (West) and follow signs.
Information
Call 408-840-7100 or visit
www.bonfantegardens.org.
Admission
General Admission/Lotsa Card™ (ages 7-64) $39.99
Seniors/Lotsa Card™ (ages 65+ and older) $29.99
Children/Lotsa Card™ (ages 3-6) $29.99
Children (ages 2 and younger) Free
When
guests purchase a full-price, single-day admission ticket to
Bonfante Gardens, they get a Lotsa Card™,
giving them unlimited admission for the rest of the 2006 regular
season (does not include Holiday Lights program)! Guests can
purchase the Lotsa Card™ at
the front gate or online.
Guests can also upgrade to the 2007 Bonfante Gardens Premium Pass™
to receive
unlimited admission and FREE parking for the 2006 and 2007 seasons, plus
additional values. Bonfante Gardens Premium Passes™
are available for only $59.99 each when guests buy four or more and $69.99
each
when purchasing 3 or less.
Operating
Schedule
Spring:
Open weekends from
Saturday, April 1 through Monday, May 29 and April 14–16 and April
19–23 for Spring Break
Summer:
Open daily from Saturday,
June 3 through Sunday, Aug. 27
Fall:
Open
weekends only from Saturday, Sept. 2 through Sunday, Nov. 19
Holiday Lights™ Schedule
Winter Holiday: Bonfante Gardens
will be open for a special 18-night event, Holiday
Lights™. The event runs Nov. 24–26 and Dec. 1–3, 8–10, 15–23.
Park opening and
closing times vary. Operating schedule subject to change without
notice; please call
(408) 840-7100 or visit
www.bonfantegardens.org.
Cash, traveler’s checks,
personal checks with proper identification and most major credit
cards are accepted. Prices subject to change without notice.
Park Rides (19 Total)
- Illions Supreme Carousel – One of the most ornate carousels
ever built and one of only three ever produced by M.C. Illions,
this beauty dates back to 1927.
- Garlic Twirl – Climb inside a giant Gilroy garlic bulb
and spin around while surrounded by olive trees.
- Artichoke Dip – This family-friendly artichoke loops around
a bumpy track.
- Apple & Worm – Young visitors will especially love a
garden worm that travels around as it eats its way through a giant
apple core.
- South County Backroads – Step back in time and cruise
through lavishly landscaped grounds in either a roadster from the
1920's or a Chevy Corvette from the 1950's.
- Rainbow Garden Round Boat Ride – Float through a spectacular
annual color garden full of topiary art in a gentle boat ride.
- Mushroom Swing – Climb aboard a flying swing suspended
from a mushroom and get a birds-eye view of the park.
- Panoramic Wheel – Travel in a lavender gondola up and above
a 60-foot greenhouse on this delicate, classic Ferris wheel ride.
- Claudia's Carousel – This beautiful reminder of a simpler
time is located in Claudia's Garden and is intended for small
children.
- Sky Trail Monorail – Look down for an aerial view of the flowers
and plants in the Monarch Garden as this monorail ride cruises through
the greenhouse and west end of the park.
- Quicksilver Express Mine Coaster – This thrilling mine train coaster
speeds through dips and turns surrounded by nearly 600 trees.
- Trains (Coyote & Redwood) – All aboard! This authentic
narrow-gauge railroad with custom-designed roofs allows guests to
experience a full 180-degree view and a guided learning tour of
the park.
- Tubs-O-Fun – Small kids will love this version of a teacup
ride.
- Balloon Flight – Float through the clouds in balloon baskets,
each complete with a colorful big balloon, on this family ride.
- Paddle Boats – Paddle along and explore Coyote Lake in a
swan or duck paddle boat.
- Timber Twister Coaster – This kids’ coaster is tucked away
in a hidden glen surrounded by hundreds of trees, watch out of the
garden snake train as it travels towards the station!
- Strawberry Sundae – Take a spin in a juicy red strawberry
that represents one of five crops grown locally.
- Bulgy the Goldfish – Cute goldfish delight young park visitors
on this ride that is just their size!
- Banana Split – Swing back and forth on a giant banana!
Park Attractions (27 Total)
-
Circus Trees (19 total) – Discover this unique
collection of one-of-a-kind trees, which are bent and woven into
unique shapes. No two are alike, and they can be found scattered
throughout the park!
-
Viewing Decks (Castle and Cantilever) –
Spectacular viewing areas of the surrounding landscape located within
the park.
-
Oak Park Playground – Kids can climb, hang,
swing and slide to their heart's content on this custom-designed
play structure.
-
Splash & Squirt – Kids can chase dancing
water fountains that spout out of the ground and spurt from frogs’
mouths in this colorful, watery play zone.
-
Bonfante Falls – Five distinct types of waterfalls
constructed with real rocks will amaze and delight guests who look
closely to examine the different cascading patterns.
-
Sycamore Bridge – Giant sycamore trees grow
around and through a wooden bridge, beckoning visitors into the park.
-
Coyote Lake – More than 3 million gallons
of water form this man-made lake in the heart of Bonfante Gardens.
-
Dixie Cup Plaza – Holly oak trees shaped like
giant Dixie cups will prompt visitors to ask, "How'd they do
that?"
-
Pitch 'n' Win – Try your luck at these
old-fashioned games of skill for a chance to win exciting prizes!
-
South County Picnic Grove – This gathering
area is reserved for private parties and group functions.
-
Learning Sheds 1–4 – Want to
know the history of the Circus Trees? Wonder how they make the trees
into such unusual shapes? Then step into any one of these educational
kiosks located throughout the park and view a brief video on a variety
of horticulture-related topics.
-
Musical Market Show – Singing fruits and vegetables will entertain and delight
the whole family.
-
Pinnacles Rock Maze – Kids will have a blast
finding their way through this misty rock maze.
-
Information, Please! – Guests looking
for educational materials or general park information can find it
all here!
-
Events Plaza – This open-air, outdoor event
tent serves as a venue for special events and wedding receptions.
-
Lakeside Amphitheater – This 750-seat outdoor
venue is a perfect setting for live shows, presentations and performances.
-
Bonfante’s Splash Garden™ – An interactive
water play area with five attractions, where kids of all ages can
climb up a replicated Circus Tree, play on a water-soaked teeter-totter,
spin water wheels, tip over buckets of water or splash around in
a bubbling fun zone.
Gardens (6 Majestic Gardens)
-
Claudia's Garden –
Named after Michael Bonfante’s wife, Claudia’s Garden is full of
unusual conifer trees and shrubs, Japanese maples and Gilroy
rock. Trees become corkscrews and other unusual shapes in this
peaceful retreat. The garden comes alive in 2006 with new
splashes of color as annual flower beds have been added
throughout this primarily green conifer garden. In addition,
numerous Aptos Blue Redwoods were lifted in by crane while
almost 75 new specialty conifers took root in the garden.
-
Rainbow Garden – An annual color garden featuring
spectacular beds of blooms, topiaries and garden art that can only be viewed
from floating boats.
-
Monarch Garden – Displays hundreds of tropical
and sub-tropical trees and plants in the setting of a 60-foot-tall
greenhouse. This greenhouse is so large that a stream, train and
monorail can travel through it.
-
Camellia Garden –
Discover dozens of varieties of camellias, hollies and hawthorns or
sit back to enjoy the animatronics singing fruits and vegetables at
the Red and White Food Store.
-
Holly Garden –
This renewed garden features
over 20 varieties of holly and five new holly topiaries created to
educate guests about the diversity of leaf size and growth habits.
-
South County Backroads Garden –
South County Backroads, one of
the park’s most popular family rides allowing guests to drive
their own 1920s roadster or 1950s Chevy Corvette, blossoms in
2006. The two acre area has been re-named South County Backroads
Garden and features more than one thousand new shrubs, 19 new
annual flower beds and five new animal-themed topiaries designed
to delight and entertain guests along their drive.
NEW Educational
Exhibits
-
Redwood Round Exhibit –
The redwood round exhibit stands 6-feet tall and nearly 3-feet wide. The
large slice of redwood teaches children how to determine the age of
a giant redwood as well as illustrates the role these trees play in
protecting the environment.
-
Honey Bee Exhibit –
Guests will be able to see thousands of honey bees and learn
about pollination starting late May.
-
Monarch Butterfly Exhibit –
Scheduled to open in late June in the park’s Monarch Garden,
this exhibit showcases the life of Monarch butterflies and allows
children to interact with these majestic creatures at various
stages of life.
For Your Dining Pleasure
-
San Juan Grill – Enjoy traditional chicken
dinners in a mission-like setting honoring California oaks, acorns
and history. A mural above the counter features a map of the California
missions.
-
Villa Pasta & Pizza – Enjoy zesty pasta
dishes and delicious pizza fresh out of the oven.
-
Uncle John's BBQ – Named after Michael Bonfante's
uncle and one of the founders of Nob Hill Foods, Uncle John’s
BBQ serves up Hot Roast Beef and BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, chicken
strips, hamburgers and hot dogs.
-
Sugar Plum Farm – Sugar Plum Farm is named
after the Sugar Plum Restaurant that was located in Hollister. Just
like the original, this eatery serves Apricot Freezes, as well as
baked goods and deli sandwiches.
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NEW Skeel's Funnel Cake –
Bite into delectable
funnel cakes and enjoy soft serve ice cream cones at Skeel’s.
Originally named Skeel's Orange Freeze, it
was named after the eatery of the same name located in Morgan Hill
in the 1950's.
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Castroville Corners – Indulge in local crop
treats like Gilroy garlic fries, deep-fried artichoke hearts and
more.
-
Miguelito's Taqueria – Enjoy south of the
border treats like tacos, burritos and quesadillas.
-
South County Cones – Cool off with chocolate
or vanilla soft serve ice cream.
-
Splits-n-Sundaes – Take a break and enjoy
a refreshing strawberry sundae or banana split. Ice-cold soft drinks
are also available.
Shop 'Til You Drop
-
Dixie Cup Gifts – Grab a roll of film on
your way in and souvenirs on your way out. Don’t forget the
sunscreen or unique clearance items!
-
Hall's Mercantile – Choose from shirts, cups,
key chains and a wide variety of merchandise with the Bonfante Gardens
Family Theme Park logo.
-
Red Barn Gifts – Here you'll find the perfect
gift no matter the occasion or time of year. Collectibles of all
kinds make shopping both fun and easy!
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NEW Animaland™
–
Create and build your own furry
friend at this new shop. Choose from an array of animals and outfits
to match!
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The Rose Horse Candy Shoppe – Delicious assorted
candies to satisfy any sweet tooth.
-
The Hat Rack – Children and adults can shop
among an array of caps, visors and logoed accessories.
-
The Toy Box – A kid’s paradise of toys
and a great spot to shop for that perfect park souvenir.
-
The Toy Soldier – Boys and girls will find
an array of toys and keepsakes to purchase and take home.
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