The revamped Montezooma’s Revenge will reportedly open at Knott’s Berry Farm this summer — three years behind schedule.
The Orange County Register reported that the ride would debut “by summer 2026 or sooner,” citing unnamed Knott’s officials who added that the park is “getting close” to announcing an official opening date.
This won’t be the Montezooma’s Revenge that guests remember. The original ride shuttered in 2022 and was completely dismantled, including the ride’s flywheel launch system. Knott’s originally said that the ride, updated with new theming and an electromagnetic launch system, would reopen as Montezooma: The Forbidden Fortress in 2023 alongside an overhaul of the Fiesta Village section of the park.
The old Montezooma’s Revenge before its February 2022 closure (Theme Park Tribune)
But that didn’t happen. While at first Knott’s blamed “construction delays” for missing the 2023 date, there was little sign of construction activity for much of that year and into 2024. Knott’s announced a new 2025 opening timeframe in March 2024, but that was also missed.
Exactly what went wrong is still unclear. The overhaul project was initially being overseen by Dutch amusement park company Kumbak, but industry rumors site Screamscape reported in July 2023 that “major issues have come up with the companies contracted to provide the new track and trains.” A February 2024 filing by Cedar Fair — then the owner of Knott’s before the Six Flags merger was completed — mentioned that there had been a “terminated project” at the park.
Progress was again almost nonexistent on the coaster site until early 2025. Only last month were workers seen installing the ride’s new launch sections.