Knock out VR robots at Knott’s Berry Farm this spring

Knott’s Berry Farm is getting in on the latest theme park craze: putting visitors in a virtual world created primarily by software engineers instead of carpenters and welders.

The new VR Showdown in Ghost Town, which opens in April at the Buena Park, California, theme park, will put virtual reality headsets on up to 16 visitors at a time, letting them shoot futuristic blasters at robot creatures in a battle to save the historic ghost town. Knott’s will charge an introductory price of $6, on top of the regular park admission price.

Many new theme park attractions in Southern California rely on 3-D technology and motion-simulating seats, but smaller regional parks are turning to virtual reality headsets to immerse visitors in a new world without the expense of building sets, erecting towers and installing hydraulic-powered seats.

Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, began last year to strap virtual reality headsets to riders of its Revolution roller coaster to give them the sensation of flying through space as they shoot at alien aircraft. Similar virtual reality elements were added to roller coasters at nine Six Flags parks across the country.

SeaWorld Orlando also announced plans to add virtual reality goggles to its Kraken roller coaster, taking riders on an underwater adventure.

Industry experts say virtual reality headsets represent a new way for smaller theme parks to attract new guests without making a huge investment.

“It’s a very cheap way to add a new attraction or extend an older attraction,” said Martin Lewison, a theme park expert and business management professor at Farmingdale State College in New York.

A major benefit of using virtual reality headsets is that the experience can be changed or overhauled simply by writing new software for the headsets.

AL SEIB/LOS ANGELES TIMES Jenny Alvarez and Alfonso De Elias prepare to ride the Revolution virtual reality roller coaster at Magic Mountain.