Bonfante Gardens
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Bonfante Gardens Family Theme Park is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit horticultural-themed family theme park in Gilroy, California and is the home of the world-famous Circus Trees created by Axel Erlandson. The Park opened in June 2001 and now has 19 rides, 27 attractions and 6 gardens.
Bonfante Gardens was founded by Michael & Claudia Bonfante, after selling their Nob Hill Foods supermarket chain to build the Park. The Park was a dream that took about 25 years to become a reality.
In the summer the Bonfante Gardens hosts weddings. Starting in 2004, the Park began its annual holiday celebration - Bonfante Gardens Holiday Lights™.
The Park struggled with financial difficulty and low attendance the first two years it was open. It closed early for its first two seasons, and the Park's management debated whether to open at all for the third season. Paramount Parks managed the Park on contract starting with the 2003 season. The third season turned a slight profit. In 2006, the Bonfante Gardens continues to operate, now under the management of Cedar Fair, L.P., who acquired Paramount Parks from CBS Corporation on June 30, 2006.
