subject: A History Of Theme Parks [print this page] You might think that theme parks are a thoroughly modern invention, but they actually stretch back a lot further than you might imagine. Though the earliest theme parks were more fairs than amusement parks, they still had the same look and feel and made for an incredibly exciting event that everyone attended when they were in town.
In London during the Industrial Revolution a lot of 'pleasure gardens' were built - these were locations in which common people could enjoy some pretty scenery and relax for a while without having to spend any money. These also became popular locations for travelling fairs to set up, where you could find entertainment booths, firework displays and a few fairground rides. These rides exhibited the mechanical wonders that the revolution had brought with it, such as the railway and the amazing workings of mobile machines.
Of course, the real home of amusement parks was in America where, in the late part of the 19th century, trolley parks sprang up in Atlantic City and on Coney Island. These parks included a wide range of entertainment options, such as boat rides, early rollercoasters and other rides that people could come and enjoy themselves on for the day.
In the 1920s the rollercoasters that we recognise today came about. Though they would be looked on as incredibly rickety and unsafe today, back then they were amazing sights of mechanical expertise. They consisted of huge drops, loop the loops, tight corners, and more, which people would come from far and wide to experience.
In 1955 Disneyland opened its doors to the public in California. Though Disneyland came quite late compared to the earlier theme parks, it redefined how we look on these amusement parks nowadays and it is still going strong today.
Today, the USA is the king of theme parks, which more amusement parks in Florida and Orlando than anywhere else in the entire world. There are also some huge theme parks in the UK, so Brits don't have to head overseas to enjoy an excellent day out. People can book tickets for these theme parks online now to save money when visiting, which can help to keep the cost of a day trip down. There are loads of different things to do at theme parks, and even if people visiting aren't too keen on fast rides there will be some slower-paced ones they can go on at the amusement park so that they can still have a great time there.
