Amusement park

Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Florida[1]Cinderella Castle, the park's icon.
Grand Entrance of Warner Bros. Movie World in Queensland, Australia.
Unity Park zoo in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often featuring multiple areas with different themes. Unlike temporary and mobile funfairs and carnivals, amusement parks are stationary and built for long-lasting operation. They are more elaborate than city parks and playgrounds, usually providing attractions that cater to a variety of age groups. While amusement parks often contain themed areas, theme parks place a heavier focus with more intricately-designed themes that revolve around a particular subject or group of subjects.

Amusement parks evolved from European fairs, pleasure gardens, and large picnic areas, which were created for people's recreation. World's fairs and other types of international expositions also influenced the emergence of the amusement park industry.[2] Bakken ("The Hill") in Klampenborg, Denmark, Wurstelprater in Vienna, Austria, and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark are the three oldest operating amusement parks in the world.[3] Lake Compounce opened in 1846 and is considered the oldest, continuously operating amusement park in North America.[4][5][6][7][8]

  1. ^ "Home - AECOM" (PDF). 21 August 2015.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Adams, Judith A. (1991). The American Amusement Park Industry: A History of Technology and Thrills. Boston: Twayne Publishers. ISBN 0-8057-9821-8.
  3. ^ "Top attractions in Denmark". visitdenmark.com. Visit Denmark. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Lake Compounce: North America's Oldest Continuously Operating Amusement Park". Entertainment Designer. 8 August 2011. Archived from the original on 30 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  5. ^ "Definition of Theme Park". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  6. ^ "Definition of Theme Park". merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  7. ^ "A Town Named Santa Claus". Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  8. ^ "History of the Town of Santa Claus, Indiana". Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2010.