Grab your passport—you can still visit some of the oldest amusement parks in the world!
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Bakken
Bakken, or Dyrehavsbakken, located north of central Copenhagen, Denmark, is the oldest amusement park in the world. It opened in 1583, and the first attraction is actually all-natural. The area is home to a natural spring, which attracted city dwellers from Copenhagen, who had poor water quality in town. Entertainers saw an audience in these large crowds of people and put on their best shows. Eventually, King Frederick III closed the grounds to the public until King Frederik V later reopened the park, in 1756. That’s when more performers, vendors and rides slowly took over. Bakken is still open today with roller coasters, Ferris wheels and other rides.
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Wurstelprater (Prater)
Located in Vienna, Austria, Wurstelprater, or Prater for short, dates back to Emperor Joseph II in 1766, when he gave up his hunting ground to create an amusement park. Once it was opened to the public, restaurants and puppet theaters populated the area. Still, the most popular attraction is the Vienna Grand Ferris Wheel because of its appearance in the film The Third Man.
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Tivoli Gardens
Tivoli Gardens, also in Copenhagen, might be one of the few old amusement park names you recognize. Not only did The Beatles play at the park in 1964, but it also inspired Walt Disney, as well as the famous fairy-tale author Hans Christian Andersen. Located not far from Bakken, Tivoli features boat rides, a theater, beautiful gardens and a popular wooden roller coaster, along with other attractions. The park exists thanks to the founder, Georg Carstensen, and King Christian VIII, and it is still open today.
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Lake Compounce
America is definitely home to some of the oldest amusement parks in the world, and the oldest among them is Lake Compounce, in the heart of Bristol, Connecticut. The park dates back to 1846, but it’s come a long way since Gad Norton opened the space to the public. He hired scientists to conduct experiments and performances. Although those weren’t a big hit, the rides, swimming area and barbecue areas attracted crowds. In 1914, the park added a carousel and its first electric roller coaster. That wooden coaster, Boulder Dash, has won plenty of awards and is considered one of the scariest roller coasters in America.
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Cedar Point
Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2020. Initially, the park was a public beach before the first roller coaster opened in 1892. The park kept adding more rides and attractions until it became known as the “Roller Coaster Capital of the World,” with 18 different coasters.
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Idlewild and Soak Zone
This combo attraction is still open in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, and it’s won plenty of amusement park awards. The park opened in 1878 as a picnic spot, before the owners pooled their money in the 1930s to add rides, lunchrooms and a carousel. They jumped on the waterpark trend in 1985, and now there are two parks in one, with plenty of rides for the whole family.
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Gröna Lund
In 1883, Jacob Schultheis from Berlin founded Gröna Lund amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden. Unlike other parks, however, this one has a limited space of only about 12 acres. The 30 rides, seven roller coasters and huge sound stage are all packed into one amazing park. Similar to many other amusement parks, Gröna Lund was originally a garden before the rides and attractions were added.
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Sources:
- Atlas Obscura: “Dyrehavsbakken”
- Visit Copenhagen: “Bakken”
- Atlas Obscura: “Vienna Grand Ferris Wheel”
- Atlas Obscura: “Tivoli Gardens”
- Tivoli.dk: “The History of Tivoli Gardens”
- ConneticutHistory.org: “Lake Compounce: Bringing Amusements to the State’s residents since 1846”
- Cedar Point: “Rides & Experiences”
- Guidebook-Sweden.com: “Gröna Lund”
