Amusement Park Organisations

  • BALPPA. The British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions is the trade organisation representing the UK amusement park industry.
  • Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain. A club for thrill seekers. Membership includes, amongst other things, discounts to amusement parks, discounts on club trips and a quarterly magazine called Airtime.
  • European Coaster Club. Another UK-based club for white knuckle addicts. Offers a very similar package to the above club but the magazine, First Drop, offers more in-depth coverage with articles and news. 

The UK Parks: A to Z of Official Websites

  • Adventure Island. Established for over 50 years, this amusement park by the Pier at Southend-on-Sea has changed its name from Peter Pan's Playground to Adventure Island and virtually doubled in size. It has a mixture of new and old attractions.
  • Atlantis Adventure Park. Operated by the nearby The Big heep, this new fun park at Bideford's Atlantic Village Factory Outlet Centre is for younger children.
  • Barry Island Pleasure Park. Historic amusement park near Cardiff still hangs on by a thread...
  • Barry's Amusements. This excellent little park in Portrush, Northern Ireland, has a large indoor area with an atmosphere of a bygone age.
  • The Big Sheep. Former farm park is now installing rides, including The Twister waveswinger, Rodeo Ride pony track and vintage train ride. More rides are expected in the future.
  • Billing Aquadrome (Leisure World). There has been much investment into the amusement park at Billing Aquadrome over recent years, which is now called Leisure World and has its own website.
  • Black Country Living Museum. Based in Dudley, West Midlands, this museum features a small permanent funfair, which includes Ark and Helter Skelter.
  • Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park. This Scottish animal attraction features funfair rides.
  • Botton's Pleasure Beach. Not quite in the same league as Blackpool Pleasure Beach, but Skegness should be proud of this lively seaside fun park. Features a wide selection of rides for all ages, including a very large Ghost Train.
  • Brean Leisure Park. Large funfair within a huge caravan park at Brean Sands. The collection of rides regularly changes. 
  • Brighton Pier. Now owned by the Noble Organisation, this is a full-size amusement park over the sea, and the biggest such attraction on any pier in the UK.
  • Britannia Pier. This seaside pier at Great Yarmouth boasts a collection of funfair rides. Rides include gallopers, giant slide and dodgems.
  • Butlin's Family Entertainment Resorts: Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness. All three surviving Butlins parks are now owned by Bourne Leisure and still all feature amusement parks. 
  • Clacton Pier. This Pier offers a good amusement park with indoor and outdoor attractions.
  • Clarence Pier. A small amusement park at Southsea, near Portsmouth. Although it has shrunk in size in recent years, from its days as Fun Acres, it still offers a wide range of rides including Log Flume and Roller Coaster. 
  • Codona's Amusement Park. This Aberdeen amusement park is a traditional family seaside attraction from the famous Codona fairground family. Visit the park for Looping Star roller coaster, Log Flume and a whole host of fairground rides.
  • Dudley Zoo. Popular family attraction, opened in 1937. Besides the animals there is a chairlift and fairground rides.
  • Fantasy Island. The UK's first themed indoor family resort, a large amusement park located at Ingoldmells, near Skegness. This park includes two major roller coasters: the Millennium Coaster and Jubilee Odyssey.
  • Folly Farm. Claims to be Wales's most visited paid for tourist attraction, this is a large, partly covered, vintage funfair, farm park and zoo. Located at Begelly in South West Wales.
  • Fort Fun. Eastbourne's fun park, complete with Runaway Train roller coaster, adventure golf and numerous rides for the little ones.
  • Funland Amusement Park. Located at Hayling Island near Portsmouth, this nice little park includes a roller coaster, log flume, pirate ship, and a covered area with a large selection of children's rides. The park regularly adds new attractions.
  • Funland. Entertainment complex within the Trocadero features Dodgems and slot machines.
  • Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare. Described as a "fabulous covered amusement park over the sea", this colourful website is the official guide to Weston-Super-Mare's biggest attraction.
  • Greenacres Farm Park. 80-acre farm park with rides, farm & zoo animals, together with amusements, a licensed bar and pool & games room.
  • Harbour Park. Littlehampton's amusement park, run by the Smart family, is a modern attraction right on the beach.
  • Hatton Country World. Warwickshire farm attraction now has a permanent funfair.
  • Hollycombe. Like Folly Farm, this is not really an amusement park, but this tourist attraction at Liphook features a vintage fairground. The Web site includes details of opening times and how to get there.
  • The Island. Seafront leisure complex at St Annes on Sea features a range of children's rides, including tower drop ride and roundabouts.
  • Joyland. Fantastic children's amusement park and American diner on Great Yarmouth seafront.
  • Kiddies Corner. This small amusement park by the river at Windsor is just for the kids.
  • Knightly's Fun Fair. Based at the small North Wales seaside resort of Towyn, near Rhyl, Knightly's Fun Fair is a travelling-fair-style amusement park sandwiched between the sea and a railway line. The rides' transport is parked adjacent to the site, adding to the fairground atmosphere.
  • Knowsley Safari Park. This Safari Park, near Prescot in Merseyside, is home to an expanding amusement park.
  • Mannings Amusement Park. Established in 1933 as a Butlin's Amusement Park, this Felixstowe amusement park has been run by the Manning family since 1946.
  • Milky Way Adventure Park. This mainly under cover fun park located at Clovelly, Devon, includes animal feeds, archery, miniature railway and golf driving range. Rides include a suspended coaster and dodgems.
  • Needles Park. This amusement park is set in a breathtaking location overlooking the famous Needles on the Isle of Wight. Attractions include spectacular chairlift, carousel, and a range of children's rides. 
  • New Palace and Adventureland. Large indoor and outdoor amusement park on New Brighton seafront. In addition to funfair rides it features a large indoor children's play centre and go kart track.
  • O'Brien's Pleasureland. Arbroath's indoor funfair and amusement arcade.
  • Ocean Beach Pleasure Park. The last surviving amusement park in the Newcastle area, Ocean Beach is a medium-sized amusement park located by the sea at South Shields.
  • Old MacDonald's Farm Leisure Park. Recently acquired by the Manning fairground family, this is a mixture of animals and family rides.
  • Paradise Park. An odd combination of garden centre and theme park. This Newhaven leisure complex includes rides for the tots to early teens.
  • Paradise Wildlife Park. This large Hertfordshire zoo features a small amusement park, with helter skelter, roundabout, bouncy castles, train rides and other children's attractions.
  • Paulton's Park. The South's Family Theme Park includes Roller Coasters, Log Flume and a range of family and children's rides. The park has expanded rapidly over recent years.
  • Peter Pan's Playground. This small traditional children's amusement park on Ryde seafront (Isle of Wight) has a nice selection of juvenile rides and a modern adventure golf.
  • Pitlochry Children's Amusement Park. This small amusement park in the Scottish Highlands is aimed at the very young.
  • Pleasure Beach, Blackpool. The UK's most-visited tourist attraction. The website is packed with information about the rides, shows, shopping, eating and much more at one of the world's greatest amusement park. Home to classic rides such as the Big Dipper and Grand National, with new attractions opening all the time. The world's tallest and fastest roller coaster, the Pepsi Max Big One, opened here in 1994, and 2000 saw the opening of Valhalla, the world's biggest dark ride. Other Pleasure Beach websites include: Stageworks (the website of the Pleasure Beach shows); the 235 Club (the official Blackpool Pleasure Beach Enthusiasts Club) and the Big Blue Hotel by the south entrance to the park. 
  • Pleasure Beach, Great Yarmouth . Rides and family fun are the emphasis at this well-maintained park that is the east's most visited tourist attraction. Opened in 1909, the park is a mix of traditional attractions and the latest thrill rides, with new rides added every year. 
  • Pleasureland. The owners of Pleasureland - Blackpool Pleasure Beach Ltd - closed the park, possibly for good, on 6 September 2006. All of the major rides have been moved, but the park is currently open and leased from new owners Sefton Council by Dreamstorm International while its long-term future is decided. Various showmen are operating travelling fairground rides in the park, which is free entry. 
  • Scarborough Fair Collection. Fairground rides, showmen's engines and fairground organs at this permanent covered living museum near Scarborough.
  • Sherwood Forest Fun Park. Small amusement park at Edwinstowe in the heart of Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire. Free entry, pay per ride.
  • Symonds Yat West Leisure Park. A small amusement park in the heart of the Wye Valley, operated by Danters Funfairs.
  • 360 Playdays. Indoor theme park-come-play centre in Milton Keynes features dodgems, carousel and lots of play equipment.
  • Tir Prince Raceway. At Towyn in North Wales, this harness racing centre includes a permanent amusement park operated by Williams Amusements. The park has several white-knuckle fairground rides.
  • Trago Mills. Small leisure park at this Devon factory outlet centre.
  • Treasure Island Amusement Park. Small riverside amusement park at Stourport-on-Severn with a nice selection of rides in a beautiful location.
  • Twinlakes Park. Now owned by Woodlands Leisure Park, this small children's park at Melton Mowbray features numerous attractions including Shark Bite drop tower and bumper boats.
  • Twycross Zoo. A small, pirate-themed amusement park with a selection of children's rides is located within the zoo.
  • Walton Pier. With most of its rides and attractions indoors, this 'amusement park over the sea' can be enjoyed whatever the weather. The Pier mainly comprises traditional funfair rides, and is aimed at the under-thirteens. 
  • West Midland Safari Park. This Safari Park has, for many years, rewarded all those who complete the safari with an excellent amusement park. The recent addition of new rides such as a spinning Wild Mouse roller coaster and the Wild River Rafting rapids ride have further improved this attraction. An all-round good day out.
  • West Sands Fun Fair. There's been a permanent amusement park at the West Sands Caravan Park, Selsey (West Sussex) for over 40 years. Small selection of travelling rides and cafe.
  • Wheelgate Adventure Park. 30-acre fun park in Nottinghamshire features children's roller coaster, miniature railway, maze and other attractions.
  • Wicksteed Park. This amusement park in Kettering opened in 1921, and is actually one of the UK's first theme parks. With a wide selection of rides including water chute, dodgems and roller coaster.
  • Willows Farm Village. Farm park near St Alban features a permanent children's funfair.
  • Woodlands Leisure Park. Adventure park near Dartmouth. Attractions include water rides, slides, frog hopper, toboggan and bumper boats. Rides include Trauma Tower and a Rocking Tug. Large indoor area.
  • Woodside Farm. This Bedfordshire animal farm, leisure park and mini zoo features a range of permanent fairground rides, including traditional helter skelter.
  • Wroxham Barns. Small children's funfair at this popular Norfolk attraction.
  • 360 Play. Innovative Milton Keynes-based indoor play centre featuring dodgems, carousel, play equipment and role playing streets.

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See also:
Theme Park Links
Fairground Links
Miscellaneous Links

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