Blackpool Pleasure Beach Reviews and Guide

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is one of the oldest amusement parks in the UK, having first opened in 1896. It remains the best-attended park in the country, pulling in millions of visitors each year from the surrounding coastal resort. The park hosts a mixture of modern thrill rides and family attractions, along with a large number of historically-significant classic rides. It is home to the UK’s tallest roller coaster, The Big One, along with nine other roller coasters. Five of these are of the wooden variety, dating back to the inter-war years.

History: Blackpool Pleasure Beach debuted in 1896, aiming to take advantage of an influx of visitors to the coastal resort enabled by the construction of the first rail link to the town 50 years earlier. The first significant attraction to open at the park was the Hiram Maxim Captive Flying Machine in 1904, followed a year later by The River Caves of the World (both are still operational today). In recent years, the park has attempting to improve its aesthetic appeal, adding free attractions such as the Chinese Puzzle Maze and Spectacular Dancing Water Show. However, the introduction of a £5 entry fee in 2009 and the removal of several vintage attractions has caused some resentment among Pleasure Beach’s fans.