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Amusement park

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Sleeping Beauty Castle at

Wonder Mountain at Canada's Wonderland

Wild West Falls at Warner Bros. Movie World, Queensland, Australia

Roller coaster Dragon Khan withinPortAventura near Barcelona, Spain, one of the largest amusement parks in Europe with 3 million visitors per year.

An amusement park or theme park is a group of attractions, rides, and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people. An amusement park is more elaborate than a simple city park or playground, usually providing attractions meant to cater specifically to certain age groups, as well as some that are aimed towards all ages. Theme parks, a specific type of amusement park, are usually much more intricately themed to a certain subject or group of subjects than normal amusement parks.

Amusement parks evolved from European and pleasure gardens, which were created for people's recreation. World's fairs and expositions were another influence on the development of the amusement park industry.[1] Amusement parks have a fixed location, as opposed to travelling funfairs andcarnivals.

In common language, the terms theme park and amusement park are often synonymous. However, a theme park can be regarded as a distinct style of amusement park. A theme park has landscaping, buildings, and attractions that are based on one or more specific themes or stories.[2][3] Despite many older parks adding themed rides and areas, qualifying the park as a theme park, the first park built with the original intention of promoting a specific theme, Santa Claus Land, in Santa Claus, Indiana, did not open until 1946.[4][5] Disneyland, located in Anaheim, California, built around the concept of encapsulating multiple theme parks into a single amusement park is often mistakenly cited as the first themed amusement park, but is instead the park that made the idea popular.

Contents

[hide]

 1 History

o 1.1 Origins

o 1.2 Blackpool and

o 1.3 Modern Amusement Park

o 1.4 The Golden Age

o 1.5 Depression and post-World War II decline o 1.6 The rise of theme parks

 2 Amusement and theme parks today

 3 Other types of amusement park

o 3.1 Educational theme parks

o 3.2 Family-owned theme parks

o 3.3 Regional parks

 4 Admission prices and admission policies

o 4.1 Pay-as-you-go

o 4.2 Pay-one-price

 5 Rides and attractions

o 5.1 Flat rides

o 5.2 Roller coasters

o 5.3 Train rides

o 5.4 Water rides

o 5.5 Dark rides

o 5.6 Ferris wheels

o 5.7 Transport rides

 6 Food

 7 See also

 8 References

 9 Further reading

 10 External links History[edit]

Origins[edit]

The amusement park evolved from three earlier traditions. The oldest of these traditions, was the periodic of the Middle Ages - one of the earliest was the Bartholomew Fair in , which began in 1133. By the 18th and 19th century, they had evolved into places of entertainment for the masses, where the public could view freak shows, acrobatics, conjuring and juggling, take part in competitions and walk through menageries.

A wave of innovation in the 1860s and 1870s created mechanical rides, such as the steam- powered (built by Thomas Bradshaw, at the Aylsham Fair), and its derivatives. This inaugurated the era of the modern funfair ride, as the working classes were increasingly able to spend their surplus wages on entertainment.[6]

Vauxhall Gardens, founded in 1661 as one of the first pleasure gardens.

The second influence was the pleasure garden. One of the earliest gardens was the Vauxhall Gardens, founded in 1661 in London. By the late 18th century, the site had an admission fee for its many attractions. It regularly drew enormous crowds, with its paths being noted for romantic assignations; tightrope walkers, hot air ascents, concerts and fireworks provided amusement. Although the gardens were originally designed for the elites, they soon became places of great social diversity. Public firework displays were put on at Marylebone Gardens, and Cremorne Gardens offered music, dancing and animal acrobatics displays.[7]

Amusement parks also appeared on the Continent. Bakken ("The Hill") at Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen, Denmark was opened to the public in 1756 and Prater in Vienna, Austria, was opened in 1766.

The concept of a fixed park for amusement was further developed with the beginning of the world’s fairs. The first World fair began in 1851 with the construction of the landmark Crystal Palace in London, England. The purpose of the exposition was to celebrate the industrial achievement of the nations of the world and it was designed to educate and entertain the visitors.[8]

First , World's Columbian Exposition, 1893

American cities and business also saw the world’s fair as a way of demonstrating economic and industrial success.[8] The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in , Illinois was an early precursor to the modern amusement park. The fair was an enclosed site, that merged entertainment, engineering and education to entertain the masses. It set out to bedazzle the visitors, and successfully did so with a blaze of lights from the ―.‖ [1] To make sure that the fair was a financial success, the planners included a dedicated amusement concessions area called the Plaisance.[8] Rides from this fair captured the imagination of the visitors and of amusement parks around the world, such as the first steel Ferris wheel, which was found in many other amusement areas, such as the Prater by 1896. Also, the experience of the enclosed ideal city with wonder, rides, culture and progress (electricity), was based on the creation of an illusory place.[1]

The ―midway‖ introduced at the Columbian Exposition would become a standard part of most amusement parks, fairs, and circuses. The midway contained not only the rides, but other concessions and such as shooting galleries, penny arcades, games of chance and shows.[9]

Blackpool and Coney Island[edit]

Main article:

The modern amusement park evolved from earlier seaside pleasure resorts that had become popular with the public for day-trips or weekend holidays in Blackpool, England and Coney Island,.[10]

Blackpool sands in 1895

Blackpool began to grow as a with the completion of a branch line to Blackpool from Poulton on the main Preston and Wyre Joint Railway line from Preston to Fleetwood. Fleetwood declined as a resort, as its founder and principal financial backer, Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, went bankrupt. In contrast, Blackpool boomed. A sudden influx of visitors, arriving by rail, provided the motivation for entrepreneurs to build accommodation and create new attractions, leading to more visitors and a rapid cycle of growth throughout the 1850s and 1860s.

The growth was intensified by the practice among the Lancashire cotton mill owners of closing the factories for a week every year to service and repair machinery. These became known as wakes weeks. Each town's mills would close for a different week, allowing Blackpool to manage a steady and reliable stream of visitors over a prolonged period in the summer. In 1863, the North Pier was completed, rapidly becoming a centre of attraction for elite visitors. Central Pier was completed in 1868, with a theatre and a large open-air dance floor. The town expanded southward beyond what is today known as the Golden Mile, towards South Shore, and South Pier was completed in 1893, making Blackpool the only town in the United Kingdom with three piers. In 1878, the Winter Gardens complex opened, incorporating ten years later the Opera House, said to be the largest in Britain outside of London.

Photochrom of the Promenade c. 1898

In 1879, large parts of the promenade were wired. The lighting and its accompanying pageants reinforced Blackpool's status as the North of England's most prominent resort, and its specifically working class character. It was the forerunner of the present-day Blackpool Illuminations. By the 1890s, the town had a population of 35,000, and could accommodate 250,000 holidaymakers. The number of annual visitors, many staying for a week, was estimated at three million. 1894 saw the opening of two of the town's most prominent buildings, the Grand Theatre on Church Street, and Blackpool Tower on the Promenade. The Grand Theatre was one of Britain's first all-electric theatres. When the tower opened, 3,000 customers took the first rides to the top. Tourists paid sixpence for admission, sixpence more for a ride in the lifts to the top, and a further sixpence for the circus.[11]

In America, groves were found along rivers and lakes that provided bathing and water sports such as in Connecticut, first established as a picturesque picnic park in 1846, and Riverside Park in , founded along the Connecticut River in the 1870s.[12]

Another similar location was Coney Island in , , where a horse-drawn streetcar line brought pleasure seekers to the beach beginning in 1829. In 1875, a million passengers rode the Coney Island Railroad, and in 1876 two million visited Coney Island. Hotels and amusements were built to accommodate both the upper-classes and the working-class. The first carousel was installed in the 1870s, the first , the "", in 1884.

In the final decade of the 19th century electric trolley lines were developed in many large American cities. Companies that established the trolley lines were directly responsible for establishingtrolley parks as destinations of these lines. Trolley parks like 's Ponce de Leon Park, or Reading's Carsonia Park were initially popular natural leisure spots before local streetcar companies purchased the sites, expanding them from picnic groves to include regular entertainments, mechanical amusements, dance halls, sports fields, boat rides, restaurants and other resort facilities.

Steel Pier

Some of these parks were developed in resort locations, such as bathing resorts at the seaside in and New York. A premiere example in New Jersey was Atlantic City, a famous vacation resort. Enterprisers erected amusement parks on piers that extended from the boardwalk out over the ocean. The first of several was Ocean Pier in 1891, followed later by Steel Pier in 1898, both of which boasted rides and attractions typical of that time, such as Midway-style games and electric trolley rides. The boardwalk also had the first Roundabout installed in 1892 by William Somers, a wooden predecessor to the Ferris Wheel. Somers installed two others in Asbury Park and Coney Island.[13][14][15]

An early park was the Eldorado Amusement Park that opened in 1891 on the banks of the Hudson River, overlooking . It consisted of 25 acres.[16] Modern Amusement Park[edit]

Dreamland tower and in 1907 The first permanent enclosed entertainment area, regulated by a single company, was founded in Coney Island in 1895: at Coney Islandin Brooklyn. This park was one of the first to charge admission to get into the park in addition to sell tickets for rides within the park.[1]

In 1897, Sea Lion Park was joined by , the first of three major amusement parks that would open in the Coney Island area. George Tilyou designed the park to provide thrills and entertainment. The combination of the nearby population center of New York City and the ease of access to the area made Coney Island the embodiment of the American amusement park.[1] Coney Island also featured and Dreamland. Coney Island was a huge success and by year 1910 attendance on days could reach a million people.[1] Fueled by the efforts of , other "Luna Parks" were quickly erected worldwide and opened to rave reviews.

The first amusement park in England was opened in 1896 - the by W. G. Bean. In 1904, Sir Hiram Maxim's Captive Flying Machine was introduced; he had designed an early aircraft powered by steam engines that had been unsuccessful and instead opened up a pleasure ride of flying carriages that revolved around a central pylon. Other rides included the 'Grotto' (a fantasy ride), 'River Caves' (a scenic railway), water chutes and a toboganning tower.[17]

Fire was a constant threat in those days, as much of the construction within the amusement parks of the era was wooden. In 1911, Dreamland was the first Coney Island amusement park to completely burn down; in 1944, Luna Park also burned to the ground. Most of Ingersoll's Luna Parks were similarly destroyed, usually by arson, before his death in 1927. The Golden Age[edit]

Shoot-the-chute ride at Dreamland,Coney Island c.1905.

During the Gilded Age, many Americans began working fewer hours[18] and had more disposable income. With new-found money and time to spend on leisure activities, Americans sought new venues for entertainment. Amusement parks, set up outside major cities and in rural areas, emerged to meet this new economic opportunity. These parks served as source of fantasy and escape from real life.[1] By the early 1900s, hundreds of amusement parks were operating in the United States and Canada. Trolley parks stood outside many cities. Parks like Atlanta's Ponce de Leon[19] and ,[20]near Youngstown, OH, took passengers to traditionally popular picnic grounds, which by the late 1890s also often included rides like the Giant Swing,Carousel, and Shoot-the-Chutes. These amusement parks were often based on nationally-known parks or world's fairs: they had names like Coney Island, White City, Luna Park, or Dreamland. The American Gilded Age was, in fact, amusement parks' Golden Age that reigned until the late 1920s.

The Golden Age of amusement parks also included the advent of the kiddie park. Founded in 1925, the original Kiddie Park is located in San Antonio, Texas and is still in operation today. The kiddie parks became popular all over America after World War II.[21]

This era saw the development of the new innovations in roller coasters that included extreme drops and speeds to thrill the riders. By the end of the First World War, people seemed to want an even more exciting entertainment, a need met by roller coasters.[22] Although the development of the automobile provided people with more options for satisfying their entertainment needs, the amusement parks after the war continued to be successful, while urban amusement parks saw declining attendance.[1] The 1920s is more properly known as the Golden Age of roller coasters, being the decade of frenetic building for these rides.[22]

In England, the Dreamland openened in 1920 with a Scenic Railway rollercoaster that opened to the public in 1920 with great success, carrying half a million passengers in its first year.[23] The park also installed other rides common to the time including a smaller roller coaster, the Joy Wheel, Miniature Railway, and the River Caves. A ballroom was constructed on the site of the Skating Rink in 1920 and in 1923 a Variety Cinema was built on the site. Between 1920 and 1935 over £500,000 was invested in the site, constantly adding new rides and facilities and culminating in the construction of the Dreamland Cinema complex in 1934 which stands to this day.[24]

Meanwhile, the Blackpool Pleasure Beach was also being developed. Frequent large scale investments were responsible for the construction of many new rides, including the Reel, Whip, Noah's Ark, Big Dipper and Dodgems. In the 1920s the "Casino Building" was built, which remains to this day.

In 1923, land was reclaimed from the sea front. It was at this period that the park moved to its 44-acre (180,000 m2) current location above what became Watson Road, which was built under the Pleasure Beach in 1932. During this time Joseph Emberton, an architect famous for his work in the amusement trade was brought in to redesign the architectural style of the Pleasure Beach rides, working on the "Grand National" roller coaster, "Noah's Ark" and the Casino building to name a few. Depression and post-World War II decline[edit]

Main entrance to Dorney Park & , Allentown, , 1950

The of the 1930s and World War II during the 1940s saw the decline of the amusement park industry. War caused the affluent urban population to move to the suburbs, television became a source of entertainment, and families went to amusement parks less often.[1]

By the 1950s, factors such as urban decay, crime, and even desegregation in the ghettos led to changing patterns in how people chose to spend their free time. Many of the older, traditional amusement parks closed or burned to the ground. Many would be taken out by the wrecking to make way for suburban housing and development. In 1964, Steeplechase Park, once the king of all amusement parks, closed down for good. The traditional amusement parks which survived, for example, , in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, and , in Sandusky, Ohio, did so in spite of the odds.[1] The rise of theme parks[edit]

Cinderella Castle in ,

In 1955, Disneyland opened to rave reviews, and completely changed the landscape of the amusement park industry. No longer did guests want a group of rides in a field by a lake, they wanted an entire perfect world to take them out of the real world for a day. The thrills of theme parks are often obscured from the outside by landscaping or berms, re-enforcing the feeling of escape. They are kept clean and new rides are frequently added to keep people coming back. In addition to this experience, the theme park is either based on a central theme or divided into several distinctly themed areas, or "lands".

Following Disneyland, many other parks trying to copy its ideas, such as the hub-and-spoke layout and themed "lands", popped up across the country. Examples include Great Adventure in New Jersey and Universal Studios Hollywood in , California. However, none could match the success of Disneyland.

15 years after Disneyland, opened its second theme park, Magic Kingdom near Orlando, Florida. This park pushed the definition of theme park even further, as it was surrounded by over 47 square miles of pristine, undeveloped land, creating a massive natural barrier between the real world and the park. Today, it is now the Walt Disney World Resort, consisting of four theme parks in the most visited vacation resort in the world. Amusement and theme parks today[edit]

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Buddha Statue in the Mystic East ofChessington World of Adventures

Europa-Park, Germany The amusement park industry's offerings range from large, worldwide type theme parks such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Hollywood to smaller and medium-sized theme parks such as the parks and Cedar Fair parks. Countless smaller ventures in many of the states of the U.S. and in countries around the world. Even simpler theme parks directly aimed at smaller children have emerged, such as Legoland.

Examples of amusement parks in shopping malls exist in West Mall, , Canada; Pier 39, ;, Bloomington, Minnesota.

Family fun parks starting as miniature golf courses have begun to grow to include batting cages, go-karts, , and water slides. Some of these parks have grown to include even roller coasters, and traditional amusement parks now also have these competition areas in addition to their thrill rides.

As of 2008, the Walt Disney Company accounted for around half of the total industry's revenue in the US as a result of more than 50 million visitors of its U.S.-based attractions each year.[25] Other types of amusement park[edit]

Educational theme parks[edit]

Some parks use rides and attractions for educational purposes. Disney was the first to successfully open a large-scale theme park built around education. Named , it opened in 1982 as the second park in the Walt Disney World Resort. There are also Holy Land USA[26] and the Holy Land Experience,[27] which are theme parks built to inspire Christian piety. Dinosaur Worldentertains families with dinosaurs in natural settings, while the Seaworld and Busch Gardens parks also offer educational experiences, with each of the parks housing several thousand animals, fish and other sea life in dozens of attractions and exhibits focusing on animal education.[28] Family-owned theme parks[edit]

Narrow gauge mining train going throughCalico Ghost Town

Some theme parks did evolve from more traditional amusement park enterprises, such as Knott's Berry Farm. In the 1920s, Walter Knott and his family sold berries from a roadside stand, which grew to include a restaurant serving fried chicken dinners. Within a few years, lines outside the restaurant were often several hours long. To entertain the waiting crowds, Walter Knott built a Ghost Town in 1940, using buildings relocated from real old west towns such as the Calico, California ghost town and Prescott, Arizona. In 1968, the Knott family fenced the farm, charged admission for the first time, and Knott's Berry Farm officially became an amusement park.[1] Because of its long history, Knott's Berry Farm currently claims to be "America's First Theme Park." Knott's Berry Farm is now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut may be the true oldest continuously operating amusement park in the United States, open since 1846. Santa Claus Town, which opened in Santa Claus, Indiana in 1935 and included Santa's Candy Castle and other Santa Claus-themed attractions, is considered the first themed attraction in the United States: a pre-cursor to the modern day theme park. Santa Claus Land (renamed Holiday World in 1984) opened in 1946 in Santa Claus, Indiana and many people will argue that it was the first true Theme Park despite Knott's history.[12] In the 1950s the Herschend family took over operation of the tourist attraction,Marvel Cave near Branson, Missouri. Over the next decade they modernized the cave, which led to large numbers of people waiting to take the tour. The Herschend family opened a recreation of the old mining town that once existed atop Marvel Cave. The small village eventually became the theme park, . The park is still owned and operated by the Herschends and the family has several other parks including , and . Regional parks[edit]

The first regional theme park, as well as the first Six Flags park, Six Flags over Texas was officially opened in 1961 in Arlington, Texas near Dallas.[29] The first Six Flags theme park was the vision of Angus Wynne, Jr. and helped create the modern, competitive theme park industry. By 1968, the second Six Flags park, Six Flags Over , opened, and in 1971, Six Flags Over Mid-America (now Six Flags St. Louis) opened near St. Louis, Missouri. Also in 1971 was the opening of the Walt Disney World resort complex in Florida, with the Magic Kingdom (1971), Epcot(1982), Disney's Hollywood Studios (1989) and Disney's Animal Kingdom (1998). Admission prices and admission policies[edit]

Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom's inAllentown, Pennsylvania

Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon

Amusement parks collect much of their revenue from admission fees paid by guests attending the park. Other revenue sources include parking fees, food and beverage sales and souvenirs.

Practically all amusement parks operate using one of two admission principles: Pay-as-you-go[edit]

In amusement parks using the pay-as-you-go scheme, a guest enters the park at little or no charge. The guest must then purchase rides individually, either at the attraction's entrance or by purchasing ride tickets (or a similar exchange method, like a token). The cost of the attraction is often based on its complexity or popularity. For example, a guest might pay one ticket to ride a carousel but four tickets to ride a roller coaster.

The park may allow guests to purchase a pass providing unlimited admissions to all attractions within the park for a specified duration of time. A wristband or pass is then shown at the attraction entrance to gain admission.

Melbourne Luna Park

Disneyland opened in 1955 using the pay-as-you-go format.[30] Initially, guests paid the ride admission fees at the attractions. Within a short time, the problems of handling such large amounts of coins led to the development of a ticket system that, while now out of use, is still part of the amusement-park lexicon.[30] In this new format, guests purchased ticket books that contained a number of tickets, labeled "A," "B" and "C." Rides and attractions using an "A-ticket" were generally simple, with "B-tickets" and "C-tickets" used for the larger, more popular rides. Later, the "D-ticket" was added, then finally the now-famous "E-ticket", which was used on the biggest and most elaborate rides, like Space Mountain. Smaller tickets could be traded up for use on larger rides (i.e., two or three A-tickets would equal a single B-ticket). Disneyland, as well as the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, abandoned this practice in 1982.

The advantages of pay-as-you-go include the following:

 guests pay for only what they choose to experience, allowed them to visit the park for a short periods of time (whereas guests who get day passes in "Pay-one-price" are generally compelled to spend hours to make the most of the cost)

 attraction costs can be changed easily to encourage use or capitalize on popularity

 best suited to parks located in areas with high pedestrian traffic and surrounded by competing points-of- interest (i.e. shopping arcade or theatre not operated by the park) and/or natural attractions, that make it hard to charge an admission fee. For instance, Centreville Amusement Park was one of the numerous attractions on the Toronto Islands alongside beaches and boating clubs, and its pay-as-you-go fare scheme was suited its guests who usually spent only 1–2 hours at the park. For amusement parks inside shopping centers such as the 's , where amusement attractions exist alongside stores, pedestrian traffic consists of both shoppers and park guests, so it may not be practical to segregate the park premises and charge an admission fee.

The disadvantages of pay-as-you-go include the following:

 guests may get tired of spending money almost continuously  guests may not spend as much on food or souvenirs

 results in high volumes of low-spending guests, and the resultant low profit margins are only sufficient for mature amusement parks that are not expanding[31] Pay-one-price[edit]

An amusement park using the pay-one-price scheme will charge guests a single, large admission fee. The guest is then entitled to use most of the attractions (usually including flagship roller coasters) in the park as often as they wish during their visit. A daily admission pass (daypass) is the most basic fare on sale, also sold are tickets which offer holders admission for the entire operating year[32] (plus special privileges for the newest attractions), and express passes which gives holders priority in bypassing lineup queues for popular attractions.

Pay-one-price format parks also have attractions that are not included in the admission charge; these are called "up-charge attractions" and can include or go-kart tracks, or games of skill where prizes are won. When Angus Wynne, founder of Six Flags Over Texas, first visited Disneyland in 1959, he noted that park's pay-as-you-go format as a reason to make his park pay-one-price.[33] He thought that a family would be more likely to visit his park if they knew, up front, how much it would cost to attend.[33]

The advantages of pay-one-price include

 lower costs for the park operators, since ticket-takers are not needed at each attractions

 guests need not worry about spending money continuously on attractions, so they may spend more money on food and souvenirs

 more predictable price to offer guests since upfront cost is known.

 better suited to amusement parks located in the suburbs or rural areas, with the park often as the only attraction there, which allows for a more captive audience to charge higher admission fees.

 the higher profit margins, in turn, allow the park to add new attractions.

The disadvantages of pay-one-price include:

 price may be unattractive for guests who just visit the park to be with their families or use only few attractions

 guests are generally compelled to spend hours in order to make the most of the cost of a day pass, pricing is geared towards guests making a full day excursion rather than a short visit Rides and attractions[edit]

Mechanized thrill machines are a defining feature of amusement parks. Earliest rides include the carousel which was originally developed as a way of practicing and then showing-off expertise attournament skills such as riding and spearing the ring. By the 19th century, were common in parks around the world. Another such ride which shaped the future of the amusement park was the roller coaster. Beginning as a winter sport in 17th century Russia, these gravity driven railroads were the beginning of the search for even more thrilling amusement park rides.[citation needed] The Columbian Exposition of 1893 was a particular fertile testing ground for amusement rides.[citation needed] The Ferris wheel is the most recognized product of the fair. Many rides are set round a theme.

A park contains a mixture of attractions which can be divided into several categories.

Rameses Revenge at Chessington World of Adventures is a Huss ride and was the first of its kind to feature a water element.

Flat rides[edit]

There is a core set of flat rides which most amusement parks have, including the , tilt-a-whirl, the , chairswing, swinging inverter ship, twister, and the top spin. However, there is constant innovation, with new variations on ways to spin and throw passengers around appearing in an effort to keep attracting customers. Manufactures such as Huss and specialise in creating flat rides among other amusement attractions. Roller coasters[edit]

Roller coasters, such as theBehemoth, at Canada's Wonderland, have fast and steep drops from high altitudes.

Main article: Roller coaster

Amusement parks often feature multiple roller coasters of primarily timber or steel construction. In essence a specialized railroad system with steep drops and sharp curves, passengers sit and are restrained in cars, usually with two or more cars joined to form a train. Some roller coasters feature one or more inversions (such as vertical loops) which turn the riders upside down.

Train rides[edit]

Main article: Train ride Amusement park trains have had long and varied history in American amusement parks as well as overseas. According to various websites and historians, the earliest park trains weren't really trains—they were trolleys. The earliest park trains were mostly custom built. Some of the most common manufacturers were:

 Allan Herschfield  Cagney Brothers  (C.P. Huntington Train)

Original Six Flags train still in operation (2007)

 Crown Metal Products  Custom Locomotives  Miniature Train Co. (MTC)  The National Amusement Devices Co.(NAD)  Ottaway  Sandley  Tampa Metal Products Water rides[edit]

Main article:

Amusement parks with water resources generally feature a few water rides, such as the , bumper boats, rapids and rowing boats. Such rides are usually gentler and shorter than roller coasters and many are suitable for all ages. Water rides are especially popular on hot days. Dark rides[edit]

Main article:

Overlapping with both train rides and water rides, dark rides are enclosed attractions in which patrons travel in guided vehicles along a predetermined path, through an array of illuminated scenes which may include lighting effects, animation, music and recorded dialogue, and other special effects,. Ferris wheels[edit]

Main article: Ferris wheel Ferris wheels are the most common type of ride at state fairs in the US.[34] Transport rides[edit]

Transport rides are used to take large amounts of guests from one area of the park to another, as an alternative to walking, especially for parks that are large or separated into several distant areas. Transports can include chairlifts, monorails, aerial , and escalators.

While originally intended for practicality rather "thrills" or enjoyment, Ocean Park Kong is well known for its 1.5-kilometre (0.93 mi) cable car connecting the Lowland and Headland areas of the park, and having the world's second longest outdoor escalator in the Headland. Both transportation links providing scenic views of the park's hilly surroundings and have become significant park attractions in their own right.[35] Food[edit]

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challenged and removed. (October 2013)

Dippin' Dots, an ice cream stand that appears at several amusement parks in the United States

Amusement parks generate a portion of their income through the sale of food and drink to their patrons. Food is routinely sold through food booths, push carts and indoor restaurants. The offerings vary as widely as the amusement parks themselves, and range from common fast food items, like hamburgers, hot dogs, , candy apples, donuts and local street foods up to full-service gourmet dishes. Theme parks with exotic themes may include specialty items or delicacies related to the park's theme. Many restaurants and food stands are operated by the amusement parks themselves, while others are branches of regional or national chains.