The retro UK amusement park with £4.7million new attractions – and it’s free to enter
A VICTORIAN theme park right next to the seaside has a new £4.7million attraction.
Pleasureland, in Southport, first opened back in 1913 as a sister theme park to Blackpool Pleasure Beach and was open until 2006.
However, it was forced to close and reopened back in 2007 under new ownership.
Sadly none of the original features are still there, with the only remaining attraction The Haunted Inn destroyed in a fire in 2010.
Many of the other rides have since been relocated to Blackpool Pleasure Beach or Dreamland in Margate.
But earlier this year, they revealed the new Discovery Bay attraction, part of the £4.7million park investment.
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The 67,000sqft area has six new rides in the "retro-futuristic" land, along with a huge themed outdoor festival, which can hold up to 3,000 people.
The multi-million investment also included the 35m high Big Wheel, as well as a new 18-hole adventure golf attraction which opened last year.
And Pleasureland has announced further plans to expand the park, with themed areas including steampunk, pirate, viking, dinosaur and beach.
There are currently 24 rides at the park, including water rides Canoes and Wave Slide.
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Rollercoasters include The Rocket and Odin's Little Dragon Coaster, with classic rides including the Waltzers, Dodgems and Carousel.
The theme park is free to visit, which is great for guests who want to enter but not go on the rides.
Otherwise you can buy an unlimited ride wristband for the park, which starts from £13.50.
If you don't fancy the rides, there is Freya's Viking Funhouse with climbing towers and rope courses, or the on-site splash park.
You can even take in your own food to the picnic areas - although stalls throughout the park sell snacks including waffles, hot dogs, burgers, pancakes, noodles, sweets and drinks.
People have raved about the park, with many saying it was great value with very few queues.
One person wrote: "Unbelievable place with lots and lots of stuff to do the kids absolutely loved it and would 100% go back."
Another said it was a "kid's paradise".
The park is currently closed for the season, but reopens in March 2024.
Also coming to Southport is The Cove Resort, a £75million attraction with a sandy beach, thermal spa and huge pool in the middle.
Sadly, Southport's iconic pier remains closed.
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Here's another vintage theme park that has one of the tallest rides in Europe.
And we've rounded up the weirdest theme parks you can visit in the UK.
