Southport Merseyside hotels:

Pleasureland was opened in King’s Gardens, Southport, in 1912 with a Helter Skelter and figure eight rollercoaster. By 1924 the addition of a water chute, boats on the Marine Lake and a Hiram Maxim Flying Machine meant the park had outgrown its site and the rides and attractions were re-located to the park’s present site on the beachfront. In its new location the park continued to flourish with the addition of the River Caves, Caterpillar, and two wooden coasters - The Scenic Railway and Mountain Caterpillar, both of which sadly no longer with us. In the 1930’s the park was re-furbished, the Ghost Train and Crazy House (now the Haunted Inn) and Cyclone wooden rollercoaster were added and the Park was given the name ‘Pleasureland’. However, the Second World War meant that amusement parks and other activities took a back seat as the country devoted its resources to the war effort. As a result Pleasureland was closed during the war and the site was used by the Air Ministry as a parking ground for aircraft, fuselages and wings shipped over from the USA. After the war Pleasureland was re-opened and soon regained its pre-war popularity. As post-war Britain got back on its feet, so did the leisure market. Pleasureland in the 1950’s saw a boating lake, a completely re-built Fun House (originally called the “House of Nonsense”) and the Queen’s Horses (now the Gallopers) and Bowl Slide were new attractions to the park. The Bowl Slide remains in operation today and is believed to be the only Helter Skelter with a bowl to still be in operation in Britain. During the 1960’s came the 1001 Troubles Mirror Maze and Haunted Swing, both still operational and enjoyed by our present day visitors as “Abdullah’s Dilemma”. Other rides added during the ‘70’s and still retained at Pleasureland include the Wild Cat steel rollercoaster and the Sky Ride cableway, whilst the the Pinfari Big Apple junior steel rollercoaster was added in the 1980’s. Many attractions are no longer at Pleasureland ­ some were only ever here on a temporary basis whilst others have simply moved on or been sold. A few names include the Speedway, the Rainbow, the Hanseatic swing boat, the Hurricane Jets, the Astroslide and the Looping Star. During the 1960’s came the 1001 Troubles Mirror Maze and Haunted Swing, both still operational and enjoyed by our present day visitors as “Abdullah’s Dilemma”. Other rides added during the ‘70’s and still retained at Pleasureland included the Wild Cat steel rollercoaster and the Sky Ride cableway. The Pinfari Big Apple junior steel rollercoaster was added in the 1980’s

The Log Flume, a major attraction for the park, was shipped over from Myrtle Beach in the USA in 1991 and rebuilt at Pleasureland. In 1993 Pleasureland created a young children’s area called Sultan Towers incorporating 10 juvenile rides and The Moroccan Crazy Golf was built around the Log Flume at the entrance to the Park. During 1994 the council demolished their outdoor swimming pool and Pleasureland purchased the water chutes. The chutes were re-built on the Park, a hydraulic water system was installed, boats were added and the ride was renamed the Waterboggan. 1995 saw the addition of the Pavilion, a canvas dome which plays host to Pleasureland’s summer Circus.

In 1997 Pleasureland purchased the last remaining ride tenant on the park, and this finally paved the way for some major changes. With the tenanted rides gone there was not only more space available for new attractions, but also more freedom to rearrange the existing rides and make the best use of the space available. Four new rides were added this year, the Tidal Wave swing boat, the Bumper Boats, a new Ghost Train and the Mistral Flying Machines. Sadly the original Ghost Train was demolished due to the poor condition of the building, however many of the elements were transferred to the former Journey into Space ride which would become the new Ghost Train.

For 1998 a Chance Chaos was brought to the park from America, the first Chaos in Britain and a fast and furious ride that flips and spins until riders don’t know up from down! This was the first year of significant investment, with the addition of the Challenger Go Karts and major ground improvements. Work continued through the winter, with several rides relocated and refurbished to make room for Pleasureland’s biggest attraction ever. Visitors in 1999 were greeted by the awesome sight of the TRAUMAtizer, the UK’s tallest, fastest, suspended looping coaster, built at a cost of £5 million by the Dutch company Vekoma. Other new attractions included the Desert Camels children’s ride and a junior Go Kart track. Pleasureland also opened its new entertainment centre - Casablanca, with bar, restaurant and games area. The following year saw the arrival of Pleasureland’s fifth rollercoaster - King Solomon’s Rides, a wild ride in an out-of-control mine cart. This is another historic ride, having previously been situated at Morecambe Frontierland. The Fun House was refurbished, with new attractions and a new entrance, and all the park’s toilets received a major facelift! In 2001 the park continued to grow and improve, with a new games plaza to replace some of the older buildings and extensive landscaping around the car parks and 2002 saw an exciting new attraction ­ the Lucozade Space Shot, which launches thrill seekers 120 feet into the air! This was also the year that the much delayed Ocean Plaza development finally opened in Southport, bringing increased levels of trade to Southport’s seafront. Abdullah’s Dilemma, a £250,000 walk-through attraction combining the Haunted Swing and 1001 Mirrors, was opened in 2003 by arch TV prankster Jeremy Beadle. 2003 also saw significant developments behind the scenes, firstly the leases on the last few tenanted properties expired, secondly Pleasureland acquired the lease for the land occupied by Southport Zoo. This increases the land available to Pleasureland by about 1/3, and brings with it much scope for development in coming years. As a result of the changes a new main entrance was built, whilst the River Caves was refurbished as the new Lost Dinosaurs of the Sahara attraction. The Desert Rescue ride was extended whilst Sandstorm was the new white knuckle attraction for 2004. Expect to see even more improvements over the next few years, as Pleasureland continues to grow and expand.