You can see it from the train station in Helsinki, Finland. It's called Linnanmaki. It's the local amusement park. It has roller coasters, an aquarium, other thrill rides, kiddieland, and food and entertainment. It's right along the tram line on line 2.
I was in Helsinki a while ago, and I noticed it then, but I didn't have a chance to investigate it. It's a very cool place, and available a lot of the year for the locals and others.
The rides were cleverly situated and everything was amazing. And it was all right in the middle of town.
But, that wasn't all.
Upon arrival in Stockholm, Sweden on the very same trip, I discovered Grona Lund; their local amusement park. It was on the same island as the Vasa Museum and the ABBA Museum along with Skansen, the outdoor history museum.
It was full of amazing rides, similar to the ones in Finland. They had great park food and entertainment as well. Another urban amusement park.
I love travel, and I love amusement parks. This discovery left me thinking of times in the past when I've encountered a city amusement park. I never thought much about it. I just went, rode the rides, had the carnival food and enjoyed myself.
But was there something more to it all?
Anyone who reads this blog knows how much I love New York City, and Coney Island and all of its individual parks have been there since the 1800's. The Wonder Wheel is one of my favorite rides and it's home to the world famous Cyclone roller coaster as well.
Many years ago, I visited Vienna and went to the Prater to ride the oldest working Ferris wheel in the world. All of this got me thinking; what's with the city amusement parks?
Copenhagen has Tivoli Gardens. Chicago has Navy Pier. There's the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. There's the Steel Pier in Atlantic City. The list goes on and on. There are a few amusement parks throughout London as well. Many cities all around the world have urban amusement parks.
What is it with city amusement parks? Why is it that they came into existence and what keeps them running today? Most of these parks are at least 70 years old. What started it all?
It's interesting how cities work. During the industrial age, people worked all week long. In the cities far and wide, they didn't have a lot of money, couldn't afford personal transportation, and needed a way to get to work. Simple. That's where mass transit came into being. There were trolleys until buses, metros, and trams came into being and then they had those too.
But, what happened on the weekends? The companies that ran the public transportation whether it was the local government or private, found that they were offering transportation to no one. People were home on the weekends and ridership was down. However, there were necessary workers who had to get to and from work on the weekends, so the public transport ran, but at a loss. The powers that be had to come up with some way to make mass transit more profitable on the weekends.
Interesting fact. Some of the inner city amusement parks were created by the transportation companies. This is very true in New York City. Coney Island falls at the end of a subway line. That's where these companies put these parks. They provided families with inexpensive local fun, and caused them to have a use for the mass transportation on the weekend.
The parks started out as a way to get families out on the weekends and putting the trams, metros, and buses to work at a profit. Decades later, they've become tradition. They're part of what makes that city tick. Can anyone imagine New York without Coney Island? I think not.
So, remember, when visiting a city here or abroad; don't forget about the amusement park. Across Europe in most capitals and some other cities you'll find them. Here in the United States they aren't uncommon. Many people go to Chicago for museums and sporting events. Don't forget Navy Pier. It's part of the fabric of the history of the city. The world's first Ferris Wheel was right there. And it's a lot of fun to take some time away from history and monuments to just go and ride some rides.
So, when you plan a trip to a city don't forget their amusement park! Enjoy!
https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/sightseeing/london-attraction/theme-park
https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/theme-and-leisure-parks-in-paris-a952
https://www.praterwien.com/startseite/
https://www.linnanmaki.fi/en/front-page/
