Page "Amusement park" Paragraph 13

Amusement parks also grew out of the pleasure gardens that became especially popular at the beginning of the Industrial revolution as an area where one could escape from the grim urban environment.

The oldest intact still-surviving amusement park in the world ( opened 1583 ) is Bakken (" The Hill ") at Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen, Denmark.

The best known of the parks in London, was Vauxhall Gardens founded in 1661 and closed in 1859.

Another long-standing park is Prater in Vienna, Austria, which opened in 1766.

This park was conceived as a place where the common person could enjoy a respite in a pastoral setting and participate in the musical culture of the city.

Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen is another example of a European park, dating from 1843, which still exists.

These parks consisted of booths, entertainment, fireworks displays and some “ rides ” such as introduction to the modern railroad.

The parks grew to accommodate the expectations of their customers — who were increasingly familiar with the mechanical wonders of industrialization.

Rides became a required part of the pleasure garden and by 1896 there were 65 such pleasure parks in London.