Europark Idroscalo Milano

Last updated
Europark Idroscalo Milano
Previously known as Lunapark Milano
Location Segrate, Italy
Opened1965 (1965)

Europark Idroscalo Milano is an amusement park in Segrate, Italy, near Milan. Opened to the public for the first time in 1965 (as Lunapark Milano), the park is a popular stop on Via Rivoltana near Idroscalo Lake. It is open seven days a week from March through September and on weekends throughout the year.

Contents

Attractions

Within the triangular park layout are roller coasters, a midway (alongside railroad tracks that form the back boundary of the property), a house of mirrors, a Ferris wheel, bumper cars (one for adults, "Miniautos" for school age children, and "Baby Karts" for small children), merry-go-rounds (and similar rides), two flume rides, houses of horrors, go-karts, a trip simulator, and various other fantasy and thrill rides. Each ride requires the purchase of a ticket (prices vary between one and ten euros per trip, depending on the ride itself).

In addition, the park features a restaurant and a pub. Near the center of the park grounds is an enclosed "Playground" including plastic tunnels through which small children could crawl while their parents watch through a screen. [1]

History

Lunapark Milano opened its gates for the first time in 1965 for a limited (45-day) season. In response to its growing success, its season expanded to two months in 1966 and three months in 1967. [2] Lights were erected in the park in 1968, allowing the park to stay open into September.

In 1970, Lunapark Milano adopted its current schedule (open seven days a week March through September) and every weekend throughout the year as it declared itself to be a "permanent park." In the ensuing years, attendance grew rapidly as rides and other attractions were added to the grounds. The increasing cost of the new attractions caused a rift between the owners of the park and the concessionaires, culminating in a change of management (afterwards called "Luna Park Management") in 1977. The relationship between management and concessions became free of contention as the vendors agreed to pay higher rent as management continued to add attractions through 1980. [2]

By 2002, the finances of the park became precarious to the point of the management giving the concessionaires an ultimatum: anybody not renewing his lease would be evicted immediately and the attraction dismantled. The evictions were then deferred for one year; Lunapark Milano closed in 2003, seemingly permanently. New owners took over management of the park and renamed it Luna Europark Idroscalo Milano in 2004. [2]

Since then, an upgrading that the park had not seen for two decades resulted in a restoration of the crowds that were lost since the early 1970s. Technology – both in rides and in communications – was added to the park's offerings as it started to exhibit motion simulators and an adult-oriented house of horrors. Live entertainment made its appearance in Europark Idroscalo Milano, as did larger and flashier rides, including the 30 meters (100 feet) tall "Super Frisbee." [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amusement park</span> Park with rides and attractions

An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often featuring multiple areas with different themes. Unlike temporary and mobile funfairs and carnivals, amusement parks are stationary and built for long-lasting operation. They are more elaborate than city parks and playgrounds, usually providing attractions that cater to a variety of age groups. While amusement parks often contain themed areas, theme parks place a heavier focus with more intricately-designed themes that revolve around a particular subject or group of subjects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valleyfair</span> Amusement park

Valleyfair is a 125-acre (51 ha) amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, United States. Owned by Cedar Fair, the park opened in 1976 and now features over 75 rides and attractions including eight roller coasters. Valleyfair also has a water park called Soak City which is included with the price of admission. Cedar Point and Valleyfair were the first two parks in the Cedar Fair chain and a combination of the park names – "cedar" and "fair" – were used to name the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luna Park (Coney Island, 1903)</span> Former amusement park in Brooklyn, New York

Luna Park was an amusement park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. The park was located on a site bounded by Surf Avenue to the south, West 8th Street to the east, Neptune Avenue to the north, and West 12th Street to the west. Luna Park opened in 1903 and operated until 1944. It was located partly on the grounds of the small park it replaced, Sea Lion Park, "the first enclosed and permanent amusement park in North America", which had operated between 1895 and 1902. It was the second of the three original, very large, iconic parks built on Coney Island; the other were Steeplechase Park and Dreamland. At Coney Island's peak in the middle of the 20th century's first decade, the three amusement parks competed with each other and with many independent amusements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luna Park</span> Name shared by dozens of currently operating and defunct amusement parks

Luna Park is a name shared by all of currently operating and defunct luna parks. They are named after, and partly based on, the first Luna Park, which opened in 1903 during the heyday of large Coney Island parks. Luna parks are small-scale attraction parks, easily accessed, potentially addressed to the permanent or temporary residential market, and located in the suburbs or even near the town center. Luna parks mainly offer classic funfair attractions, newer features and catering services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luna Park, Melbourne</span>

Luna Park Melbourne is a historic amusement park located on the foreshore of Port Phillip Bay in St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria. It opened on 13 December 1912, with a formal opening a week later, and has been operating almost continuously ever since.

Southport Pleasureland is an amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England. The park originally operated from 1913 to 2006 as Pleasureland Theme Park under the ownership of the Blackpool Pleasure Beach company. In 2007, the park re-opened under the ownership of Norman Wallis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakwood Theme Park</span> Amusement park in Wales

Oakwood Theme Park is a theme park in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park</span> Amusement park in Wisconsin

Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park Resort is a theme park and water park resort complex in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. The resort is themed after Ancient Greece, particularly its mythology and gods, and is named after the mountain in Greece where those gods were said to live. Mt. Olympus features an indoor and outdoor water park and amusement park rides, and the complex includes dozens of motel buildings that were acquired by the resort in addition to its purpose-built hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paultons Park</span> Theme park in Hampshire, England

Paultons Park is an amusement park located in the New Forest National Park, near the village of Ower, in Hampshire, England, with over 70 rides and attractions. The Peppa Pig World themed area is based on the children's animated television series Peppa Pig. The Lost Kingdom themed area includes 27 animatronic dinosaurs. The park name is derived from the former Paultons Estate, on which the park is situated. The park covers 140 acres of land and features a collection of around 80 species of birds and animals, in addition to the rides. Most of the theme park rides are designed for children and families, which is why the park considers itself a family theme park. The nearest railway station is Totton which is 5.64 km away from the attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom</span> Amusement park in Pennsylvania

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located between Allentown and Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The park features 64 rides, including six roller coasters, other adult and children's rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom, with 19 water rides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Playland (San Francisco)</span> Amusement park in California, 1921 to 1972

Playland was a 10-acre (40,000-square-meter) seaside amusement park located next to Ocean Beach, in the Richmond District at the western edge of San Francisco, California, along Great Highway, bounded by Balboa and Fulton streets. It began as a collection of amusement rides and concessions in the late 19th century, and was preceded by Chutes at the Beach, opened in 1921. Playland closed Labor Day weekend in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow's End (theme park)</span> Amusement park in Auckland, New Zealand

Rainbow's End is a 9.3 hectares theme park in Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand. Rainbow's End includes the main theme park and also Kidz Kingdom, a family entertainment center for children 8 years and under. The park, owned by Rainbows End Theme Park Limited, a subsidiary of Rangatira Limited, is New Zealand's largest theme park and currently employs up to 300 staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idroscalo</span> Artificial lake in Milan, Italy

The Idroscalo is an artificial lake in Milan, Italy that was originally constructed as a seaplane airport. It opened on 28 October 1930, in the heyday of seaplanes. When the use of seaplanes for passenger transport declined it became a recreational and sport facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funfields</span>

Funfields is a 15.7-hectare (39-acre) theme park located in the suburban fringe town of Whittlesea, approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Melbourne, Australia. Opened in 1985, originally as the Alpine Toboggan Park, it has over the years evolved into a multifaceted theme park encompassing a wide variety of wet and dry attractions, and is one of four major theme parks in Victoria. Due to Melbourne's climate and the water related nature of several of its attractions, the park closes during the colder winter months. Its newest attractions have been the Supanova water slide in December 2022, a heated outdoor wave pool, named Volcano Beach, in December 2018, the Gravity Wave water slide, and the Voodoo pendulum ride, both of which opened in October 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luna Park, Berlin</span> Amusement park in Berlin, Germany

Luna Park in the Halensee area of Berlin, Germany was an amusement park in operation from 1909 to 1933. At that time, it was Europe's largest. The park was closed for World War I but reopened after Armistice. Luna Park closed for the last time in October 1933.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luna Park Hamburg-Altona</span> Amusement park in Hamburg, Germany

Luna Park Hamburg-Altona was an amusement park in Altona, Hamburg, Germany. At its opening in 1913, it was the largest in Germany; it closed after the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 and reopened for less than a year in 1923.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HalloWeekends</span> Annual amusement park promotion in Ohio

HalloWeekends is an annual Halloween event at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. It was introduced in 1997, and takes place during the Halloween season, usually from the second Friday after Labor Day until the Sunday before Halloween, or sometimes into early November. The event is open on Thursday Nights, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It is included free with park admission. As of 2021, HalloWeekends features 11 haunted houses and nighttime scare zones, and there are several children's attractions. It is advised that children under 13 years old be accompanied by an adult. HalloWeekend's yearly slogan is "All You Fear is Here!". Other Cedar Fair parks including Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Valley Fair, and Worlds of Fun all have formerly used the HalloWeekends name. The name has changed to Halloween Haunt at all 3 parks. Cedar Point is the only Cedar Fair park that still uses the HalloWeekends name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ZDT's Amusement Park</span> Amusement park in Seguin, Texas

ZDT's Amusement Park is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) family amusement park located in Seguin, Texas. The park first opened in 2007 and has grown to feature 12 attractions, three of which are water rides, along with a video game arcade. It is open year-round with the exception of its water rides which only operate from March through September. The park opened its first roller coaster, Switchback, in 2015.

References

  1. "Map of Europark Idroscalo Milano". Archived from the original on 2009-12-16. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  2. 1 2 3 4 History of Europark Idroscalo Milano Archived 2009-10-01 at the Wayback Machine