Traveller's Guide to The Pleasure Beach in Blackpool

Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach has four distinct show areas. It also is home to 10 roller coaster rides. We would recommend coming during the Illuminations spectacle in autumn.

One of the original rides, Sir Hiram Maxim Flying Machines, still attracts visitors. This ride is all apart of a rich history of the pleasure beach, which over 100 years. It is still a family business concern as it has always been.

Book early. People do come here in large numbers over bank holiday weekends and during the summer. Also when the lights are due to be switched on. Make good use of the trams in the town, they get you where you want to go fast.


Blackpool Pleasure Beach | Blackpool Tower

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Many rides in a Large Area

Covering a massive area, the Pleasure Beach is full of rides. You run the risk of getting lost, which might be a good thing, if you are a child at heart. The park is spread over roughly 42 acres. There are 57 rides. The fans of roller coasters can choose any of 10. Water rides lovers have a choice of 2.


Roller Coasters

Of the 10 roller coaster rides, the Pepsi Max Big One is the tallest in the United Kingdom. It is 235 feet tall and reaching speeds up to 140 kmh (or 87 mph). Second in Europe surpassed only by Silver Star at Europa Park in Rust, Germany. Parks suffer the whims of fashion, and Pleasure Beach is no exception. About a dozen rides have changed since it opened.


Shows at the Pleasure Beach

Why Visit Blackpool?

Blackpool is of a town full of lights and rides. It attracts people from far and wide. Its' Illuminations, during the autumn, are arguably its most famous attraction.

Families with children and groups of adults flock to Blackpool. Parties and long weekends are a busy time in the town. It has a hold on the psyche of the UK. Generating a myriad of reactions from the tacky to the amazing.


History

Founded in 1896 by an alderman, William Bean, the park was envisioned to be a piece of Americana in the UK. During his visits to parks in the USA, he must have returned with a strong desire to replicate their success. We would hazard a guess that he achieved his goal beyond his expectations. The park has consistently been profitable since it first opened.


A Family Business

The development and ownership of the park became a family business. William Bean managed the park until the 1930s. Then his son-in-law, Leonard Thompson, succeeded him. Thompson directed it for about 40 years passing the baton to his son, William Godfrey. Godrey's daughter, Amanda Thompson, is now the creative force behind Pleasure Beach.


The advent of war stopped growth and purchase of new rides. The owners extended an open hand to military service personnel. This gave them a moments respite from the horrors of war.


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