Adventure Island (amusement park) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Adventure Island

Previously known as Peter Pan's Playground, Peter Pan's Adventure Island
Location	Southend-on-Sea, England
Coordinates	51°31′57″N 0°42′57″E / 51.53250°N 0.71583°E / 51.53250; 0.71583
Opened	1976 (1976)
Owner	Stockvale Ltd
Operating season	February – December Year-round (Adventure Inside)
Attractions
Total	36
Roller coasters	5
Water rides	2

Welcome to Adventure Island, a super fun theme park located in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England! It sits right next to the famous Southend Pier. This park has been a place for thrills and laughter since 1976. It used to be called Peter Pan's Playground and then Peter Pan's Adventure Island. Today, it's known simply as Adventure Island and is run by Stockvale Limited. Get ready to explore its 36 rides, shops, and places to grab a bite!

History of Adventure Island

Adventure Island at night

Adventure Island began way back in 1918 as a pretty garden called Sunken Gardens. In the 1920s, they added a few rides for kids. Then, in 1976, the Miller family bought the land on the west side of the pier. They worked hard to turn it into the amazing amusement park you see today!

In 1995, the park got much bigger. The land on the east side of the pier was bought, adding even more space for rides and fun.

Right next to the park is Southend Pier. It's the longest pleasure pier in the world! It was built in 1830 and stretches over a mile (about 2.16 km) into the ocean. You can even take a train along the pier to the Lifeboat Museum. The park wraps around both sides of this famous pier. Keep an eye out for Adventure Island's mascots: Snappy, Rage Man, Jakey, and Jan!

In 1999, the park introduced its first big roller coaster, Green Scream. For a while, it was the park's most famous ride. But now, the title belongs to Rage! Other roller coasters followed: Barnstormer in 2000, Mighty Mini Mega in 2002, and Kiddi Koasta for younger kids in 2011.

The fifth roller coaster, Rage, opened in 2007. It was a huge investment for the park, costing around £3 million! Rage is about 75 feet (22 meters) tall and has a super steep 97-degree drop. It also features a vertical loop and a zero-g roll. The park held a competition in a local newspaper to choose its name. Its slogan is "For Superheroes only!"

In 2014, the park removed an old ride called the Pirate Boat. This made space for a new indoor area called Adventure Inside, which opened in 2015.

Adventure Island is known for being friendly! In 2016, it was ranked among the top five "Friendliest Park In The World" at the Golden Ticket Awards.

In September 2020, the park temporarily closed for safety reasons. This happened after a group of people set up camp nearby. The park later apologized for how they announced the closure.

In 2021, Adventure Island hosted its first Pride event to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. They also started "Islandfest," a yearly event that showcases local artists and musicians. Other fun events include Fairy-tale weekend, Superhero weekend, a Halloween themed week, and a Christmas Grotto. However, in July 2023, Adventure Island decided not to host future Pride events.

Adventure Island Features

Adventure Island doesn't have separate themed lands like some parks. Instead, its rides are grouped by how tall you need to be to ride them. There are rides with no height limit, and others for those over 1 meter, 1.2 meters, or 1.3 meters tall. Before 2021, the park used different colored wristbands for different height groups.

The park is split into two main areas: the East side of the pier and the West side. In the middle, you'll find Adventure Inside. This indoor area has a huge five-story soft play center, four rides, an arcade called Funtopia, and a café.

Adventure Island Rides and Attractions

Rollercoasters at Adventure Island

Name	Picture	Type	Year	Operational Status	Manufacturer	Minimum Height	Fun Facts
Barnstormer		Steel sit down	2000	Operating	Zierer	1 Meter +	This ride reaches 39 kph (24 mph) and is 9 meters (30 ft) tall. It's a small coaster with a fun helix turn. The train has a pilot at the front and a dog at the back!
Green Scream		Steel sit down	1999	Operating	Zierer	1 Meter +	A family-friendly roller coaster with no inversions. The train is green with a red inside. The front car looks like Snappy, a park mascot!
Kiddi Koasta		Steel sit down	2011	Operating	Zamperla	No minimum height	Perfect for young children or those new to roller coasters. It has gentle drops and turns. This ride is now on top of a building in the park.
Mighty Mini Mega		Steel sit down	2003	Operating	Pinfari	1 Meter +	This ride is on top of the Mega City arcade. It's a short but exciting ride with a sharp brake run and a helix.
Rage	Rage roller coaster	Steel sit down	2007	Operating	Gerstlauer	1.2 Meter +	This thrilling coaster goes 70 kph (43 mph) and is 22 meters (72 ft) tall. It has a 97-degree drop and three inversions!

Adventure Island Rides for 1.2 Meters +

Name	Picture	Model	Manufacturer	Year	Operational Status	Fun Facts
Archelon	Archelon swing	Wave Swinger	Zierer	1997	Operating	You need to be at least 1.2 meters tall for this swing ride.
Axis		Maxi Dance Party 360	SBF Visa	2019	Operating	You need to be at least 1.3 meters tall and 10 years old. It's in the spot where Dragon's Claw used to be.
Devil's Dance		Spin-Out	Tivoli	2023	Not in operation	This ride requires you to be at least 1.2 meters tall. It was updated from its original name, Dragon's Claw.
The Screature		Orbitor	Tivoli	2021	Operating	You need to be at least 1.3 meters tall. It's now in the spot where Scorpion/Claw used to be.
Pharaoh's Fury		Twister	Sonacase	1998	Operating	An Egyptian-themed ride located behind the Crooked House. You need to be at least 1.2 meters tall.
Ramba Zamba		Disk-O	Zamperla	2004	Operating	You need to be at least 1.2 meters tall for this spinning ride.
Sky Drop		Drop Tower	Zamperla	2004	Operating	This 21-meter (70 ft) tall drop tower is near the exit of Rage. You need to be at least 1.2 meters tall.
Tidal Wave Blue		Water dinghy ride	Interlink	1995	Operating	A fun dinghy slide located near Vortex. It shares a building with Tidal Wave Green. You need to be at least 1.2 meters tall.
Tidal Wave Green		Water dinghy ride	Interlink	1995	Operating	This dinghy slide is right next to Tidal Wave Blue. You need to be at least 1.2 meters tall.
Time Machine		Giant Swing	Adventure Island Workshop	2012	Operating	A thrilling swing ride built by the park's own team. It's located under Green Scream. You need to be at least 1.2 meters tall.

Adventure Island Rides for 1 Meter +

Name	Picture	Model	Manufacturer	Year	Operational Status	Fun Facts
Cow Jump		Mini Miami Ride	Adventure Island Workshop	2003	Operating	A mini ride themed to the "Hey Diddle Diddle" nursery rhyme. You need to be at least 1 meter tall.
Drop n´ Smile		Mini Drop Tower	Adventure Island Workshop	2001	Operating	A small drop ride near the American Whip. You need to be at least 1 meter tall.
Fireball		Ferris wheel-type spinner ride	Adventure Island Workshop	2006	Operating	This ride was built by the park's team and is across from The Screature. You need to be at least 1 meter tall.
Sk8borda	Sk8borda	Rocking tug	Zamperla/Adventure Island Workshop	2008	Operating	A rocking tug ride shaped like a skateboard. All riders face the same way. You need to be at least 1 meter tall.
Smiles-Per-Galleon		Pirate Ship	SBF Visa	2015	Operating	A pirate ship ride located inside Adventure Inside. You need to be at least 1 meter tall.
The Dragon		Roundabout Ride	Zierer	1995	Operating	A roundabout ride that spins both forwards and backwards. You need to be at least 1 meter tall.
The Pirate Plunge		Drop Tower	SBF Visa	2015	Operating	A drop tower located inside Adventure Inside. You need to be at least 1 meter tall.

Adventure Island Rides with No Minimum Height

Other Fun Attractions

Formula 1A Karting

• Adventure Golf – Play a round of golf on two different courses (extra charge).
• Sealife Adventure – Explore amazing sea creatures in an area next to the park.
• Funtopia Arcade – Play games and win prizes in this arcade, open when Adventure Inside is open.
• MegaCity Arcade - More arcade games to enjoy when the main park is open.

Past Rides at Adventure Island

Here are some rides that used to be at Adventure Island:

• Devils Creek Gold Mine - A children's train ride with spinning barrel cars. It had a rock tunnel and devil-themed decorations. It was replaced by Adventureville in 2016.
• American Freeway - A spinning ride similar to The Dragon, but with high safety railings.
• Barracuda - An inverter ship ride that used to be near where Axis is now.
• Beezlee Bob's Trail - A spooky dark ride from 1999 to 2007, replaced by Over The Hill.
• Blackbeards: All at Sea - A cinema attraction that was located where Adventure Inside is now.
• Fantasy Dome - A large dome attraction.
• Pirate Galleon - A classic pirate ship ride.
• Raging River - A log flume ride with two drops, open from 1996 to 2006. It was replaced by the Rage roller coaster.
• Sky Lab - A thrilling flat ride similar to an Enterprise ride.
• Space Chase - A shuttle roller coaster with light blue track.
• Over The Hill - A dark ride that replaced Beezlee Bob's Trail. It was later updated into Over The Hill 2: Spooksville.
• Scorpion - A spinning ride that closed in 2018 to make way for Axis.
• Vortex - An orbiter ride that closed in 2022.
• Jungle Express – A mini train ride.
• Formula 1A Karting – Go-karts (extra charge).
• Dodgems – Bumper cars, closed in October 2022.
• Magic Monsters – A small roundabout ride, closed in October 2022.

Images for kids

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  Aerial photo of Adventure Island

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  The pier

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  Rage

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  Pirate's Cove

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  Pirate ship

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  View from water