Alton Towers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alton Towers Resort

Previously known as Alton Towers Alton Abbey
Location	Alton, Staffordshire, England
Coordinates	52°59′15″N 1°53′27″W / 52.98750°N 1.89083°W / 52.98750; -1.89083
Opened	13 April 1860 (1860-04-13) (as country estate) 4 April 1980 (1980-04-04) (as theme park)
Owner	LXi REIT
Operated by	Merlin Entertainments
General manager	Bianca Sammut (Divisional Director)
Slogan	Britain's Greatest Escape
Operating season	Theme Park February - January (Full park offering between March - November) Alton Towers Gardens February - January Alton Towers Dungeon March – November Sharkbait Reef by Sealife February - January Alton Towers Hotel Year-round Splash Landings Hotel Year-round Enchanted Village Year-round CBeebies Land Hotel Year-round Stargazing Pods April – November Alton Towers Waterpark Year-round Conference Centre Year-round Extraordinary Golf Year-round
Attendance	2022: 2,300,000 (28%)
Area	910 acres (370 ha; 3.7 km2) (total combined resort area)
Attractions
Total	42
Roller coasters	10
Water rides	3
Website	www.AltonTowers.com

Alton Towers Resort ( OL-tən) (often referred to as Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, mini golf and hotel complex. In 2021, it ranked first for attendance among amusement parks in the UK, with an estimated 1.8 million visitors.

Originally a private estate of the Earls of Shrewsbury, Alton Towers' grounds were opened to the public in 1860 to raise funds. In the 1970s a few rides were added and some of the themed areas were developed. Inspired by Disneyland, it was transformed into a theme park in 1980 with the installation of its first roller coaster and several new rides. The park has many attractions such as Congo River Rapids, Runaway Mine Train, Nemesis Reborn, Oblivion, Galactica, The Smiler, Wicker Man, Rita and TH13TEEN. It operates a total of ten roller coasters and offers a range of accommodation and lodging options alongside the theme park. Facilities include Alton Towers Waterpark, Alton Towers Conference Centre and Extraordinary Golf.

The theme park is open seasonally from mid-March to early November, whilst many of its hotels and amenities are open year-round. Special events are hosted throughout the year, including Alton Towers Scarefest (the park's Halloween event), Oktoberfest, Festival of Thrills, Summer of Fun and Mardi Gras.

History

Alton Towers first opened to the public on a regular basis following the opening of Alton Towers railway station. Money raised from railway excursions was paid to the earl and helped to maintain the upkeep of the grounds.

In 1924, a group of local estate agents formed Alton Towers Ltd to take ownership of the estate and began to restore the gardens as a tourist attraction. In the 1950s, this included the operation of a fairground, and by the 1970s included a boating lake and chairlift.

Property developer John Broome acquired the park after marrying the daughter of majority shareholder Dennis Bagshaw in 1973 and subsequently buying all its concessions. From there, he began the theme park by developing new areas and installing permanent rides, including the Corkscrew, The Flume, Around The World In 80 Days, The Black Hole and the Grand Canyon Rapids.

In 1990, Broome sold Alton Towers to The Tussauds Group, then a division of Pearson plc, after his development of the former Battersea Power Station encountered financial difficulties. The change of park ownership brought another era of development, involving the opening of new themed areas and attractions, such as Runaway Mine Train (1992), The Haunted House (1992), Toyland Tours (1994), and Nemesis (1994). Tussauds' park development team from 1990 to 2002 included attraction producer John Wardley among others.

The Tussauds Group was sold to venture capital firm Charterhouse in 1998. The opening of Oblivion that same year and Air (now Galactica) in 2002 saw the park sustain new major roller coasters, both marketed as 'World First' rides. In 2005, Dubai International Capital (DIC) acquired Tussauds for £800 million.

In May 2007, The Blackstone Group purchased The Tussauds Group for US$1.9 billion and merged it with its then-subsidiary Merlin Entertainments. Dubai International Capital also gained 20% of Merlin Entertainment.

On 17 July 2007, Alton Towers was sold to private investment firm Prestbury under a sale and leaseback agreement. Merlin continues to operate the site under a renewable 35-year lease. As of 2023, the property is owned by LXi REIT plc.

As of early 2008 the resort changed its name to 'Alton Towers Resort' to better reflect its status as a multi-day destination. Most other Merlin-owned theme parks with onsite hotels would follow the same course over the following few years. In 2020, Alton Towers operated on a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, operating on a limited capacity from 4 July until November.

Rides and attractions

Roller coasters

Name	Picture	Status	Opened	Type	Manufacturer	Height Min.	Park section	Notes	Previous Attraction
Galactica		Operational	2002	Steel/Flying	Bolliger & Mabillard	1.4 m	Forbidden Valley	The world's first Bolliger & Mabillard flying roller coaster, formerly known as Air (2002–2015). From 2016 to 2018 it featured virtual reality.	Air
Nemesis Reborn		Closed until 2024	1994	Steel/Inverted	Bolliger & Mabillard	1.4 m	Forbidden Valley	Europe's first inverted roller coaster. Currently undergoing a major refurbishment and re-track.	N/A
Oblivion		Operational	1998	Steel/Dive coaster	Bolliger & Mabillard	1.4 m	X-Sector	The world's first dive coaster.	Alpine Bobsleigh
Rita		Operational	2005	Steel/Accelerator	Intamin	1.4 m	Dark Forest	A hydraulic launched coaster.	Boneshaker
Runaway Mine Train		Operational	1992	Steel/Mine Train	Mack Rides	0.9 m	Katanga Canyon	A powered mine train roller coaster. The oldest roller coaster in the park following the removal of the Beastie in 2013.	N/A
Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure		Operational	2015	Steel	Zamperla	0.9 m	CBeebies Land	A coaster designed for young children and families. Themed to the TV show of the same name.	Beastie
Spinball Whizzer		Operational	2004	Steel/Spinning	Maurer AG	1.2 m	The Towers	A spinning coaster themed to a game of pinball. Between 2010 and 2015 it was sponsored by Sonic the Hedgehog and named Sonic Spinball before losing the contract in 2016. Has a sister coaster at Chessington.	N/A
TH13TEEN		Operational	2010	Multi Dimension Coaster	Intamin	1.2 m	Dark Forest	A family coaster featuring the world's first "vertical free-fall drop" element on a roller coaster.	Corkscrew
The Smiler		Operational	2013	Steel/Infinity	Gerstlauer	1.4 m	X-Sector	Worlds first Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster, Holds world record for most inversions on a roller coaster (14).	Black Hole
Wicker Man		Operational	2018	Wooden	Great Coasters International	1.2 m	Mutiny Bay	The second large-scale modern wooden roller coaster to open in the UK, and the first wooden rollercoaster to be themed to wood and fire. The ride interacts with a flaming wicker man feature.	The Flume

Ride statistics

Name	Height	Length	Top speed	Inversions	Manufacturer	Designer
Galactica	65.6 ft (20.0 m)	2,755.9 ft (840.0 m)	46.6 mph (75.0 km/h)	2	Bolliger & Mabillard	John Wardley / Bolliger & Mabillard
Nemesis	42.6 ft (13.0 m)	2,349 ft (716 m)	50 mph (80 km/h)	4	Bolliger & Mabillard	John Wardley / Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH
Oblivion	65 ft (20 m)	1,222 ft (372 m)	68 mph (109 km/h)	0	Bolliger & Mabillard	John Wardley / Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH
Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure	22 ft (6.7 m)	469.2 ft (143.0 m)	18.6 mph (29.9 km/h)	0	Zamperla	Zamperla
Rita	68.8 ft (21.0 m)	2,099.7 ft (640.0 m)	61.1 mph (98.3 km/h)	0	Intamin	Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH
Runaway Mine Train	36 ft (11 m)	1,000 ft (300 m)	22.4 mph (36.0 km/h)	0	Mack Rides	John Wardley / Mack Rides GmbH
Spinball Whizzer	55.8 ft (17.0 m)	1,476.4 ft (450.0 m)	39 mph (63 km/h)	0	Maurer Söhne	Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH
The Smiler	72 ft (22 m)	3,838.6 ft (1,170.0 m)	52.8 mph (85.0 km/h)	14	Gerstlauer	Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GmbH
TH13TEEN	65.6 ft (20.0 m)	2,480.3 ft (756.0 m)	41.6 mph (66.9 km/h)	0	Intamin	Intamin Amusement Rides
Wicker Man	72.2 ft (22.0 m)	2,608.3 ft (795.0 m)	43.6 mph (70.2 km/h)	0	Great Coasters International	John Wardley / Jeff Pike, Skyline Design LLC

Flat rides

Name	Picture	Type	Status	Opened	Area	Manufacturer	Additional information	Replaced
The Blade		Swinging ship	Operational	1997 (1980)	Forbidden Valley	HUSS	A swinging ship, themed to a swinging blade. It was originally situated in Fantasy World between 1980 and 1996, as the Pirate Ship, before moving to Forbidden Valley in 1997. Currently the oldest attraction at the park.	Thunder Looper

Temporary flat rides

Alton Towers rented four temporary flat rides for the 2021 season to help with capacity. Three of these were part of the "Retro Squad". The Retro Squad lasted 3 seasons, leaving after 2023, while Flavio's Fabulous Fandango is still present at the resort.

Name	Picture	Type	Status	Opened	Area	Manufacturer	Additional information	Replaced
Flavio's Fabulous Fandango		Sizzler	Operational	2021	The World of David Walliams	PWS Rides	A sizzler/twister flat ride owned by UK showman 'George Burrows'. The ride was manufactured by PWS in 2015.	Twirling Toadstool

Water/Dark rides

Name	Picture	Type	Status	Opened	Area	Manufacturer	Notes	Replaced
Alton Towers Dungeon		Boat ride and walk-through attraction	Operational	2019	The Towers	Merlin Magic Making / Mack Rides	An in-park version of Merlin's Dungeon brand attractions, with five interactive scenes and a boat ride. It incurs an additional charge.	Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Ride
Battle Galleons		Splash Battle	Operational	2008	Mutiny Bay	Mack Rides	A Splash Battle ride, where riders shoot with water guns while passing multiple pirate-themed scenery.	Splash Kart Challenge
Congo River Rapids		Rapids ride	Operational	1986	Katanga Canyon	Intamin	A rapids ride around Katanga Canyon, interacting with the Runaway Mine Train. Refurbished 1992.	N/A
The Curse at Alton Manor		Dark ride	Operational	2023	Gloomy Wood	Mack Rides	A dark ride themed as a haunted house.	Duel – The Haunted House Strikes Back
Hex - The Legend of the Towers		Walk-through/ Madhouse dark ride combination	Closed until 2024	2000	The Towers	Vekoma	A walkthrough attraction based on the legend of the chained oak. Concludes with a Madhouse attraction in the ride's Vault area.	N/A
Gangsta Granny: The Ride		Dark ride	Operational	2021	The World of David Walliams	Garmendale Engineering	A dark ride based on the story of Gangsta Granny, written by David Walliams.	Wobble World
Nemesis Sub Terra		Walk-through/ ABC Rides Drop Tower combination	Operational	2012	Forbidden Valley	ABC Rides	An experience themed to the Nemesis story. Has a small indoor drop tower in the experience. Closed in August 2015 but reopened in May 2023 with minor changes.	Lava Lump

Children's rides and attractions

Name	Picture	Type	Opened	Area	Manufacturer	Notes	Replaced
Cuckoo Cars Driving School		Driving Attraction	2006	The Towers	SB International AB	A children's car driving attraction.	Vintage Cars
Raj's Bouncy Bottom Burp		Mini drop tower	1999	The World of David Walliams	S&S Power	A mini drop tower for children. Formerly Frog Hopper.	N/A
Royal Carousel		Carousel	1991	The World of David Walliams	Bertazzon	A children's merry-go-round ride. Formerly Gallopers Carousel.	N/A
Heave Ho		Rockin' Tug	2008	Mutiny Bay	Zamperla	A rocking and swinging boat ride.	N/A
Marauder's Mayhem		Teacups Ride	1987	Mutiny Bay	Mack Rides	A teacups ride themed as barrels of gunpowder. Formerly the Tea Cup Ride.	N/A
Sharkbait Reef		Sea Life Centre	2009	Mutiny Bay	Merlin Magic Making	A Sea Life aquarium themed as a shipwreck.	3D Cinema
In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride		Boat ride	2014	CBeebies Land	Mack Rides	An In the Night Garden themed boat ride. Originally opened as the Canal Boat Ride and themed as Riverbank Eye Spy 1995-2014.
Get Set Go TreeTop Adventure		Powered monocab ride	1996	CBeebies Land	Premier Rides	Riders travel through the tree tops in their own vehicle above CBeebies Land. Formerly Squirrel Nutty Ride.	N/A
Postman Pat's Parcel Post		Convoy Ride	2014	CBeebies Land	Metallbau Emmeln	An interactive car ride based on the CBeebies programme Postman Pat.	Old Macdonalds Tractor Ride
Bugbie Go Round		Carousel-style attraction	1995	CBeebies Land		A carousel-style attraction featuring Bugbies. Formerly Numtums Number Go Round and originally opening as Doodle Doo Derby.	N/A
JoJo & Gran Gran At Home		Walk Through	2022	CBeebies Land	Merlin Magic Making	An indoor interactive attraction based on the CBeebies programme JoJo & Gran Gran.	Charlie & Lola's Moonsquirters & Greendrops
Justin's House: Pie-O-Matic Factory		Playhouse	2003	CBeebies Land	Merlin Magic Making	An interactive indoor play area based on the CBeebies programme Justin's House. Formerly Berry Bish Bash.	N/A
Andy's Adventures Dinosaur Dig		Show	2022	CBeebies Land	Merlin Magic Making	An interactive show and attraction based on the TV show Andy's Dinosaur Adventures.	Mr Bloom's Allotment
Something Special Sensory Garden		Sensory Trail	2014	CBeebies Land	Merlin Magic Making	An outdoor sensory garden based on the CBeebies programme Something Special.	N/A
Hey Duggee's Big Adventure Badge		Play Area	2022	CBeebies Land	Merlin Magic Making	A play adventure land based on the CBeebies programme Hey Duggee.	Tree Fu Tom Training Camp
Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Ride		Aerial Roundabout	2017	CBeebies Land	Garmendale Engineering	An aerial roundabout ride themed to CBeebies programme Go Jetters. One of two additions to CBeebies Land for 2017.	N/A
The Furchester Hotel Live		Show	2017	CBeebies Land	Merlin Magic Making	A live show based on the CBeebies programme The Furchester Hotel. One of two additions to CBeebies Land for 2017.	N/A
Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop		Two Junior Drop Towers	2019	CBeebies Land	S&S Power	Two mini drop towers based on the CBeebies programme Peter Rabbit. Opened 23 March 2019.	N/A

Theme park transport and grounds

Name	Picture	Type	Status	Opened	Area	Manufacturer	Notes
Haunted Hollow		Walkthrough	Open	2007	Gloomy Wood / Mutiny Bay	Tussauds Studios	Themed spooky path between Gloomy Wood and Mutiny Bay, with interactive features. The woodland path was laid in place of the former Park Railway route, which ran 1953–1996. It can be a short cut to the Gloomy Woods or the Forbidden Valley.
Monorail		Monorail	Open	1987	Links entrance plaza to car park and hotels	Von Roll Habegger	Monorail system to transport guests from the resort hotels and car parks to the theme park entrance. Trains refurbished in 2008.
Sky Ride		Gondola lift	Closed until 2024	1987	Stations at Towers Street, Forbidden Valley and the Towers	Poma	Cable car to transport guests around the theme park giving views of the gardens, with three stations; Towers Street, Forbidden Valley and The Towers.
The Gardens		English landscape garden	Open	1860	Gardens	The Talbot Family	Landscaped gardens located within the valley with lakes, water features and architectural landmarks. Features include: Chinese Pagoda Fountain Choragic Monument- dedicated to the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury The Conservatories Gothic Prospect Tower Swiss Cottage
The Towers ruins		Ruins	Temporarily Closed	1970	The Towers	The Talbot Family	The ruins were made safe and opened to the public in the 1970s. Home of several scare mazes during the Scarefest event.

Future Rides

Name	Type	Expected Opening	Site	Manufacturer	Additional Information
'Project Horizon'	Rollercoaster	2025	Area formerly known as 'Coaster Corner'	Unknown	A new rollercoaster being built in a show building in the former area known as 'Coaster Corner' The ride, manufacturer and statistics are currently unknown.

Alton Towers Theme Park

The Alton Towers Theme Park is divided into 11 areas: Towers Street, Mutiny Bay, Katanga Canyon, Gloomy Wood, Forbidden Valley, Dark Forest, The Towers & Gardens, The World of David Walliams, X-Sector, Adventure Land and CBeebies Land. The SkyRide cable car system travels between Towers Street, Forbidden Valley, and the Towers and takes in views of the gardens.

The park's maximum capacity at any one time is set at 28,000 guests. According to the TEA attendance report, the park was estimated to have attracted 2,130,000 people in 2019, a 1.4% increase on 2018's figure of 2,100,000. This made Alton Towers Britain's 2nd most visited theme park, after Legoland Windsor, and the 13th most visited theme park in Europe. Annual admissions surpassed 3 million in both 1994 and 2010, when the Nemesis and Thirteen rollercoasters were opened respectively.

Timeline of park areas

      Previous themed area

      Active themed area

• 

  Mutiny Bay

• 

  Katanga Canyon

• 

  Dark Forest

• 

  The World of David Walliams
  Royal Carousel

• 

  Forbidden Valley
  Nemesis theming

• 

  The Towers
  Spinball Whizzer roller-coaster

• 

  Gloomy Wood

• 

  X-Sector Smiler and Oblivion

Towers Street

Opened in 1986, Towers Street is the first area that visitors to the park encounter. Themed loosely as a town street, it leads to views of the gardens and the Towers across the lake in the distance. Along the pathway are the park's jumping frog fountains and a lawn where seasonal events take place. The first SkyRide station is located nearby, which is a 1,048-metre (3,438 ft) long cable car transport that opened in 1987, and was refurbished 2009. The monorail moves guests from the five on-site hotels, the water park and the car parks to the theme park; it opened 1987 and was refurbished in 2008. In this area during the hour before the park's daily closure, departing guests are entertained by three people wearing police costumes, two of them riding Segway-like vehicles which play party music and the third standing with an old-fashioned megaphone that is unused, and a man riding a miniature ship while dressed as a sea captain.

Katanga Canyon

Themed as an African village; created in 1992 and incorporated existing rapids ride. Rides include the roller coaster Runaway Mine Train and Congo River Rapids. Both are well-established rides in the park whose ride tracks share a tunnel. Congo River Rapids is a river rapids ride that opened 1986, as The Grand Canyon Rapids, and was refurbished in 1992. A 735 m long wild river rapids ride down the Congo River that lasts six minutes. Runaway Mine Train is a steel sit down powered coaster that reaches a speed of 22 mph (36 km/h) on a 1000 ft long track (305 m) and height of 36 ft (11 m); height limit 90 cm. It was designed by John Wardley for Tussauds and manufactured by Mack Rides.

Gloomy Wood

Gloomy Wood serves as the area for the dark ride The Curse At Alton Manor, formally Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back!. Opening in 1992, this was originally Europe's largest haunted dark ride, but was significantly altered with interactive laser guns in 2003 and then removed again in 2023. Each player's shooting score was recorded on a display in the ride car, as guests shot targets throughout the layout. The ride closed in September 2022 for refurbishment. From the beginning of the 2023 season, "Duel" reopened as "The Curse at Alton Manor". Following the story of Emily Alton, who featured in the original Haunted House attraction in the ride queue. In 2007, a themed footpath through the woods was added to the area, named Haunted Hollow. The pathway follows the route formerly used by the park's old scenic railway, linking from Mutiny Bay. Haunted Hollow includes tombstones, statues and other features, some of which interact with guests using sound effects. In July 2015, Nitrogenie opened and replaced the old Waffles and Ices, a shop producing ice cream using liquid nitrogen. However, this is now closed. Gloomy Wood was suggested by the 2017 park map to be home to the new Wicker Man wooden coaster, opening in 2018. However, the park later stated that the ride was in Mutiny Bay.

Forbidden Valley

Forbidden Valley is set in a 'post-apocalyptic' landscape, with standing stones and rustic structures populating the 'valley'. A SkyRide station also serves this area of the park.

The area's principal attraction is Nemesis, opened in 1994. Nemesis is a steel inverted coaster that reaches a speed of 50 mph (81 km) with four inversions, set in a rocky quarry over waterfalls. The ride is built down into excavated ground and was designed by Tussauds, primarily John Wardley. The attraction is themed as an alien creature inhabiting the quarry where the coaster is situated.

The Blade is a Huss Pirate Boat modified with a pendulum blade. It opened in 1980, and was relocated to the area in 1997 from Fantasy World. The Blade operated as the only flat ride in Forbidden Valley following the removal of Ripsaw. However, in October 2019, The Blade was dismantled for refubishment and reopened the next season.

Galactica is a B&M flying coaster, originally opening as Air in 2002. Air was loosely themed as a peaceful landscape, distanced from the 'apocalyptic' look of Nemesis. Air was redesigned as Galactica in 2016, adopting virtual reality headsets and a space travel theme. The VR headsets have since been removed due to feedback from customers.

Nemesis Sub-Terra is a walkthrough / ABC Rides drop tower combination. The experience is themed around the story of Nemesis, and how some eggs have been found underground in a Phalanx facility. The ride originally operated from 2012 to 2015, however on 27 May 2023, Nemesis Sub-Terra re opened.

In May 2016, the 'Rollercoaster Restaurant' opened, offering a dining experience where guests have their food delivered by looping rails. The restaurant is open daily from 10am - 9:30pm; available to guests without theme park admission after the park has closed, except during Scarefest and Fireworks events.

Adventure Land

Adventure Land is a small family area featuring Spinball Whizzer; based on a pinball machine in which the car is the ball whizzing around the machine. The ride originally had this name, until 2010 when it was known as Sonic Spinball until the name change back in 2016 when a contract ended with SEGA after six years. The ride is a Maurer Söhne spinning roller coaster, in which riders sit in cars that can spin on their base whilst travelling at speed around the track. Spinball Whizzer is now part of The Towers, alongside Cuckoo Cars Driving School, Hex and the Alton Towers Dungeon. It has a sister rollercoaster located at Chessington World of Adventures.

Adventure Land is named after the adventure play ground which previously sat on the site. The former play area was one of the attractions of a larger area called Kiddies Kingdom. In 1996, Kiddies Kingdom was split into Adventure Land and Storybook Land.

*This area as of 2017 is considered part of The Towers*

X-Sector

X-Sector is themed as a secretive government facility, suggested to be subjecting park guests to experimental testing. In 2013 the areas theme was tweaked to include the Ministry of Joy, making guests test subjects for their machines, including The Smiler, which was meant to 'marmalise' and 'correct' riders into forcing a smile. In 2015 after The Smiler Crash, the areas theme was broadened and any references of marmalisation and correction was removed.

The area contains two thrill rides. The steel dive coaster Oblivion which opened in 1998 as "the world's first vertical drop rollercoaster", designed by Tussauds and manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard. The cars are held over the edge of the drop for between one and three seconds, before diving into a deep tunnel. The Smiler is a Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster, which opened in May 2013, that holds the world record for most inversions on a roller coaster at 14. The area layout was partially altered in 2013 season to accommodate the opening of The Smiler.

Previous rides in X-Sector include The Black Hole, which was a Jet Star 2 coaster enclosed in a tent, where The Smiler is located today. Energizer (later renamed Boneshaker) was a swinging gondola flat ride. It was replaced by Submission in 2001, a "Chance Double Inverter" flat ride, which was itself removed in 2014. Enterprise was a standard HUSS Enterprise model which opened in 1984, spinning riders 360 degrees and giving the illusion of defying gravity. It was permanently removed from the resort in 2023 after being SBNO in 2022.

Mutiny Bay

Mutiny Bay is a pirate-themed family area, which opened in 2008. the area was a retheme for Merrie England.

Attractions in Mutiny Bay include: Battle Galleons, an interactive "Splash Battle" boat ride, where guests sit in tracked boats while soaking other riders with water cannons. Also in the area is the rocking boat ride, Heave Ho. The park's original teacups ride was re-themed to become Marauders Mayhem, with the tea cup cars being redesigned as gunpowder barrels. The Flume was a Mack log flume ride that opened in 1981 and was rethemed in 2004 with a sponsorship from Imperial Leather alongside Bubbleworks at Chessington World of Adventures. Upon opening, it was the longest flume ride in the world at 886 metres (2,907 ft). Late in the 2015 season, the ride and the neighboring tavern closed and were removed in 2016 to make way for the Wicker Man roller coaster and the "Welcome Inn" bar which shares the coaster's theme.

In 2009, a Sea Life Centre named Sharkbait Reef opened in the location previously home to the 3-D Cinema. This includes "touch pools" for interacting with underwater species and a 10-metre (33 ft) underwater tunnel.

The World of David Walliams

The World of David Walliams opened in May 2021 and is aimed at younger children aged 7–11. It is based on the children's books by David Walliams. Attractions include Gangsta Granny: The Ride, Raj's Bouncy Bottom Burp (the former Frog Hopper) and Royal Carousel (previously Galloper's Carousel). The area has had various names over the years including "Cloud Cuckoo Land", "Cred Street" and "The Land of Make Believe", each had a similar a cartoon-inspired look, mainly featuring Toyland Tours. The area was first built as "Talbot Street" in 1981, becoming the park's first themed area, home to the Around The World in 80 Days and Doom & Sons dark rides. The World of David Walliams also includes many of the author's hidden secrets such as one of the streets being called "Wallibums Way".

In October 2019, it was announced that Cloud Cuckoo Land will be replaced by "The World of David Walliams" for the 2020 season, which will feature attractions based around Walliams' series of children's books.

On 29 May 2020, it was announced that the opening of "The World of David Walliams" would be delayed from 2020 to the 2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another attraction, Flavio's Fabulous Fandango, was temporarily added to the land for opening. The land also features Raj's Shop and various outdoor entertainment.

Dark Forest

The Dark Forest is themed as a supernatural woodland area; to coincide with the opening of TH13TEEN, a steel family coaster themed as a haunted crypt, that opened on 20 March 2010. Th13teen, features the "world's first freefall drop on a roller coaster" - an indoor, vertically dropping track element. The ride replaced the Corkscrew; the park's first roller coaster, which opened in 1980. Rita is a hydraulically launched steel sit-down coaster that reaches a top speed of 62 mph (100 km) that is now themed around an abandoned drag racer that is used to escape the Dark Forest.

The area was previously a cartoon prehistoric area named Ug Land, which opened in 1999, but was half-demolished to make way for Rita's construction in 2005. Rita used to be themed around drag racing but was changed with the opening of Th13teen and the Dark Forest. With the opening of Th13teen, the area was renamed as Dark Forest and further altered with a new colour scheme and entrance feature. Rita was also given a repainted control cabin and trains, shortening its name from "Rita - Queen of Speed".

CBeebies Land

CBeebies Land is based on the BBC children's TV channel: CBeebies and opened on 24 May 2014. The area includes rides, shows and interactive experiences based on programmes from CBeebies, including In the Night Garden... and Postman Pat. Attractions in the area are: In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride, Postman Pat's Parcel Post, Get Set Go Treetop Adventure, Something Special Sensory Garden, Numtums Number Go-Around, Charlie & Lola's Moonsquirters and Greendrops, Justin's House: Pie-O-Matic Factory, Mr Bloom's Allotment and Tree Fu Tom Training Camp. Shows at the Big Fun Show Time stage include: Mike the Knight, The ZingZillas and Nina and the Neurons.

In 2015, Octonauts Roller Coaster Adventure opened, it is an underwater themed children's roller coaster; built on the vacant site The Beastie roller coaster. CBeebies Land was further expanded in 2017 with the opening of the Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Ride and The Furchester Hotel Live, and again in 2019 with the addition of Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop and Teletubbies Big Band Live Show. The Numtums Number Go-Around has since been rethemed to the Bugbie Go-Around.

The Towers

The Towers are the ruins of Alton Towers stately home and are the source of the park's name. They belonged to the Talbot family as a stately home until 1924 and largely designed by Augustus Pugin, also noted for his work on the Palace of Westminster. The Towers are now in a state of disrepair following decades of neglect. The ruins are open to the public during most of the open season. However, some areas are closed off as part of a £1.1 million project in place to restore the oldest parts of the Towers. Key areas of The Towers include the banqueting hall, the chapel, conservatories, and Her Ladyship's Gardens.

Hex – The Legend of the Towers, a walk-through dark ride based within the ruins themselves, opened in 2000. The finale to the ride is a Vekoma Madhouse located away from the real Towers but themed as a secret vault. The storyline is based on a local legend about the chained oak tree, located in a nearby forest, and makes use of the history of the Towers. It draws its theme from the legend of the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury who was said to be cursed by a beggar woman to suffer death every time a branch falls from an old oak tree.

The Alton Towers Dungeon was added to the area in 2019. Since the openings of CBeebies Land and The World of David Walliams; Spinball Whizzer and Cloud Cuckoo Land have been part of the area.

Cuckoo Cars Driving School allows children to drive miniature electric cars around a themed road layout, featuring visual jokes along the way. A SkyRide station is located nearby Fountain Square, giving access to other areas of the park.

During the park's Halloween 'Scarefest' event multiple scare mazes operate within the Towers themselves. For 2023’s Scarefest event these were; The Attic: Terror of the Towers, and Altonville Mine Tours: Tinys Revenge.

The Gardens

Near the garden entrance is a cenotaph to the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury, who built Alton Towers and developed its gardens in the early 19th century. The monument features a marble bust with an inscription reading "He made the desert smile". Other landmarks include a Chinese Pagoda Fountain, The Swiss Cottage, Miniature 'Stonehenge', and orangeries.

Alton Towers Waterpark

The Alton Towers Waterpark, formerly known as Cariba Creek, opened alongside the Splash Landings Hotel in 2003. It is a large (with 7 pools and 10 water slides), part-indoor and part outdoor waterpark themed as a tropical Caribbean lagoon. The waterpark features several fast slides, a lazy river, a giant tipping bucket and many other water features. Also located there are two food and drink venues: Adventures Cave and Ice Cream Shack. Unlike Chessington Zoo at the also Merlin operated Chessington World of Adventures Resort, a separate ticket is needed for waterpark access as it is not included with the theme park entrance price.

Attractions include Lagoona Bay, which is the main tropical pool, with water cannons, geysers and waterfalls. The Little Leak is a paddling pool for young children with two small slides and interactive pipes to play with, while Wacky Waterworks Treehouse is a wooden 'treehouse' with water cannons, and other interactive features to squirt passing people with.

The largest ride in the Waterpark is the water coaster The Master Blaster, with uphill sections similar to the Master Blaster at Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool and Nucleus at Water World, Stoke-on-Trent. The Master Blaster is a high speed water flume that contains sharp turns, drops and dark sections, and has views of the entire indoor area of the waterpark.

Other rides include Rush & Rampage, twin racing slides where riders experience wide turns. This attraction requires rubber rings. Lazy River (Calypso Creek) is a slow-moving water circuit, taking riders underneath spraying water jets and tipping buckets of water. Rubber rings are available. The Tipping Bucket is a container filled with 1000 litres of water which regularly tips its contents over people standing below. Flash Floods are tiered outdoor pools with two slides leading to the middle pool and three leading to the bottom. Other swimming pools include Volcanic Springs, and indoor heated hot pool, and Bubbly Wubbly Pool, an outdoor heated pool and whirlpool.

The indoor section of the water park operates 12 months a year excluding Christmas Day and Boxing Day, although it closes for winter maintenance for around 2 weeks each January.

Resort accommodation

Alton Towers Hotel

The Alton Towers Hotel is a four star hotel that opened on 10 April 1996. It is themed to the eccentric fictional character Sir Algenon Alton and his travels. There are 180 rooms consisting of three different room types: Explorer, Arctic Explorer, and Moon Voyager. Each room is decorated in a quirky English style with pictures of Sir Algenon's inventions. The hotel was the first phase in a plan to transform the theme park into a multi-day resort destination.

On the ground floor are the hotel's two table service restaurants; the Secret Garden Restaurant and the Emperor's Grill, along with the Chinese-themed Dragon's Bar, and the traveller's themed Captain's Bar. There is also a shop called the Emporium that sells merchandise, toiletries, and snacks.

Splash Landings Hotel

The Splash Landings Hotel opened in 2003. The hotel has a relaxed Caribbean theme and is attached to the Alton Towers Waterpark.

It also has a four star rating and houses 216 rooms with six-room types to choose from. These consist of Family of 4 'Beachcomber' room, Family of 6 'Beachcomber' room, The Ice Age Room, The Pirate Room, Interconnected Family of 4 'Beachcomber' room and, Interconnected Family of 3 'Beachcomber' Room.

The interconnected rooms are all on the ground floor due to all of them either being an accessible or connecting to one, most of the accessible rooms are situated on the side facing the waterpark. Two of the Family of 6 rooms are also accessibility friendly, these are 1125 and 1134.

The rooms are numbered in the ranges of 1101 to 1159, 1201 to 1259, 1301 to 1359 and, 1401 to 1459, there are a few room numbers that are not used due to the shape of the hotel, these are 27, 29, 31, 33 and 35 on each floor.

There are two shops within this hotel, the main one is called 'The Shack' and is adjacent to the reception desk, whereas the other is 'The Pool Shop' adjacent to the entrance to the Waterpark. As is probably to be expected, the Pool Shop specialises in items more focused upon the Waterpark such as swimming attire and buoyancy aids. The normal opening hours for the Pool Shop is from when the Waterpark opens until about 30 minutes after it closes.

The Shack is normally open in the morning when most people will be moving around before check out until about 11am (11:00), it then re-opens around 2pm (14:00) until 10pm (22:00). As with the Emporium, the Shack primarily sells toiletries as well as resort merchandise.

Enchanted Village

The Enchanted Village is made up of 120 lodges and 5 secluded treehouses set in the fictional Enchanted Forest woodland. Situated next to the Alton Towers hotel, it features a variety of miniature playgrounds for children.

The site is also home to "The Crooked Spoon" restaurant, which typically serves the sort of food expected within a village pub style setting. Some of the more common meals include burgers (of the steak or bean variety), a simple tomato and basil pasta, a sirloin steak, butterfly chicken, or a cauliflower steak.

The village also plays host to the 'Lodge Shop' which sells items that would be expected for a nice summers evening relaxing outdoors. It appears that the Lodge Shop operates using different hours than the shop contained within the Alton Towers Hotel and Splash Landings Hotel.

The Enchanted Village opened to the public on 18 April 2015.

CBeebies Land Hotel

The CBeebies Land Hotel opened on 8 July 2017 with a total of 76 themed rooms: 42 standard rooms (themed to the CBeebies Bugbies) and 34 premium rooms themed to CBeebies shows, such as Bing (new for 2022), Something Special, and Swashbuckle. Room amenities include child-friendly features, such as steps up to the sink and children's toilet seats. The hotel features CBeebies-themed shows and entertainment, which run every day of the year, as well as the "Windmill Restaurant".

Within this hotel is 'The Toy Shop' which, contrary to its name, sells more than just toys and similar to the other shops on site, also sells ice creams, drinks and sweets. Due to it being within a hotel that caters more to a younger audience than the rest, its closing time reflects the, normally, earlier bed times for the occupants by being at 8pm (20:00).

Stargazing Pods

Although Alton Towers had previously gained the necessary permits to expand the Enchanted Village, these plans were eventually scrapped and reduced into a "pod"-style accommodation option. 102 individual pods were constructed, each sleeping up to four people.

The proposals have faced some critical views from the public, with many criticisms being raised over the capacity of bathroom facilities as well as how the resort will cope with the increased demand in food and beverages, as the Stargazing Pods will not have its own restaurant, bar or shopping facilities. The council even initially rejected the application citing lack of imagination and "magic", although the plans were granted permission the second time without making any notable improvements.

The Stargazing Pods opened on 12 April 2019.

Recreation

Alton Towers Spa

Alton Towers Spa was part of the Alton Towers Hotel and opened in 2004. It included relaxation and treatment rooms and an adults-only swimming pool. Despite being inside the Alton Towers Hotel, non-hotel guests were able to use the spa. It was closed on 31 December 2023 with the resort citing changing guest visitation habits and future development for the area.

Extraordinary Golf

Opened in 2007, the Extraordinary Golf mini-golf attraction is themed to different rides and attractions at the park, some of which, are from the park's history. Extraordinary Golf is located to the west of the Splash Landings Hotel. Extraordinary Golf was refreshed for 2016 including the addition of a Galactica themed hole.

Tree Top Quest

Opened May 2015, the Enchanted Forest Tree Top Quest is a high ropes course near the Enchanted Village. The attraction opened shortly after, and accompanies, the Enchanted Village development. There is also a low ropes course. Tree Top Quest did not open for the 2018 season or the start of the 2019 season due to budget cuts by parent company, Merlin Entertainments. It was expected to reopen on 13 July 2019 but has subsequently remained closed ever since. Its future status is unknown.

Future developments

Alton Towers is located in a Conservation Area, which puts restrictions on its permissible development, notably that no structures in the park should be built above tree line and if so should be disguised from external views of the park; this can be seen on the ride Rita, where the highest sections of track are camouflaged green.

Noise pollution is also a problem for the park due to the close proximity to the villages of Alton and Farley and the town of Cheadle. There have been several cases where Alton Towers have been taken to court over the noise levels emitted from the park and have been served noise abatement orders between 2004 and 2006.

In November 2022, Nemesis closed for a complete retrack and will reopen in 2024.

In September 2022, Alton Towers held a public consultation to propose plans for a large indoor attraction on the former site of the Alton Mouse codenamed "Project Horizon". The project was approved in early 2023, and the ride is expected to open in the spring of 2025.

Secret Weapon roller coasters

Alton Towers has a tradition of codenaming its new roller coaster developments as "Secret Weapon", or "SW", followed by a number. The name is associated with the park's inclination to promote its rides as holding "world first" or in some way "innovative" features and records. However the naming tradition actually began for unrelated reasons, since "Secret Weapon" was the working title of a roller coaster that was ultimately never commissioned.

SW1 was a pipeline roller coaster, planned to open in around 1992, on what later became the Nemesis site. It was provisionally titled the "Secret Weapon", with the intention of theming the ride as an ambiguous weapon testing facility. John Wardley rode the Arrow Dynamics prototype of their pipeline coaster, but stated "it was very slow and rather boring", as well as the requirement for such a high lift hill being unsuitable for the park's planning restrictions. After a second layout revision, labelled "SW2", the ride was scrapped and development on SW3 (Nemesis) began. The code name subsequently became the standard preliminary name for major roller coaster projects at the park.

The naming convention was briefly dropped while the Tussauds Group changed ownership under Dubai International Capital, before being continued by Merlin Entertainments beginning with the Thirteen rollercoaster in 2010.

Scarefest

Scarefest is the resort's largest annual event, which runs from the first weekend of October, then continues a week later until late October/early November. It celebrates Halloween with a number of temporary scare maze attractions, scare zones, costumed characters and extended opening hours. Rides and areas are lit with coloured lighting at night, with most rides and attractions continuing to operate until 9pm. The Scarefest event has been running since 2007, although the park started celebrating Halloween with decoration several years before and has operated the Terror of the Towers scaremaze since 2002. The scare mazes are upcharge attractions. For the 2023 season - which runs from 7-8 & 13–31 October, the park teamed up with YouTube gaming star Daz Black to create an escape room-themed scare maze called PANIC!.

Seasonal Scarefest attractions as of 2023

• Daz Games: PANIC - New for 2023. Daz Games dares you to take on the first adrenaline-inducing escape room meets live action scare maze for the ultimate horror experience. Plunged into darkness, your mission is simple – you have just seven minutes to take on an intense series of tests that will challenge the mind and body as you try to locate the symbols and escape…. all whilst evading capture from the inhabitants within. Racing against the clock you'll have to think fast and stay calm as you take on an AI-themed assault of the senses… all before the game strikes back and traps you within. Forever.
• Altonville Mine Tours: Tiny's Revenge - New for 2023. Rumours are afoot that the old Altonville Mines are alive with activity once again. Following a breakthrough from local law enforcers, the notorious Skin Snatchers have been detained...but for how long? The ironically named Tiny, however, has evaded capture and is believed to still reside within the Mines. Explore at your peril and risk the adventure, if you dare.
• The Invitation - The Invitation is an audio-led experience, you will be required to wear headphones as you venture down into the lakeside cemetery in an all-new theme park scare experience. The Lakeside Cemetery invites you to join them for a grave experience that will live with you for eternity. Their friendly funeral director is dying to assist you as you descend into the burial chamber, where you can choose your final resting place. Some caskets have already been filled, but there are others, still empty, waiting for you…
• Darkest Depths - Get ready for a terrifying new adventure aboard 'The Mutiny', a notoriously spine-chilling ghost ship. You'll truly earn your golden piece of eight by venturing into the darkest depths, avoiding the hazardous calls of the treacherous Sirens, dodging the swords of terrifyingly ghoulish pirate mutineers and coming face to face with the Kraken – the legendary monster of the seas! Operating as a family maze (10+) in the Mutiny Bat courtyard, then moving between Dark Forest & the gardens for 2020 due to Oktoberfest & then being rebranded as a thrill maze (12+) for 2021.
• The Attic: Terror of the Towers - Around here, people talk of the Governess – how she's haunted by the death of her young charges, how she wants revenge, and how she'll take it by seizing the spirits of the living in retribution. They say her ghost haunts The Attic. That's where you're headed. Dare you risk your immortal soul? It is the newest maze for the 'Terror of the Towers brand'.
• Trick O' Treat Town - Muster up your courage and prepare to knock on doors from Spooky Avenue all the way up to the Witchy Woods but be careful! As well as HARIBO treats there are tricks aplenty! Located in the former Charlie and the Chocolate Factory elevator scene. In 2022, this attraction returned featuring HARIBO.
• Burial Grounds - New for 2023. Burial Grounds is a free-flowing outdoor scare zone shadowed by the mighty Wicker Man where you'll encounter the rejectors of modern-day society fulfilling their terrifying primal instincts.

Other events

In addition to Scarefest, Alton Towers also holds other events throughout the season. The park has five events taking place throughout the course of the season: Festival of Thrills, Mardi Gras, Oktoberfest, Scarefest, and Fireworks. There are also smaller events, such as Christmas, which feature a limited ride offering and themed activities.

Fireworks

For the final few days of the season, Alton Towers host firework shows, which have been running annually since the 1990s on the Great Lawns. The displays were considered disruptive by some local residents, which led to formal complaints - two of which decided to take the theme park to court regarding this issue. The court issued Alton Towers with a noise abatement order in October 2005 which limited the theme park to three shows a year, previously five, with noise readings not exceeding 40 decibels outside the park. In 2006, the display was rebranded as Electric Towers, but then discontinued. However, the fireworks and laser show was reinstated in 2010 to celebrate the park's 30th anniversary and has returned to being an annual event.

Oktoberfest

The "Alton Towers Oktoberfest" started in 2020, taking place throughout September and early October. It is based on the German festival of Oktoberfest held traditionally in Munich, Germany. The event includes themed food and drink, entertainment and extended evening hours with selected rides open.

Mardi Gras

This event launched in 2021 with a summer carnival theme, and is held from May to June. This event combines entertainment from the different 'Krewes' performing around the park & food street outside the towers with a large range of food trailers. The park is also decorated with Mardi Gras deco.

Festival of Thrills

This was the new event for 2022. It took place from early April to early May. The idea of the event was to celebrate the seven thrill coasters with music. Four mini stages were set up; X-Sector (in front of Enterprise), Mutiny Bay (opposite Wicker Man), Dark Forest (between Rita & TH13TEEN) & Forbidden Valley (next to the Galactica portal). Throughout the day there were various performances of different musical styles, each representing one of the seven roller coasters.

The event returned in 2023, titled Festival of Thrills - The Smiler Takeover, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Smiler. Instead of lots of stages around the park, this event was focused all in X-Sector, and with some Smiler theming around the park outside the different coasters. It hosted shows 'celebrating' the Smiler and different magic tricks.

Santa's Sleepover

During December, the Santa's Sleepover event takes place. Both resort hotels are decorated for the event and a pantomime takes place. The Alton Towers Theme Park also opens for Christmas with a small number of rides open as well as a Santa's Grotto. The event is largely aimed at children. In 2015, the theme park permitted entry to non-hotel guests for the first time however the event reverted to hotel guests only in 2016. Festive Breaks continue from 27 December to 6 January with a similar lineup to the Santa's Sleepovers.

February Half Term

Prior to the main open season, Alton Towers held the February Half-Term event which saw a selected ride offering opened for the week before the start of the main season in March, however the event was cancelled for 2016; with the exception of Sharkbait Reef which was open for Pirate and Princess Week held at the Resort hotels.

More recently, Alton Towers has held regular Pirate & Princess Weekends during February Half-Term. The event entails decorations, and themed activities for children in the Hotels and the waterpark. The theme park's Sharkbait Reef aquarium also opens for the event.

In 2023, the park expanded the event, with Towers Street and Mutiny Bay open, with live entertainment, tresure hunts, and 3 attractions open, Heave Ho, Maurauders Mayhem, and Sharkbait Reef. This was the first time rides were available for the event.

Services Day

Since 2015 Alton Towers have opened the park for a Services Day; a day where a limited quantity of discounted tickets (fewer than on a usual season day) are sold to those who work in public services such as the Police, NHS, Fire brigade, Prison service, Army, RAF, Royal Navy and other similar services. Services Day is usually held approximately two weeks prior to the start of the new season, which usually begins mid-March. Due to the success of the 2015, 2016 and 2017 Services Days, a two-day weekend of Services Days was planned for 3 and 4 March 2018, however this was postponed to 11 March due to weather conditions. Another two-day event took place on 16–17 March 2019. Services Days are open to holders of a Blue Light Card or a Defence Discount Service Card. Services Days for 2020 and 2021 were not held because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A further services' weekend took place in 2022 which included discounted hotel stays for the first time.

Concerts

Alton Towers has a history of hosting concerts since the 1960s. Alternative rock band James played to a crowd of 30,000 on 4 July 1992. Concerts in recent years have included the Alton Towers Live event in 2011 and 2013. In 2010, there was a 1980s concert for the 30th Anniversary featuring Rick Astley and Bananarama and also that year hosted a P!nk concert. In the past these concerts were often held in the car park at an additional fee, however more recently concerts have been held within the theme park. Artists that have performed there include Tina Turner and The Black Eyed Peas.

Summer of Fun

This event has come and gone over the years, with the most recent one being held in 2023. It is held in the Summer Holidays and features live entertainment and music throughout the day on the lawns.

Records held by the park

• Largest theme park in the UK.
• Worlds largest practical science lesson with 927 students in 2014. (later beaten)
• Worlds largest polar fleece blanket.
• Nemesis (SW3) was the first inverted coaster in Europe
• Oblivion (SW4) was the worlds first 'vertical drop' rollercoaster and the first dive coaster.
• Galactica (SW5) was the worlds first B&M flying coaster and in 2016 the worlds first rollercoaster 'dedicated' to virtual reality.
• TH13TEEN (SW6) was the worlds first freefall drop rollercoaster.
• The Smiler (SW7) is the coaster with the most inversions in the world. (14)
• Wickerman (SW8) is the first wooden coaster built in the UK after 20 years and the worlds first wooden coaster to 'fuse wood and fire'.
• The Flume was the worlds longest log flume at the time of opening. (1981)
• Corkscrew was the first double inverting coaster in Europe.

See also

In Spanish: Alton Towers para niños

• List of theme parks in the United Kingdom