Barry's Amusements facts for kids
| Previously known as Barry's | |
Park logo
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| Location | 16 Eglinton Street, Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland |
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| Coordinates | 55°12′11″N 6°39′14″W / 55.203°N 6.654°W |
| Status | Open |
| Opened | 1926 |
| Slogan | "LET THE FUN BEGIN" |
| Operating season | Easter – September |
| Attendance | N/A |
| Area | N/A |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 15 |
| Roller coasters | 2 |
| Water rides | 1 |
Barry's Amusements is a super fun amusement park in Northern Ireland. You can find it right in the middle of Portrush, a town in County Antrim on the north coast. It's a really popular spot for families visiting the area, offering lots of rides and games!
Contents
The Story of Barry's Amusements
Barry's Amusements started way back in 1925. Some traveling circus families, the Chipperfields and Trufellis, were invited to set up their fun fair permanently in Portrush. They chose a spot right next to the train station. The name 'Barry's' actually comes from an early supplier they worked with.
Barry's is special because it has a mix of old-school and new rides. It usually opens for the season around Easter Monday and stays open until the first week of September.
Working at Barry's
Barry's is well-known for giving jobs to teenagers from the local area. Older staff members operate the big rides, but many of the ride attendants are high school students. It's a great first job for many young people!
Barry's in Books and on TV
- To celebrate its 80th birthday in 2006, a book called Fun is Our Business was published about Barry's.
- The BBC NI channel also made a documentary about Barry's in 2006. It was part of their Your Place and Mine series.
Awesome Rides and Attractions
Barry's Amusements has many exciting rides for all ages. Here are some of the current attractions you can enjoy:
- Airborne Shot: Get ready for a thrilling ride that takes you high up!
- Barry's Big Dipper: This is a cool steel roller coaster that was updated in 2003. It was first built in 1991.
- Barry's Express: A fun children's train ride that arrived in 2008. It has three carriages that go around a circular track with music. It's even themed like Thomas the Tank Engine!
- Big Apple: This children's roller coaster looks like a caterpillar. You ride through a giant apple, and it goes around twice because it's a short but sweet ride. It was once called Speedy Mouse but is now back to its original caterpillar theme.
- Carousel:
This classic carousel has wooden horses that move up and down, just like they're galloping! This particular carousel is said to be over 100 years old.
- Cyclone: A thrilling twist ride where you spin in cars. It feels like you might crash into other cars, but you won't! The cars spin one way, while the whole ride spins the other.
- Dodgems: A big track with 27 dodgem cars, each seating two people. Get ready to bump!
- Extreme Orbiter: This exciting ride was added in 2018.
- Ghost Train: This dark ride takes you slowly through a spooky tunnel. It's filled with scary decorations like skeletons, witches, and ghosts. Spooky music and sounds make it even more fun! It got new scares in 2018, including Count Dracula and The Grim Reaper.
- Helter Skelter:
The Helter Skelter is a tall tower with a spiral slide around the outside. You climb up inside and then slide down on a mat. It's been there since 1973!
- Jumping Astro: This is a Drop Tower ride from 2012. You're lifted to the top, then dropped down, bouncing a few times before brakes slow you down.
- Mini Dodgems: A smaller version of the dodgems, perfect for younger kids. The cars are slower and smaller, making it easy for little ones to drive.
- Monte Carlo: A kids' ride with different vehicles on a spinning circular platform. It makes you feel like you're driving your chosen car. This ride was updated in 2015.
- Swing Chairs: A classic ride where you spin around in chairs that swing outwards. This ride was added in 2016 or 2017.
- Turtle Splash: This is a mini log flume designed for children. The boats you sit in are shaped like turtles, fitting the fun theme!
Past Attractions at Barry's
Over the years, Barry's has also had some other cool rides that are no longer there:
- The Satellite: An older ride that was replaced by Experience.
- Experience: This was a big thrill ride at Barry's from 2006 to 2016. It was similar to a popular fairground ride called Orbiter. It was removed in 2016 and replaced by the Airborne Shot.
- Freak Out: Freak Out was a pendulum ride that swung back and forth. Riders sat facing each other and spun around as the pendulum swung really high, up to 22 meters (72 feet)! It was at Barry's from 2003 to 2017 and was replaced by the Extreme Orbiter in 2018.
Images for kids
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Barry's Big Dipper roller coaster.
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The beautiful Carousel at Barry's Amusements.
