Parque del Café facts for kids
| Previously known as National Coffee Museum and Parque Nacional del Café | |
Plaza of the Coffee Park
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| Location | Montenegro, Quindío, Colombia |
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| Coordinates | 4°32′N 75°46′W / 4.54°N 75.77°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 24 February 1995 |
| Owner |
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| General manager | Pedro Nel Salazar Hoyos |
| Theme |
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| Attendance | 1,050,000 (2017) |
| Area | 125 hectares |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 27 (as of 2018[update]) |
| Roller coasters | 3 |
| Water rides | 4 |
Parque del Café (which means Coffee Park in English) is a super fun theme park located in Quindío, Colombia. It's about 4 kilometers southwest of Montenegro and 11 kilometers west of Armenia.
The park was created by the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia and the Departmental Committee of Coffee Growers of Quindío. It first opened its doors on February 24, 1995.
Parque del Café has two main parts. Near the entrance, you'll find buildings with a museum and exhibits. These show you all about the history, culture, and how coffee is grown and made in the area. Further into the valley, there's an exciting amusement park with lots of rides and shows!
You can travel between these two areas using two gondola lifts or a chairlift. There's also a cool walking path called an ecological trail. This path goes through a plantation where you can see many different types of coffee plants.
Besides the thrilling rides, the park offers other cool things. These include shows with animatronics (robots that look like they're alive), a garden with coffee plants from all over the world, and food stalls. The buildings are designed in traditional Colombian style.
Parque del Café is one of Colombia's most popular tourist spots. In 2009, it welcomed its five millionth visitor! By 2017, more than one million people visited the park in just one year.
Contents
Discovering the Park's History
The idea for a coffee museum started when Diego Arango Mora and his wife Margarita visited a Sugar Museum nearby. Margarita thought that if there was a museum for sugar, Colombia, famous for its coffee, should definitely have one for coffee!
Mr. Arango, who was part of the Departmental Committee of Coffee Growers of Quindío, agreed. He talked to Jorge Cárdenas Gutiérrez, the head of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia. Mr. Gutiérrez also liked the idea.
In 1982, Mr. Arango suggested creating the museum at a big meeting. However, it took many years to make the dream come true. There were challenges like getting enough money and deciding where to build it.
Finally, the museum opened on February 24, 1995. In its first year, about 250,000 people visited! But surveys showed that mostly adults over 40 enjoyed it. Younger visitors and kids felt they wouldn't want to come back.
To make the park fun for everyone, Mr. Arango decided to add an amusement park. The first new attractions were a gondola lift and a steam railway. Later, a roller coaster and other exciting rides were added. This made the park a hit with younger crowds too!
Coffee Culture and Nature Exhibits
Parque del Café is a great place to learn about coffee and enjoy nature.
Exploring Local Coffee Culture
- Interactive Museum of Coffee: Learn all about coffee in a fun, hands-on way.
- The Coffee Show: Watch a lively show that tells the story of the region's history and coffee culture through music and dance.
- Traditional Country House: See what a typical Colombian coffee farm house looks like.
- Plaza of a Quindian Town: Walk through a square designed like a traditional town in the Quindío region.
- Cemetery of Indigenous Tribes: Learn about the ancient people who lived here.
- Look-out Tower: Climb an 18-meter tall tower made from guadua (a type of bamboo) for amazing views.
Enjoying Nature and Ecology
- Coffee Garden: Take a walk on an ecological trail through a garden filled with different coffee plants.
- Bamboo Forest: Explore a beautiful forest made of tall bamboo.
- Horse Rides: Enjoy a relaxing ride on horseback through the park's scenic areas.
Thrilling Amusement Park Rides
As of 2018, the amusement park has 27 exciting rides! This includes three awesome roller coasters.
Roller Coasters for Adventure Seekers
- Montaña Rusa: This roller coaster is also known as "La Broca" or "the drillbit." It's 1,050 meters long, making it the longest roller coaster in Colombia! It first opened in 1999. The name "Russian Mountain" comes from early roller coaster experiences in Russia.
- Krater: This thrilling coaster, built by Gerstlauer, is 380 meters long. It features a big 30-meter drop! Krater opened on February 24, 2015, to celebrate the park's 20th anniversary.
- Yippe: This German-built roller coaster is 550 meters long and opened on March 23, 2018. Its name and design celebrate Colombian coffee culture. It's a tribute to the Willys Jeeps that have traditionally carried coffee beans in the region.
More Fun Rides and Attractions
The park also has many other exciting rides for everyone! You can enjoy:
- Cyclone: A spinning ride that lifts you high in the air.
- Drop Tower Rides: Rides that lift you up and then drop you quickly for a thrilling freefall feeling.
- Log Flume: A water ride where you float in a log-shaped boat and then splash down.
- Carousels: Two classic merry-go-rounds, the Cafeteritos Carousel and the Children's World Carousel.
- Ferris Wheel: A giant wheel that gives you great views of the park.
- Bumper Boats: Drive your own boat and bump into others on the water.
- Bumper Cars: Classic dodgems where you can crash into other cars.
- Go-Karts: Race your friends on a fun track.
- Traditional Train: Take a ride on a charming train with live traditional music onboard. It has a vintage-style boarding station.
See also
In Spanish: Parque del Café para niños
- Coffee production in Colombia
- Colombian coffee growing axis
- Ecotourism
- Juan Valdez
- List of amusement parks in the Americas
- Quindío Department
