Playland (Vancouver) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Playland Amusement Park

Previously known as Happyland (1929–1957)
Location	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates	49°16′58″N 123°02′12″W / 49.2827°N 123.0366°W / 49.2827; -123.0366
Status	Operating
Opened	1929; 96 years ago (1929)
Owner	Pacific National Exhibition
Slogan	Come and join the fun!
Operating season	May-September
Attendance	378,000
Area	6.1 hectares (15 acres)
Attractions
Total	39
Roller coasters	3
Water rides	1

Playland is a super fun amusement park located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It's part of Hastings Park and is run by the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE). The PNE also puts on a big summer fair right next to Playland every year. Playland opened in its current spot in 1958, but there has been an amusement park run by the PNE since 1929!

Playland is open for most of the year, usually from May to September. But the fun doesn't stop there! In October, the park opens again for "Fright Nights." These are special Halloween-themed events that are super spooky. In 2018, Playland had 39 different rides, including three exciting roller coasters. During the PNE's summer fair (from mid-August to Labour Day), even more rides come to Playland from West Coast Amusements. This almost doubles the number of rides you can enjoy!

The History of Playland

The Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) has had rides since it first opened in 1910. They even had an early roller coaster way back in 1915! But a permanent amusement park wasn't built until the 1920s.

How Playland Started

By 1926, some rides were open at Hastings Park. These included a "Shoot the Chute" water ride and a new roller coaster called the Giant Dipper. It replaced the older 1915 coaster.

The park's first full season as Happyland was in 1929. Different companies ran Happyland over the years. It stayed open until 1957. Then, all the rides moved to Playland's current location. The old Happyland site was later used for the Pacific Coliseum.

Building the New Playland

Construction for the new Playland started in December 1957 and finished in 1958. The park opened just in time for the PNE exhibition that year. When it reopened as Playland, it had many new attractions. One of the most famous was the Wooden Roller Coaster. It was the biggest roller coaster in Canada at the time!

Playland became an official part of the Pacific National Exhibition in January 1993. Before that, it was just next to the PNE fairgrounds.

Fright Nights Begin

In 2001, Playland started its popular Halloween events called "Fright Nights." These happen every October. During Fright Nights, the park sets up scary haunted houses. Actors dressed as monsters roam around, ready to give you a fright! Most of the regular rides are still open too. ScreamWorks Inc. used to manage the haunted houses. But since 2009, the PNE and Playland have managed the whole Fright Nights event themselves.

In 2009, the famous Wooden Roller Coaster got a special honor. The American Coaster Enthusiasts called it a "classic" and a "landmark" ride.

Awesome Attractions at Playland

Check out the carnival games at Playland! The famous Wooden Roller Coaster is right behind them.

As of 2018, Playland has 39 different attractions for you to enjoy.

Fun Games and Activities

You can find lots of interactive fun at Playland. There's a climbing wall where you can test your strength. You can also get your face painted with cool designs. Try to find your way through the Glass House funhouse, or play a round of mini golf. Playland also has a haunted house attraction and a shooting gallery. Just remember, these two cost a little extra to enter.

The park also has an arcade with lots of video games. Plus, there are many classic carnival games. You can pop balloons with darts, try your luck at ring toss, play Skee-Ball, or whack some moles in Whac-A-Mole!

Exciting Roller Coasters

Playland has many amusement rides, including three awesome roller coasters.

Other Thrilling Rides

The Enterprise ride spins you around at Playland.

Get ready to splash on The Flume, a fun log flume ride at Playland.

Hell's Gate is a wild Top Spin ride at Playland.

Playland has many other rides besides roller coasters. Here are some of them:

Rides That Are No Longer Here

Playland has changed over the years. Some attractions that used to be there include the "Nintendo Power Zone." This was a place where guests could play the newest games from Nintendo and PlayStation. There was also a maze made of covered chain link fences.

The Jet Scream II (later called Super Big Gulp) at Playland in 1987. This ride was removed in 1994.

Here are some rides that have been removed from the park:

Temporary Rides for the Fair

Besides the rides that are always at Playland, West Coast Amusements (WCA) brings in extra rides for the PNE's annual fair. This happens from mid-August to early September. WCA runs a traveling carnival with over 100 rides! These can include Ferris Wheels, the Hurricane, Music Express, and Scrambler. The rides WCA brings to the PNE change each year.

Playland in Movies

Playland has been a filming location for several movies!

• The 1999 Canadian teen movie Rollercoaster was filmed at the park.
• The scary opening scenes of the horror film Final Destination 3 were shot at Playland. The Corkscrew roller coaster was used and called "Devil's Flight" in the movie.
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days filmed its boardwalk scene at Playland. You can see the Corkscrew roller coaster and the Revelation ride (called 'Cranium Shaker' in the movie).
• The Nickelodeon movie Splitting Adam was also filmed at Playland's water park.
• The 1996 movie Fear was filmed there in the summer of 1995.

Images for kids

• 

  A roller coaster at Playland in 1960, just two years after the park opened to the public.