Tayto Park facts for kids
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| Location | Curraha, Ashbourne, County Meath, Ireland |
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| Coordinates | 53°32′43″N 6°27′34″W / 53.545377°N 6.459375°W. |
| Status | Closed temporarily due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| Opened | November 2010 |
| Owner | Ashbourne Visitor Centre |
| Operated by | Ashbourne Visitor Centre |
| Attendance | 750,000 (2015) |
| Area | 55 acres (22 ha) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 18 |
| Roller coasters | 3 |
| Water rides | 1 |
| Website | www.taytopark.ie |
Tayto Park (Irish: Páirc Tayto) is an exciting amusement park in Ireland. It's based on the super popular Irish crisp brand, Tayto! You can find it in Kilbrew, County Meath. The park first opened its doors in November 2010.
This amazing park was created with a big investment from Ray Coyle. Designers turned 22 hectares (that's about 55 acres) of farmland into a fun, American-themed park. It has everything from a cool Native American village to Ireland's only wooden roller coaster. Plus, there are awesome adventure playgrounds and even an exotic zoo!
Tayto Park is one of the most popular places to visit in Ireland. In 2015, a huge 750,000 people came to explore all the fun.
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Awesome Attractions at Tayto Park
Tayto Park is packed with cool things to see and do for all ages!
- Pow Wow Playground: A fun play area with rope bridges, perfect for kids under 12.
- Spudhara Playground: This playground has swings and activities for younger children, under 6 years old.
- Dinosaurs Alive: Take a self-guided walk through an exhibition of lifelike, moving dinosaurs. It's like stepping back in time!
- Tiny Tater's Patch: Explore a giant spiral hill and a mini maze.
- Giant Chess Board: A seasonal attraction where you can play chess with huge pieces, and sometimes there are even water jets!
- Mini Playground: Designed especially for the littlest visitors, aged 4 and under.
- Crispy Maze: Get ready to get lost (and found!) in this fun maze.
- Vortex Tunnel: There are two of these! Step into a tunnel with swirling lights that make you feel like the ground is spinning.
- Tayto Factory Tour: Ever wondered how Tayto crisps are made? Take a tour and find out!
- Live Shows: Enjoy exciting magic shows and other performances.
- Face Painting & Arts and Crafts: Get creative with face painting and fun craft activities.
- Wheelchair Swing: A special swing designed for wheelchair users.
- Play and Splash: A fantastic water zone where you can cool off and have a blast.
- Lemur Woods: This is Ireland's biggest immersive experience! Walk among friendly ring-tailed lemurs as they play around you.
- Talking Tree: Meet Mr. Barker, a tree that talks and teaches you about sharing, oxygen, and cool places like Australia and Madagascar.
Exciting Zones to Explore
Tayto Park is divided into different zones, each with its own unique adventures!
Eagle Sky Adventure Zone
This zone is all about thrills and high-flying fun!
- The Cú Chulainn Coaster: Get ready for Ireland's only wooden roller coaster! Opened in 2015, this ride is inspired by Irish mythology and named after the legendary warrior Cú Chulainn.
- The Rotator: This ride swings you like a giant pendulum, with riders facing outwards. It's a real thrill!
- Air Race: Hop into an airplane-themed ride that spins and rotates at the same time. Feel like a pilot!
- 5D Cinema: Experience a short film that comes to life with special effects like air gusts, water jets, and even bubbles!
- Extreme Climbing Wall: Test your strength and courage on this 21-meter high climbing wall.
- Tayto Twister: Slide down a fast, 20-meter tubular slide.
- Sky Walk: Challenge yourself on three levels of obstacles and bridges high above the ground.
- Viking Voyage: Embark on a Viking-themed log flume ride with three exciting drops, including one that goes backwards!
- Wind Starz: Sit in a hang glider and control your own flight by pushing and pulling a bar.
- Endeavour: This ride is like an upside-down Ferris wheel, giving you a unique view of the park.
- Power Surge: Get ready to be spun and swung around in chairs on this exciting ride.
- Flight School: A smaller roller coaster themed around an airport and flying. Perfect for aspiring pilots!
- Sky Glider: Enjoy a smooth gliding experience near the Dinosaurs Alive exhibition.
- World of Raptors: See amazing birds of prey up close in this special experience.
Eagle's Nest
This zone has more fun rides and challenges!
- Super Hero Training Wall: Climb up to 9 meters on this wall and feel like a superhero!
- Shot Tower: Get strapped in and prepare to be shot 10 meters into the sky!
- Pony Rail: Saddle up and enjoy a gentle gallop across the plains of Tayto Park.
- Honey Pot Bears: Spin 360 degrees in this sweet, spinning ride.
- Steam Train Express: Take a relaxing ride on a narrow gauge train, pulled by a cool steam-style locomotive.
- Nissan Driving School: Learn to drive a car in this fun experience. You can even get a driving license at the end!
- Lady Bird Loop: A spinning roller coaster that will make you giggle.
- Rocking Tug: A boat-themed ride that spins and rocks, but without any water!
- The Grand Carousel: A classic carousel with horses, teacups, and carriages.
- Leap Frogs: Get ready for a ride that leaps you up and down like a frog!
- Sheriff's Shuffle: A fun spinning ride that will make you dizzy with delight.
The Zoo
Tayto Park is also home to an amazing zoo, where you can meet animals from all over the world!
- Farmyard Friends: Visit an open area with friendly farm animals, including rare breeds of sheep, pygmy goats, and Vietnamese pot belly pigs.
- Wild Woods: Explore a wooded area where you can spot animals like ocelots, ring-tailed coatis, Amur leopards, fishing cats, and even corsac foxes.
- Feathered Friends: Discover a colorful collection of exotic birds from around the world.
- Buffalo Ridge: See the first herd of American bison in Ireland living in their special habitat.
- Cat Country: Get up close (but not too close!) to big cats like mountain lions, Eurasian lynx, and the majestic, endangered Amur tigers.
- Down Under: Say hello to animals from Australia, including emus and wallabies.
Park Facilities and Getting There
Tayto Park is designed to be easy to get around. Most areas are wheelchair accessible, with just a few small exceptions.
When you get hungry, there are lots of food choices! You can grab a meal at the restaurant in the Lodge Building or enjoy a tasty pizza at the Pizza Place.
Parking is free for cars and buses, and there are special disabled parking spots close to the entrance.
If you're coming by bus, Bus Éireann operates the 103 and 105 services, which stop right at the park every day.
