The American Adventure Theme Park facts for kids
| Previously known as Britannia Park, American Adventure World | |
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| Location | Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England |
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| Coordinates | 52°59′41″N 1°20′06″W / 52.99472°N 1.33500°W |
| Opened | June 1987 |
| Closed | 4 January 2007 |
The American Adventure was a fun theme park located in Derbyshire, England. It was near the cities of Nottingham and Derby, on the edge of Ilkeston. For many years, the park had lots of exciting, fast rides. But in 2005, it changed to be a park for families with younger children (under 14). In January 2007, the owners announced that the park would not open again. All the rides were then sold off.
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History of American Adventure Park
The American Adventure park was built on land that used to be a coal mining area. It first opened in June 1987. The park had a cool American Old West theme, with cowboys and Native Americans.
Before American Adventure, another park called Britannia Park opened on the same spot in 1985. But it closed after only 10 weeks because it ran out of money. Its founder, Peter Kellard, later faced legal problems. Derbyshire County Council bought the land in 1986. They then sold it to Granada. In June 1987, Granada opened the American Adventure. It was called Britain's Major New Theme Park.
Some of the first rides at American Adventure included:
- The Cherokee Falls, a log flume with two big drops.
- The runaway mine train.
- The Buffalo Stampede roller coaster.
- A pirate ship.
- A Ferris wheel.
New Rides and Changes (1989-1995)
In 1989, the park added more North American themes. This included a space travel area with the Missile roller coaster. The Missile was a Vekoma Boomerang coaster. At the time, it was voted the best roller coaster in the UK.
Around the same time, the park added the Rocky Mountain Rapids. This ride had a Canadian theme. In 1993, the log flume was made even bigger. It got a third drop and was renamed "Nightmare Niagara". This extra drop made it the tallest log flume in the UK for a while.
In 1995, the Iron Wolf roller coaster was added. This ride was based on the TV show Gladiators. It didn't quite fit the American theme, but it was still a popular ride.
Decline and New Owners (1996-2004)
After 1996, the park started to have problems. In 1997, Granada sold it to a company called Ventureworld. This company was led by John Broome, who had helped develop Alton Towers.
Ventureworld quickly changed the park's name to "American Adventure World". They planned to remove the American theme completely and call it "Adventure World". For a few years, the name changed back and forth. But by the end of the park's life, it was back to "The American Adventure".
Under John Broome, not many new big rides were added. Instead, there were mostly smaller rides or ones you had to pay extra for. Many of the park's older attractions slowly started to get run down.
In 1999, Broome stepped down. The THG Group bought the park. This group also owned Pontins and Blackpool Tower. After 1999, many smaller rides disappeared. The park continued to decline. The old main entrance had to close because the ground was sinking. The new entrance was not as nice.
Final Years and Closure (2005-2007)
In 2005, three major rides closed down. These included Nightmare Niagara and The Missile. It was also thought that the Rocky Mountain Rapids would close. The two water rides supposedly closed because of safety issues and water pollution. The Missile was removed because it didn't fit the park's new 'family' theme. It had also fallen into disrepair. The Missile was moved to Pleasurewood Hills and renamed 'Wipeout'.
The pirate ship ride, the Yankee Clipper, also closed at the start of 2005. It was supposed to reopen later that year. But repairs took longer than planned, so it didn't open until the next year.
2006 was the last year the theme park operated. There were some new rides and a big focus on the new 'family' image. New rides included the Mini Mine Rush, a roller coaster for kids. This ride is now at Flamingo Land. There was also a new motorbike ride. The Rocky Mountain Rapids and Yankee Clipper rides reopened after being fixed up.
Notable Past Rides
| Opened | Closed | Ride Name | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 2004 | "Nightmare Niagra" | Big Country Motioneering | A log flume. It was made taller in 1993 to have the UK's tallest drop on a water ride. |
| 1987 | 2006 | "Runaway Train" | Big Country Motioneering | A powered roller coaster. It was sold to a showman named James Mellors. |
| 1987 | 2006 | "Buffalo Stampede" | Zamperla | A powered roller coaster. It moved to Twinlakes Theme Park, where it still runs today. |
| 1987 | 2006 | "Santa Fe Railroad" | Severn Lamb | A small train that went around the park. Its parts were moved to Billing Aquadrome. |
| 1987 | 2006 | "Yankee Clipper" | Zamperla | A Pirate Ship (ride). It moved to Twinlakes Theme Park and is now called "Gladiator's Galleon". |
| 1987 | 2006 | "High Sierra" | Zamperla | A Ferris wheel shaped like a wagon. It moved to Billing Aquadrome. |
| 1987 | 2006 | "Tennessee Tentacles" | Soriani & Moser | A polyp ride. It now runs at Haghtanak Park in Armenia. |
| 1987 | 2006 | "Custer's Carousel" | Chance Rides | A modern carousel ride. It now runs at The Flambards Experience. |
| 1987 | 2004 | "Starbase Slide" | An astroglide slide. | |
| 1988 | 2006 | "Rocky Mountain Rapids" | Big Country Motioneering | A River Rapids Ride. |
| 1988 | 2006 | "Balloon Ride" | Zamperla | A Balloon Race (ride). |
| 1989 | 2004 | "The Missile" | Vekoma | A boomerang roller coaster. It moved to Pleasurewood Hills and is now called "Wipeout". |
| 1989 | "Black Hole" | HUSS Park Attractions | A HUSS Ben Hur (swirl) ride. It used to be called "Ben Hur" at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. | |
| 1991 | 1994 | "Canyon Trip" | Vekoma | A canyon trip ride. It moved to Camelot Theme Park and was called "The Rack" from 1995 to 2010. |
| 1991 | 1994 | "Dive Bomber" | Lusse | A traditional dive bomber ride. It used to run at Coney Beach Pleasure Park between 1947 and 1973. |
| 1995 | 2006 | "Twin Looper" | Soquet | A double loop roller coaster. It was previously named "Iron Wolf" and came from Lightwater Valley. |
| 1998 | 1999 | "Flying Island" | Vekoma | An observation tower. |
| 2006 | 2006 | "Mini Mine Rush" | Zamperla | A children's roller coaster. It moved from Gulliver's Land, Warrington. It now runs as "Runaway Mine Train" at Flamingo Land Resort. |
| 2006 | 2006 | "Rockin' Tug" | Zamperla | A Rockin Tug ride. It now runs at The Flambards Experience. |
Closure of the Park
After 19 years of fun, The American Adventure announced on January 4, 2007, that it would not open for the new season.
Derbyshire County Council looked at what to do with the land next. They said they would only allow a small amount of building on the site. Part of the park has been rented out. The rest is still managed by Derbyshire County Council. The area has been named "Shipley Lakeside". The land was put up for sale by the council. The park buildings have since been taken down to make way for new developments.
In 2008, three different buyers showed interest in buying the land. In 2012, it was announced that a plan to build "housing, offices, and fun facilities" on the land was approved. Many people loved the theme park so much that in 2017, thousands signed a petition asking for it to reopen.
Images for kids
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American Adventure in 1991
