Blackpool Pleasure Beach

A brief history of Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Blackpool Pleasure Beach was the brainchild of Alderman William George Bean. He was an aspiring ad executive who returned to the UK after failing to make it big in New York. His next venture? Theme parks. Inspired by Coney Island in the Big Apple, he first installed a few simple bicycle tracks and Punch and Judy stalls on the sand dunes of Blackpool around 1903.

Breakthroughs came when Bean brought the Sir Hiram Maxim's Captive Flying Machine to the Pleasure Beach. It was one of the first of its kind in the country and still offers gravity-defying rides today. That time also saw the arrival of the River Caves of the World attraction – an enthralling water chute with Jules Verne vibes.

There were more and more additions throughout the 20^th century until Blackpool Pleasure Beach became a full-fledged theme park with more rollercoasters than you can shake your cotton candy at. Most notably was the arrival of The Big One in 1994, which reigned as the highest and fastest rollercoaster in the world at the time.

What are the highlights of Blackpool Pleasure Beach?

You won't need to look hard to see the joys of the Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Just glance upwards – rollercoasters and rides jumble together overhead by the bucket load.

Some are worth a special mention. Take the Big Dipper. It's now a Grade II listed building that dates back to 1923 – a veritable symbol of the whole town. That's dwarfed by the more modern additions, such as the Infusion suspended rollercoaster, which is sure to get the heart a-thumping.

The largest of the lot is the appropriately named Big One. It a steel-wrought ride that hits dizzying heights of 235 ft. There won't be time to enjoy the view from up there, though – you'll soon be plunged back down to earth at a head-spinning 85 mph.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is also packed with less heady attractions. Nickelodeon Land is a 4-acre enclave of the park that caters to younger guests with its carousels and cartoon-themed river rides. You'll also find ice-cream parlors, chip shops, and kitschy 1930s-style cafes.

Good to know about Blackpool Pleasure Beach

The main entrances to Blackpool Pleasure Beach are on Blackpool Promenade, the A548 that links the whole resort. You can either drive there – paid parking is available – or catch a taxi cab – every driver in town will know the way. Alternately, the walk from Blackpool South train station takes less than 20 minutes.

There's a big discount on the cost of Pleasure Beach Passes if you book online in advance. Those will get you access to the park itself, but you'll need to pay more for ride tickets once you're in. They're sold in batches of 10 from kiosks inside the resort. Every ride requires a different amount of ride tickets.