Travel info for visiting Blackpool Pleasure Beach

The UK's major amusement park

Address

525 Ocean Boulevard, Blackpool, Lancashire FY4 1EZ, United Kingdom

GPS: 53.793021702769, -3.0541977670025

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Visiting Blackpool Pleasure Beach, with 5 million visitors a year, is by far the most popular theme park in the United Kingdom. Located in Blackpool, north of Liverpool, this leisure complex is popular with English-speaking families with its Nickelodeon Land and its iconic SpongeBob character. Thanks to its ten roller coasters, Pleasure Beach is the theme park with the largest number of roller coasters in the United Kingdom, Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Amazing rides such as The Big One and Infusion, worthy of the world’s biggest theme parks, will thrill even the most adventurous among you. Others promise a real journey back in time for the old-fashioned theme park enthusiast. The retro feel of this Irish Sea theme park is a reminder that Pleasure Beach was founded in 1896. It has over 100 attractions for all ages including rides, games stands, gift shops and famous characters from the Nickelodeon animated series. To satisfy its admirers, Pleasure Beach amusement park will have a new multi-launch coaster called Icon in 2018. With its hydraulic pressure system, it is feared for its great power of acceleration. When stationary, this electromagnetic train reaches a speed of 80 km/h in just 2.25 seconds. At Halloween time, the park organizes an open-air cinema, showing horror films during the Hell Nights. During this cinematic experience, the organizers bring in characters dressed in costumes from the films to surprise and frighten spectators even more when they least expect it.

The park’s inventor, Alderman William George Bean, wanted to draw inspiration from the great American amusement parks in the Pleasure Beach concept. Run by members of the same family (Thompson) who have operated it since its creation, this theme park has survived and entertained its visitors for generations. With its own style, its independence from large leisure groups and its atypical rides, Pleasure Beach strives to prolong the philosophy of its founder (namely to transform adults into new children while they are here). If the sun is shining, you can even enjoy the seafront of the Blackpool resort by taking a walk along the Central Pier.

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  • Check Pleasure Beach Park’s opening hours, which may vary depending on the time of year. In winter, the main attractions are closed to the public.
  • The Speedy Pass and Vip Speedy Pass packages provide priority access to attractions.
  • You will save money by buying your entrance ticket on line.
  • Horror film screenings on Halloween are only accessible to people over 13 years of age (under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult).
  • The large number and variety of rides for all ages; Britain’s favourite amusement park
  • The roller coasters in wood (Big Dipper built in 1923, Grand National dated in 1935 and Nickelodeon Streak inaugurated in 1933), in steel (The Big One, the highest in the UK) or in metal (Infusion, feet in the void); Icon’s supersonic roller coaster; the Blue Flyer, a wooden coaster more suited to a young audience (originally called Zipper Dipper); Avalanche’s bobsled roller coaster; the Steeplechase (racing steel roller coaster)
  • Attractions including Valhalla and Wild Mouse; the latest addition Red Arrows Sky Force (aerobatics); the new ride Lighting 360 (named after a World War II fighter plane); the other water rides of the park
  • The retro ambience of the park; the children’s section of Nickelodeon Land with its 12 attractions; the skating lessons; the original Adventure Golf course
  • The beach, waterfront and Central Pier; the Blackpool Tower (opened in 1894); the Grand Theatre (or the National Theatre of Variety founded in 1894)
  • The many nearby attractions (water parks, aquariums, casinos, theatres, concerts, circus, shows, operas, night-time illuminations…); the Hot Ice Show held at the Pleasure Beach Arena and the Nickelodeon Slimefest festival in October
  • The park’s inner station which is easily accessible from the town of Preston; the Blackpool Tramway (the line is in service since 1885)
  • Relatively fluid queues at the foot of the rides
  • Thematic shows (ice dancing, fireworks and light shows…)
  • Unlike the majority of amusement parks, Pleasure Beach offers a pay-as-you-go option for each attraction (entry to the park is £10 and includes a day pass as well as free access to some attractions).
  • In 2019, the theme park broke a strange record for the highest number of naked people on a roller coaster ride. 195 people in their simplest device took part in the scene under a temperature of 10 °C.
  • The owners of the amusement park also hold The Big Blue Hotel (4-star) in Blackpool and the South Shore Mutual Insurance Company. In 2019, they opened a brand-new hotel (Boulevard Hotel) with 120 rooms and a Shoreside Conference Centre to cater for business travellers.

Where to eat

  • Taylor's Fish And Chips
    (a British classic)
  • Caesar's Of Cedar Square
    (tasty Italian dishes)
  • The Stone Grill
    (stone-cooked meat)

Where to go

  • Blackpool Zoo
    (plethora of exotic animals)
  • Winter Gardens
    (opera & theatre)
  • Ribble Estuary National Nature...
    (generous in bird life)

Where to stay

  • Pine Lodge Hotel
    (for partying)
  • Aparthotel Blackpool
    (clean and comfortable)
  • Coast Apartments
    (contemporary stay)