Historic Amusement Parks and Fairground Rides

Allan Brodie is a Senior Investigator in Historic England. He is the author of a number of books about the history of tourism, including seven examining the development of seaside resorts.

Introduction

1. The origin of amusement parks

1.1. Annual fairs

1.2. Pleasure gardens

1.3. Coney Island

2. Blackpool pleasure beach

3. Seaside amusement parks

4. Urban and rural amusement parks

5. Development of large fairground rides

6. The origins and development of rollercoasters

7. Types of early rollercoaster

7.1. Switchback railways

7.2. Side friction rollercoasters and figure-of-eight rollercoasters

7.3. Scenic Railways

7.4. Under- friction rollercoasters

8. Other fairground rides

8.1. Gallopers

8.2. Big Wheels

8.3. Water Chutes

8.4. Swings

8.5. Smaller rides

9. Change and the future