Blackpool Pleasure Beach

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Pleasure Beach Resort

Location	South Shore, Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Coordinates	53°47′25″N 3°03′20″W / 53.79028°N 3.05556°W / 53.79028; -3.05556
Status	Operating
Opened	1896 (First Rides)
Owner	Thompson Family (Amanda Thompson)
Slogan	We create the fun. You keep the memories.
Operating season	March–November
Area	42 acres (17 ha)
Attractions
Total	38 as of 2023
Roller coasters	10
Water rides	5
Website	Pleasure Beach Resort

Pleasure Beach Resort, formerly known as Blackpool Pleasure Beach, is an amusement park situated on Blackpool's South Shore, in the county of Lancashire, North West England. The park was founded in 1896 by A. W. G. Bean and his partner John Outhwaite. The current managing director is Amanda Thompson.^[1]

The park is host to many records, including the largest collection of wooden roller coasters of any park in the United Kingdom with four: the Big Dipper, Blue Flyer, Grand National and Nickelodeon Streak.^[2] Many of the roller coasters in the park are record-breaking attractions. When it opened in 1994, The Big One was the tallest roller coaster in the world. It was also the steepest, with an incline angle of 65° and the second fastest with a top speed of 74 miles per hour (119 km/h).^[3] The ride holds the record as the second tallest roller coaster in the United Kingdom, standing at 213 ft (65 m), with a first drop of 205 ft (62 m) and the longest roller coaster in Europe, with a track length of 5,497 ft (1,675 m).^[4]

The park was the first in Europe to introduce a fully inverting steel coaster, Revolution^[5] and is the last remaining park in the world to still operate a Steeplechase roller coaster. The Grand National is one of only five Möbius loop coasters still operating (and the oldest), where a singular track "loops" around itself, offering a facsimile out-and-back layout and creating a "racing" effect on two parallel tracks. Sir Hiram Maxims Captive Flying Machine is the oldest amusement park ride in Europe having opened in August 1904. At the cost of £15 million, Valhalla was one of the largest and most expensive indoor dark rides in the world. Designed by Sarner and manufactured by Intamin, Valhalla won "Best Water Ride" at the 2018 Golden Ticket awards, an accolade it has held over a consecutive number of years. The park also operates a Nickelodeon Land and the world's only Wallace & Gromit ride, the Thrill-O-Matic. In 2015 the park introduced Red Arrows Sky Force, a Gerstlauer Sky Fly thrill ride which is the first ride of its kind in the United Kingdom.^[6][7] The latest record is taken by Icon, a multi-launch coaster manufactured by Mack Rides in Germany.^[8]