Abandoned English theme park to reopen as adventure attraction with rides and play zones
A UK theme park forced to close in 2023 has revealed plans to reopen as an adventure park.
Adventure Wonderland opened in Bournemouth in 1992, with rides and rollercoasters based on Alice in Wonderland.
Right by Bournemouth Airport, the park was forced to close all of its outdoor rides back in 2023 due to “rising costs”.
The indoor attractions including the soft play closed the following year.
The theme park said at the time of the closure: “The current trading climate and steep increase in key costs across the board is not conducive to the existing theme park model.”
However, they also said they had “exciting plans” for a simpler attraction.
And the new plans that have been submitted will see the theme park become a smaller adventure attraction.
This includes a new outdoor space with play zones and splash parks, as well as “sensory gardens”.
Rides will include a maze, go-karting track and mini golfing.
A cafe and shop will reopen, which are part of the education facility on-site.
Little-else is known about the new attraction although it hopes to open later this year.
Most of the closed building are being repurposed, rather than rebuilt so is unlikely to take long to restore.
The planning application statement says: “The aim of this proposal is to create a site which is better adapted for use by the occupants of Merritown, Discovery Village and Diverse Abilities.
“All of these tenants want to create sustainable spaces which focus on creative outdoor spaces which are stimulating environments with outdoor play, sensory gardens, water play, and utilise the existing external spaces and buildings on site.”
First opened as a pick-your-own-fruit farm, Adventure Wonderland became a full theme park in the 90s.
The Alice in Wonderland theme came from the main character Alice, who was thought to have been inspired by a woman who lived nearby in Lyndhurst.
Along with the addition of rollercoasters, a new £1million indoor play attraction called Wild Thing opened in 2005, its first indoor area.
With rides including a rollercoaster, tea cups and log flume, the park welcomed as many as 180,000 people a year before its closure.
Use these tips on your next theme park trip
Next time you visit a theme park, you may want to use our top tips to make the most of your adrenaline-inducing day out.
- Go to the back of the theme park first. Rides at the front will have the longest queues as soon as it opens.
- Go on water rides in the middle of the day in the summer – this will cool you off when the sun is at its hottest.
- Download the park’s app to track which rides have the shortest queues.
- Visit on your birthday, as some parks give out “birthday badges” that can get you freebies.
- If it rains, contact the park. Depending on how much it rained, you may get a free ticket to return.
In the mean time, here’s everything else you need to know about a holiday to Bournemouth.
We’ve also rounded up the best indoor attractions in the UK to visit when the weather turns.