What is the history of Blackpool Pleasure Beach?

Blackpool’s famous Pleasure Beach celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2021, testament to its continued popularity. The first person to offer organised rides to visitors was John Outhwaite, the Yorkshire meat trader opening a steam carousel in 1895. William George Bean followed with a pedal-bike monorail on leased land between the Carousel and the gypsy encampment. It was Bean who founded the Pleasure Beach Company on April 23rd, 1896 and he joined forces with rival Outhwaite soon after, between them borrowing £30,000 and purchasing 40 acres of land next to the Star Inn. In 1905, the site was renamed the ‘Pleasure Beach’ and the rest is history! The South Beach area of Blackpool was developed later than the town centre and the promenade didn’t extend down to this part of the resort initially. Gypsies moved into this area and ran fairground rides in the 19th century, however they were moved on in around 1910 to allow for redevelopment and for the expansion of the newly-created amusement park. Until 1923, the Pleasure Beach actually was right on the beach! At this point however, the promenade was extended south on reclaimed land and the site is now separated from the sea by a busy stretch of road and the tram lines.

When William George Bean purchased a 42-acre plot of land in Blackpool in 1896, he had a vision. He wanted to build an American-style theme park, a place “to make adults feel like children again and to inspire gaiety of a primarily innocent character.” August 1904 saw the launch of the ever-popular Sir Hiram Maxim Captive Flying Machine – the oldest continuous working amusement park ride not only in Blackpool Pleasure Beach but in Europe too. Following the First World War, investment in the park stopped due to the difficulty in exporting rides from the United States. The 1920s saw a period of great development with the opening of Noah’s Ark and The Virginia Reel. This was followed on 23 August 1923 by the classic Big Dipper wooden rollercoaster offering holidaymakers a fast and modern ride like no other on the park. The Second World War put a temporary halt to progress at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. In the 50’s, the park started a return to prominence with the opening of the highly regarded Wild Mouse wooden rollercoaster in 1958 followed by The Derby Racer in 1959. The 60’s saw a collection of much-heralded rides opening at the park. Geoffrey Thompson became Managing Director in 1976 and added exciting iconic rides including the Steeplechase, opened by the racehorse Red Rum in 1977. In 1988, the year the British bobsleigh team were competing in the Winter Olympics, a dazzling new ride, the Avalanche, opened and carried over one million passengers during the first year. 2000 saw the biggest investment up to this point of £15 million with the opening of Valhalla. In 2004 Amanda Thompson OBE became Managing Director and invested £5m in the park with re-theming and refurbishment. ICON the UK’s first double launch rollercoaster costing £16.25m opened in 2018. The £12m Boulevard Hotel opened in 2019 with 120 stylish rooms with views of the seafront or park, a 90-seat restaurant and state-of-the-art conference facilities.

When William George Bean purchased a 42-acre plot of land in Blackpool in 1896, he had a vision. He wanted to build an American-style theme park, a place “to make adults feel like children again and to inspire gaiety of a primarily innocent character.” The journey from the opening of Blackpool Pleasure Beach in 1896 to the present day, has been an incredible ride. August 1904 saw the launch of the ever-popular Sir Hiram Maxim Captive Flying Machine – the oldest continuous working amusement park ride not only in Blackpool Pleasure Beach but in Europe too. Following the First World War, investment in the park stopped due to the difficulty in exporting rides from the United States. The 1920s saw a period of great development with the opening of Noah’s Ark and The Virginia Reel. This was followed on 23 August 1923 by the classic Big Dipper wooden rollercoaster offering holidaymakers a fast and modern ride like no other on the park. The Second World War put a temporary halt to progress at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. In the 50’s, the park started a return to prominence with the opening of the highly regarded Wild Mouse wooden rollercoaster in 1958 followed by The Derby Racer in 1959. The 60’s saw a collection of much-heralded rides opening at the park. Geoffrey Thompson became Managing Director in 1976 and added exciting iconic rides including the Steeplechase, opened by the racehorse Red Rum in 1977. In 1988, the year the British bobsleigh team were competing in the Winter Olympics, a dazzling new ride, the Avalanche, opened and carried over one million passengers during the first year. 2000 saw the biggest investment up to this point of £15 million with the opening of Valhalla. In 2004 Amanda Thompson OBE became Managing Director and invested £5m in the park with re-theming and refurbishment. In 2023 the Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure Beach celebrates 100 years.