Thorpe Park

Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox amusement park

Thorpe Park (formerly known as Thorpe Park Resort) is a theme park located in the village of Thorpe between the towns of Chertsey and Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, England, Template:Convert west-southwest of Central London. It is operated by Merlin Entertainments and features rides, themed cabins, live events, and Hyperia, the United Kingdom's tallest and fastest rollercoaster at over 236 feet and 129 km/h. The ride also includes Europe's tallest element and the world's first outer-banked airtime hill. In 2019, Thorpe Park was the United Kingdom's third most visited theme park (1.9 million visitors), behind Alton Towers and Legoland Windsor.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

After the demolition of the Thorpe Park Estate in the 1930s, the site was used as a gravel pit. In the early 1970s, part of the pit was flooded, creating a distinctive water-based environment intended to support the development of a leisure attraction. Thorpe Park Resort was subsequently constructed on the site in 1979, and its partially flooded setting led to the park being perceived as an island. It has since expanded into a major theme park in the United Kingdom. Major attractions include Vortex, a KMG afterburner; Tidal Wave, a large water ride; Ghost Train, a dark ride; as well as a number of rollercoasters including Colossus, Nemesis Inferno, Stealth, Saw – The Ride, The Swarm, and The Walking Dead: The Ride.

History

Gravel pit and water sports resort

The demolition of the Thorpe Park Estate in the 1930s resulted in the grounds being converted into a gravel pit, originally owned by Ready Mixed Concrete Limited. RMC extracted gravel from the site for thirty years, from 1941 until 1970, at which point the company began planning to transform the area into a leisure-based visitor attraction. Early concepts proposed theming the development around the "History of the British People as a Maritime Nation", which was to be achieved by flooding the exhausted gravel pits.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Thorpe Park Lake in early days - geograph.org.uk - 771796.jpg

Thorpe Park Lake in July 1979, the year the park opened to the public

In 1975, the Water Ski World Championships were held on the lake.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> RMC subsequently established a subsidiary, Leisure Sport Limited, to operate the Template:Cvt park for water sports, leisure activities, and heritage exhibitions, at a cost of £3 million.<ref name="SurreyHerald">Template:Cite news</ref>

The park was formally opened to the public by Lord Louis Mountbatten on 24 May 1979,<ref name=":1" /><ref>"Park of Lakes", Staines and District Chronicle, 25 May 1979, p. 21.</ref> in what would be his final public appearance before he was assassinated later that year by a bomb planted by the Provisional IRA on a fishing boat in Mullaghmore, Ireland. In addition to its lakes and parkland, the site featured a replica Stone Age cave, a Celtic farm, a Norman castle, and a Viking camp, as well as exhibits of historic watercraft and aircraft.<ref name="SurreyHerald" />

Operation as a theme park

In the early 1980s, the park was redeveloped into a theme park with permanent themed rides and attractions.<ref name="Thorpe Park Becomes Theme Park">Template:Cite news</ref> New attractions were introduced throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Space Station Zero was the park's first rollercoaster, opening in 1984.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The last major attraction opened by the park's original owners was X:\ No Way Out in 1996. Both attractions continue to operate, now known as Flying Fish and The Walking Dead: The Ride respectively.

Between 1983 and 1989, the park was also used as a filming location for The Benny Hill Show.

In 1998, The Tussauds Group purchased the park. This period saw considerable investment, with major attractions opening such as Tidal Wave in 2000, Vortex in 2001, Colossus in 2002, Nemesis Inferno in 2003, and Stealth in 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In May 2007, the Blackstone Group purchased The Tussauds Group for US$1.9 billion, and the company was merged into Merlin Entertainments, who took over operation of Thorpe Park.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Dubai International Capital also acquired a 20% stake in Merlin Entertainments.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 17 July 2007, as part of the financing for the Tussauds acquisition, Merlin sold Thorpe Park to the private investment firm Prestbury under a sale-and-leaseback agreement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The site is operated by Merlin under a renewable 35-year lease.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/> As of 2023, the site is owned by LXi REIT plc.<ref name="LXi REIT Plc"/>

The resort's target audience is primarily teenagers and young adults, with rides such as Saw – The Ride (2009) and The Swarm (2011) being introduced. In 2014, Merlin also sought to broaden the park's appeal to families with additions including Angry Birds Land and the park's onsite hotel.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

On 20 February 2019, Thorpe Park's official Twitter account confirmed the permanent closure of Logger's Leap, a log flume that opened in 1989 but had remained closed since 2015 following the Smiler accident at Alton Towers that year.<ref name="twitter.com">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2021, Thorpe Park announced plans for a new rollercoaster in the Old Town area of the park under the working title "Project Exodus". During the 2023 Fright Nights event, the ride was officially revealed as Hyperia, planned to become the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in the United Kingdom, reaching 236 feet (71.9 metres) in height and speeds of up to 81 mph (130 km/h).<ref name="exodus proposal">Template:Cite web</ref>

2024 revamp

In preparation for the opening of Hyperia, Merlin announced major new investment in the older areas of the park to bring them up to standard ahead of the record-breaking new rollercoaster. This began on 30 October 2023, when Thorpe Park announced that Angry Birds Land would be permanently closing. The park closed for the 2023 season on Tuesday 31 October following the conclusion of that year's Fright Nights event. Over the closed season, the Sparkle Project<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> began, which comprised a large refurbishment of many areas of the park. This included the refitting of several shops, repainting works for Colossus and Stealth, the installation of a new footbridge over Tidal Wave, and various other improvements. On 16 November 2023, the park revealed that Angry Birds Land would be rethemed as Big Easy Boulevard,<ref name="big easy announcement">Template:Cite web</ref> and on 30 November 2023 Thorpe Park unveiled revitalised branding, including a new logo (the first change since 2008) and slogan. This rebrand marked the retirement of the park's long-used "infinity" symbol (in use since 2001) and its light-hearted An Island Like No Other tagline, instead positioning the park as The Home Of Feel-Good Thrills. The new logo is accompanied by six colour palettes and patterns for marketing materials and merchandise, which the park stated "encapsulate the spirit of Thorpe Park".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The park re-opened for the 2024 season on 24 March, with Big Easy Boulevard opening and construction on Hyperia completed. On 27 March 2024, Thorpe Park announced the opening date for Hyperia as 24 May 2024. The rollercoaster began testing on 16 April and cycled almost daily until its press event on 23 May, when the first public riders were allowed on.

Hyperia, the UK's tallest and fastest rollercoaster, opened to the public on the planned date. However, on the morning of 25 May 2024, the park announced on social media that Hyperia would be closed until 29 May due to "unforeseen circumstances". The re-opening was subsequently delayed until 8 June via another social media update. A further delay pushed the reopening to 12 June, when the ride successfully resumed operations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The coaster would valley twice during the 2024 season, on 19 June and 2 October, but otherwise operated reliably thereafter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2025, the ride experienced significant downtime due to an issue with one of the drive tyres before the lift hill, and subsequently valleyed again on 2 April. This incident occurred under different conditions to previous cases, as the train valleyed during a delay while operating as a test car, unlike the earlier occurrences during morning testing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

Rides and attractions

Rollercoasters

Name	Picture	Type	Opened	Territory	Manufacturer	Additional information
Hyperia	Template:NAFile:Hyperia 2024-05-08.png	Hypercoaster	2024	Fearless Valley	Mack Rides	A Mack Rides Hyper Coaster. It is themed to Hyperia (the 'Golden Goddess') being trapped on an island due to her fear of the water. Seeing the birds flying above, she was inspired she fashioned wings of unbreakable gold steel to fly above and fight the water to 'find her fearless', hence the slogan. Currently the UK's tallest, fastest and most weightless rollercoaster, reaching a max height of 236 ft and speeds of over 81 mph. Minimum height 1.3m.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Swarm	Template:NAFile:The swarm drop, thorpe park, england.jpg	Wing Coaster	2012	Swarm Island	Bolliger & Mabillard	The UK's first winged coaster, opened in 2012. Was the first winged coaster to feature an inverted 'wing-over drop'. Between 2013 and 2016, the rear two rows were modified to face backwards. It is themed to a post-apocalyptic universe in which Thorpe Park is under attack from aliens. The Swarm is the only ride on Swarm Island. Minimum height Template:Cvt. Max Height Limit is Template:Cvt.
SAW -The Ride	Template:NAFile:Sawopen.jpg	Euro-Fighter	2009	Old Town	Gerstlauer	A custom Eurofighter featuring a 100 degree Template:Cvt drop. Themed around the SAW movie franchise. It was branded as the world's first horror movie themed rollercoaster. Minimum height Template:Cvt.
Stealth	Template:NAFile:Stealth Thorpe Park.jpg	Accelerator Coaster	2006	Amity Speedway	Intamin	An Intamin Hydraulic Launch Accelerator coaster, Template:Cvt tall and accelerating from Template:Cvt in 1.8 seconds.<ref name="rcdb stealth">Template:Cite web</ref> It is the third tallest coaster in the UK and also the second fastest in the UK, recently beaten by Hyperia. It is considered to have the fastest acceleration in the world. It was previously recognised as the park's flagship attraction (prior to the release of Hyperia). It has a loose 1950s-era drag racing theme. Minimum height Template:Cvt. Max height limit is Template:Cvt.
Nemesis Inferno	Template:NAFile:Nemisis inferno.jpg	Inverted	2003	The Jungle	Bolliger & Mabillard	A B&M inverted coaster opened in 2003, named after Nemesis at sister park Alton Towers. It has a loose volcano theme and features the first interlocking corkscrews on an inverted coaster. Minimum height Template:Cvt. It was filmed for The Inbetweeners episode "Thorpe Park".
Colossus	Template:NAFile:Colossus (Thorpe Park).jpg	Multi Inversion Coaster	2002	Lost City	Intamin	Opened in 2002, achieving the world record for 'most inversions on a rollercoaster', with 10 inversions (this record was beaten by The Smiler at sister park Alton Towers with 14 inversions in 2013), marketed as 'the world's first ten looping rollercoaster'. It is loosely-themed around traversing the ruins of a lost Atlantean civilization. Minimum height Template:Cvt. Max height limit is Template:Cvt
Walking Dead: The Ride	Template:NAFile:Thorpe Park Walking Dead 2024-03-25.jpg	Steel Sit down	1996 (2013) (2018)	The Dock Yard	Vekoma	Located at the centre of the park in a pyramid. Based on The Walking Dead franchise. On peak days, the ride's exit also includes live actors. Previously known as X (with a rave/dance music theme) and originally X:\No Way Out (with a computer virus theme). Minimum height Template:Cvt.
Flying Fish	Template:NAFile:Thorpe Park flying fish 1.jpg	Steel powered coaster	1984 (1990) (2007)	Amity Cove	Mack Rides	Powered coaster. Opened in 1984 as an indoor coaster named Space Station Zero. It moved outdoors in 1990, in the location now occupied by Stealth. It reopened next to Amity Beach in 2007. Minimum height Template:Cvt.

Thrilling flat rides

Name	Picture	Type	Opened	Territory	Manufacturer	Additional Information
Samurai	Template:NA File:Samurai Thorpe Park.jpg	Top Scan	2004	Old Town	Mondial	Top scan ride, formerly at Chessington World of Adventures Resort under the same name. The ride was repainted when it moved to Thorpe Park, and has been repainted again for the 2024 season. Loosely themed to the sword of a Japanese samurai warrior. Minimum height Template:Cvt.
Quantum	Template:NAFile:Thorpe Park Quantum ride.jpg	Magic Carpet	2003	Lost City	Fabbri Group	Large magic carpet ride. Minimum height Template:Cvt.
Zodiac	Template:NA File:Zodiac thorpe park.jpg	Enterprise	2000 (2001) (2006)	Lost City	HUSS	HUSS enterprise that first opened in 2000 as 'Enterprise', intended as a temporary attraction. It was renamed to 'Zodiac' (and made a permanent attraction) in 2001. At the end of the 2005 season, Zodiac was removed, and replaced by another HUSS Enterprise, relocated from Drayton Manor, where it was known as Cyclone. The replacement opened at the start of the 2006 season.<ref name="newzodiac">Template:Cite web</ref> Minimum height Template:Cvt.
Vortex	Template:NA File:Vortex in action - geograph.org.uk - 1294900.jpg	Afterburner	2001	Lost City	KMG	KMG Afterburner ride which opened in June 2001. Minimum height Template:Cvt.
Detonator	Template:NA File:Fasten Your Safety Belts^ - geograph.org.uk - 1165821.jpg	Drop Tower	2001 (2014) (2022) (2024)	Big Easy Boulevard	Fabbri Group	35m tall drop tower. Originally named 'Detonator' and was added following the Thorpe Park fire. It was intended to be a temporary addition to the park, but was later made a permanent addition. It was renamed 'Detonator: Bombs Away' for the opening of Angry Birds Land in 2014. in 2023 it was renamed back to 'Detonator'. Previously themed to the angry bird Detonator, but now loosely themed to a firework. Max speed 45 Mph, Max G-force of 5.5G. Minimum height Template:Cvt. Received a soft retheme for 2024.
Rush	Template:NA File:Rushtp.jpg	Screamin' Swing	2005	Lost City	S&S – Sansei Technologies	Screamin' Swing which opened alongside Slammer in 2005. Minimum height Template:Cvt.

Water rides

Name	Picture	Type	Opened	Territory	Manufacturer	Additional Information
Rumba Rapids	Template:NATemplate:CSS image crop	River rapids ride	1987	The Jungle	Intamin	It opened in 1987 as Thunder River and is one of the earliest remaining rides at Thorpe Park. It was sponsored by Ribena as Ribena Rumba Rapids from 2002 until 2006 until 2007 when the sponsorship was removed.
Storm Surge	Template:NAFile:Thorpe Park - Storm Surge.jpg	Spinning Rapids Ride	2011	Amity Cove	WhiteWater West	The ride has a Template:Cvt lift and spins riders down a spiral chute. Originally located at Cypress Gardens, until Merlin acquired the park and made it Legoland Florida.
Tidal Wave	Template:NA File:Tidal Wave Thorpe Park.jpg	Shoot the Chute	2000	Amity Cove	Hopkins Rides	When the ride was opened in 2000 it was the tallest water ride in Europe. The ride has had many sponsors including Dr Pepper and Oasis. Minimum height Template:Cvt.
Depth Charge	Template:NA File:Thorpe park skyline.jpg	Water slide	1991	Amity Cove	NV Aquatic	Opened as the first four lane dinghy waterslide in the UK.

Family flat rides

Name	Picture	Type	Opened	Territory	Manufacturer	Additional Information
Mr Monkey's Banana Ride	Template:NA File:Banana Boat.png	Pirate Ship	1994	The Jungle	Metallbau Emmeln	A small banana themed swinging ship ride themed to one of the Thorpe Park Rangers. Minimum height Template:Cvt.
Dobble Tea Party	Template:NA File:Thorpe Park Teacups 2024-03-25.jpg	Teacups	1986 (2023 Retheme)	Big Easy Boulevard	Mack Rides	A teacups ride. Minimum height Template:Cvt. Originally sponsored by the Tetley brand of Tea, and was called 'Storm in a Tea Cup'. Received a Dobble card game sponsorship in 2023.
Big Easy Bumpers	Template:NA File:Thorpe Park Dodgems 2024-03-25.jpg	Dodgems	2014 (2024)	Big Easy Boulevard	Bertazzon	Dodgems ride added in 2014 for Angry Birds Land. Minimum height Template:Cvt (with guardian over Template:Cvt). Rebranded as 'Big Easy Bumpers' for the 2024 season. Formerly called King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems
High Striker	Template:NA Template:CSS image crop	Jumpin' Star	2017 (2022)	Amity Cove	Zamperla	A Jumpin' Star ride, relocated from Weymouth Sea Life, and opened in Old Town, as 'Lumber Jump', in 2017. Was rethemed and moved to Amity in 2022 as High Striker. Minimum height Template:Cvt.

Dark rides and other rides

Name	Picture	Type	Opened	Territory	Manufacturer	Additional Information
Ghost Train	Template:NA File:Derren Brown's Ghost Train Exterior.jpg	Dark Ride	2016 (2017) (2023)	The Dock Yard	Merlin Magic Making, Intamin, Simworx	Multi-sensory dark ride featuring live actors. Rethemed from Derren Brown’s Ghost Train at the start of the 2023 season.
Sunset Cinema	Template:NA File:Thorpe Park 4D Cinema 2024-03-25.jpg	4D Cinema	1999 (2008) (2014)	Big Easy Boulevard		Initially opened in 1999, showing Pirates 4-D, operating until the end of the 2007 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From the start of the 2008 season, it featured Time Voyagers instead, operating until the end of the 2011 season, and remaining dormant throughout the 2012 and 2013 seasons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It reopened in the 2014 season, as part of Angry Birds Land, featuring the Angry Birds 4D Experience.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This operated until the end of the 2023 season, with the rebrand of the area into the Big Easy Boulevard for 2024.<ref name="big easy announcement"/> In 2024, Sunset Cinema will be showing Ready Player One: 4D Experience.
Amity Beach	Template:NA File:Thorpe Park fly motion.jpg	Beach Area with Pool and Waterslides	1979	Amity Cove	Thorpe Park	Originally named "Fantasy Reef", and 'exclusively for families with young children'. This attraction is intermittently open, generally only being open on certain days in the summer, weather permitting.<ref name="amitybeach">Template:Cite web</ref>

Former attractions

Name	Picture	Type	Opened	Closed	Territory	Manufacturer	Additional Information
Slammer	Template:NA File:Slammer at Thorpe Park - geograph.org.uk - 467533.jpg	Sky Swat	2005	2017	Old Town	S&S Worldwide	This was the last Sky Swatter in the world. It was permanently closed in 2017, after being plagued with technical issues for much of its period of operation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Minimum height Template:Cvt.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Slammer remained standing-but-not-operating, with its removal confirmed for the 2024 closed season. As of the 15 February 2025, the ride has been entirely removed.<ref name="slammer is gone">Template:Cite web</ref>
Logger's Leap	Template:NA File:Off to get wet - geograph.org.uk - 1293811.jpg	Log Flume	1989	2015	Old Town	Mack Rides	Was the tallest log flume in the UK. The ride was last operational during the 2015 season, with the closure being officially confirmed during the 2019 season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was demolished in late 2022 to make way for Hyperia.
The Rocky Express	Template:NAFile:The Rocky Express - geograph.org.uk - 1294763.jpg	Sea Storm	1989	2021	Old Town	Mack Rides	Family friendly spinning train ride. Minimum height Template:Cvt. Closed and removed to make way for Hyperia.<ref name="themeparkguide exodus">Template:Cite web</ref>
Canada Creek Railway	Template:NAFile:Canada Creek Railway - geograph.org.uk - 1294757.jpg	Miniature Railway	1989	2011	Old Town	Severn Lamb<ref name="attractionsource canadacreekrailway">Template:Cite web</ref>	A miniature railway inside the park, which used to take guests from the (previously known as) 'Canada Creek' area of the park to the (now closed) 'Thorpe Farm' area of the park, with the return journey taking a detour through the woods behind the Old Town area, following a similar route to Logger's Leap. After the closure of Thorpe Farm in 2006,<ref name="getsurrey-thorpefarm">Template:Cite web</ref> the railway only traversed the loop by Logger's Leap.<ref name="attractionsource canadacreekrailway"/>
Pirates 4D	Template:NA	4D Cinema	1999	2007	Calypso Quay	Iwerks Entertainment	Replaced by Time Voyagers
Wicked Witches Haunt	Template:NA	Dark ride	1983 (1994)	2000	Central Park		Originally opened as Phantom Fantasia in 1983, with a tudor style building facade. The ride had a circular revolving loading platform area (similar in style to the one used on Rumba Rapids) with the ride vehicles themselves were being of a black ‘Clam Shell’ design, which were capable of turning 360 degrees, with a single lap bar that came down as you left the station area. These cars were different to those on most other rides as they were part of a continuous chain of cars rather than being part of separate trains. Scenes included an undertaker nailing down a coffin lid whilst the person inside tries to get out, Sweeney Todd gave his latest customer a ‘close shave’, Henry VIII having a banquet with guests while one of his wives ghostly disappeared and reappeared beside him, a knights graveyard, a ballroom scene with dancers who are later revealed to be skeletons and a sorcerer and his apprentice mixing up a potion. When the ride had finished, you exited through a gift shop themed around the ride. In 1994, it was re-themed to become Wicked Witches Haunt. As part of this re-theme, the entrance building was re-decorated and the entrance to the ride itself was moved around the corner from the original entrance, with a large cackling animatronic witch being placed above it. Inside all the scenes were painted in bright coloured UV paint to glow under the new UV lighting with new scenes being added such as witches cooking up a brew in a cauldron, large spiders and a new finale scene, in which the main Witch was stuck in a cell rattling the door as you had an On-Ride photo taken. However, on Friday 21 July 2000, after a major fire at the park which destroyed the ride buildings for both Mr Rabbit’s Tropical Travels and Wicked Witches Haunt, the latter never reopened, being burnt to the ground, eventually being replaced by Detonator.
Thorpe Farm	Template:NAFile:Thorpe Farm (geograph 2993444).jpg	Petting farm	1982	2006	Thorpe Farm	N/A	A petting farm, accessible via the Canada Creek Railway or a ferry over Manor Lake (formerly being reachable by foot until 1992). This area was intended to be somewhat educational, not only allowing guests to get up close and personal with farm animals, but also to learn a bit about caring for these farm animals (and general farm activities). This area also featured a play area, and several shops and food outlets. Thorpe Farm was closed due to dwindling guest numbers in 2006, with the animals being rehomed. The area is currently inaccessible to guests, and is now used for storage and horticultural purposes.<ref name="getsurrey-thorpefarm"/><ref name="attractionsource thorpefarm">Template:Cite web</ref>
Wet Wet Wet	Template:NA	3 Lane Water Slide	1998	2022	Amity Beach	WhiteWater West<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Three waterslides, primarily designed for younger children, located in the Amity Beach area. This ride was rarely open; being part of Amity Beach, it could only be open when the rest of the attraction was open, but even then, this was not guaranteed to be open as well.
Eclipse	Template:NATemplate:CSS image crop	Ferris Wheel	2003	2004	Lost City	Fabbri Group	A ferris wheel. Closed at the end of the 2004 season due to negative guest feedback.<ref name="james eclipse">Template:Cite web</ref> Replaced by Rush for the 2005 season. Eclipse was relocated to Chessington World of Adventures, where it reopened as Peeking Heights in 2005.
Angry Birds 4D Experience	Template:NA	4D Cinema	2014	2023	Angry Birds Land	Simworx	4D Cinema that showed the Angry Birds 4D movie. Replaced Pirates 4-D and Time Voyagers. Closed to make way for new experiences.
Black Mirror Labyrinth	Template:NA	Maze Attraction	2021	2023	Old Town	Merlin Magic Making	A maze that used cutting-edge technology & sensory-defying environments. Was based on the Netflix series Black Mirror. Closed at the end of the 2023 season.<ref name="black mirror closed">Template:Cite web</ref>

Territories

In 2024, with the addition of Big Easy Boulevard and Fearless Valley, Thorpe Park was divided into nine "island territories".

• Port and Basecamp
  Port and Basecamp
• Amity
  Amity
• The Dock Yard
  The Dock Yard
• The Jungle
  The Jungle
• Big Easy Boulevard
  Big Easy Boulevard
• Lost City
  Lost City
• Old Town
  Old Town
• Swarm Island
  Swarm Island
• Fearless Valley
  Fearless Valley

• Port and Basecamp includes the turnstile entrance, bridge, the Dome and the playground.
• Amity (originally Amity Cove) opened with Tidal Wave and now includes Stealth, Depth Charge, Amity Beach, High Striker, Flying Fish, and Storm Surge.
• The Jungle contains Nemesis Inferno, Rumba Rapids, Mr Monkey's Banana Ride, and a street of restaurants.
• Old Town was once a country themed area, now a dark and derelict themed area, that houses Saw – The Ride and Samurai.
• Fearless Valley is located towards the back of the park and includes Hyperia.
• Lost City contains Colossus, Rush, Quantum, Vortex, and Zodiac.
• Swarm Island opened as the plaza for The Swarm.
• The Dock Yard (previously named The Depot and Thorpe Junction) is the plaza immediately outside Ghost Train, previously known as Derren Brown's Ghost Train and Derren Brown's Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon, and includes the nearby The Walking Dead: The Ride rollercoaster, previously known as X and X:\ No Way Out.
• Big Easy Boulevard (formerly Angry Birds Land between 2014 to 2023) is located between Amity and The Jungle, and contains Detonator, Big Easy Bumpers (dodgems), and Sunset Cinema (4D theatre).<ref name="big easy announcement"/>

Port and Basecamp

The Basecamp area contains security, the turnstiles, toilets, business and staff reception, Island HQ, and the bridge where guests enter the park. This leads to The Dome, which acts as a hub for the park and houses Vibes Bar & Kitchen (formerly Infinity Bar & Kitchen), an arcade area, The Coffee Shack, toilets, lockers, the Island Gift Shop, guest services, first aid, photo points, and staff areas such as the canteen, The Core, and offices.

The Dome was previously known as Port Atlantis and featured an underwater Atlantean-themed interior. Much of the scenery and underwater effects disappeared following Merlin Entertainments' acquisition of the park and were later removed entirely when the building's theme was changed.

The Dome remains open outside normal operating hours to provide entertainment and dining facilities for guests staying at Thorpe Shark Cabins, including a breakfast buffet.

Amity

Amity is themed as a 1950s American fishing village struck by a tidal wave and opened alongside Tidal Wave in 2000. It was previously named Amity Cove, as still noted on themed signage. The area was expanded in 2006 with the addition of Stealth, set at the Amity Speedway racetrack. It later incorporated attractions from the former Neptune's Beach family area, including Depth Charge and the Amity Beach outdoor water park. Amity Cove and Amity Speedway are no longer physically connected, having been divided by Big Easy Boulevard.

The area also includes attractions from the former European Park area: Flying Fish and Storm in a Teacup (now Dobble Tea Party). Flying Fish was originally located beside Tidal Wave (on the site now occupied by Stealth) but was removed for construction in 2005. It reopened in its current location near The Swarm in 2007 due to popular demand. In 2011, the raft ride Storm Surge was relocated from Cypress Gardens in Florida, United States, prior to its retheming at Legoland Florida. Storm Surge was built on the former site of the Octopus Garden children's area.

The Jungle

The area's main attractions are Nemesis Inferno, a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted rollercoaster set within a volcano, and Rumba Rapids, a river rapids ride. The area was previously known as Calypso Quay and includes elements of the former Ranger County family area, including Mr Monkey's Banana Ride, a small swinging ship, as well as shopfronts and restaurants retained from the former European Park area.

The Dock Yard

This area serves primarily as the plaza for Ghost Train, an indoor dark ride, and also contains The Walking Dead: The Ride, an indoor rollercoaster. The area has limited major theming beyond buildings and scenery retained from Octopus Gardens (a now-closed children's area), which were later styled to match Amity, including the Megastore, various buoy props, and a carnival game resembling a cargo ship.

Lost City

The Lost City is themed around the ruins of a newly unearthed Atlantean civilisation, with Colossus as the main attraction since 2002. The area first opened in 2001 with Vortex and Zodiac as its only rides. In 2003, the area was expanded with Quantum (a magic carpet ride) and Eclipse (a Ferris wheel). Eclipse was removed after the 2004 season and relocated to Chessington World of Adventures.<ref name="james eclipse"/> It was replaced by Rush, an S&S Screamin' Swing, which opened in 2005. At the end of the 2005 season, Zodiac was removed and replaced with a HUSS Enterprise relocated from Drayton Manor, where it operated as Cyclone before closing due to noise issues. The replacement Zodiac opened without fanfare in 2006.<ref name="newzodiac"/>

Old Town

The main attraction in this area is Saw – The Ride, a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter rollercoaster featuring a Template:Cvt-tall, 100° beyond-vertical drop. The ride is themed to the Saw horror franchise and is set within a derelict warehouse and sawmill. The flat ride Samurai was relocated from Chessington World of Adventures in 2004.

The area was formerly themed as Canada Creek and served as the plaza for the log flume Logger's Leap, which opened in 1989 as one of the tallest of its kind. The area originally featured a Canadian forest aesthetic, though this shifted towards a Western-style theme over subsequent redevelopments. Logger's Leap operated outside the main plaza and ceased running after the 2015 season; its permanent closure was confirmed in 2019.<ref name="twitter.com"/>

The area once housed the main station of the Canada Creek Railway, a miniature railway that transported guests to the now-closed Thorpe Farm area and around the backwoods of Canada Creek. Following the farm's closure, the railway operated only on the backwoods route. It closed during the 2008 season, requiring partial rerouting due to construction of Saw – The Ride and was permanently closed at the end of 2011.<ref name="attractionsource canadacreekrailway"/> Since closure, the trains, station, and former route have been used for several Fright Nights attractions.<ref name="ccr">Template:Cite web</ref> The area also hosted the Black Mirror Labyrinth experience between 2021 and 2023.

Most rides in this area closed after the 2021 season due to construction work for Hyperia, which opened on 24 May 2024. Parts of the area were redeveloped as Fearless Valley.<ref name="themeparkguide exodus"/>

Fearless Valley

The main attraction in this area is Hyperia, the United Kingdom's tallest and fastest rollercoaster. Fearless Valley also includes a Burger King, Victorious Games, the Hyporium gift shop, Cloud Nine Treats, and toilets themed to Hyperia.

Swarm Island

Swarm Island is the plaza for The Swarm, a Bolliger & Mabillard wing coaster that opened in 2012. The area was constructed on land reclaimed from the surrounding lakes and is themed as the aftermath of an apocalyptic disaster or alien invasion caused by "The Swarm". Major theming includes a crashed aeroplane, damaged emergency vehicles such as a helicopter and fire engine, a partially destroyed church (which serves as the ride station), and other ruined structures. Many guest facilities are housed within these props, including a shop located within a shipping container and the ride control room situated in an overturned police trailer suspended in the church roof.

Timeline of park areas

Years areas opened

1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Fantasy Reef										Port Atlantis							Port and Basecamp
										Neptune’s Kingdom														Amity Beach		Amity
										Octopus Gardens
Central Park									Amity Cove
Thorpe Farm
Canada Creek																					Old Town										Old Town
																																	Fearless Valley
			Ranger County																								The Dock Yard
										Lost City
											Calypso Quay												The Jungle
																							Angry Birds Land										Big Easy Boulevard
																					Swarm Island

Template:Color box  Previous themed area

Template:Color box  Current themed area

Records held by the park

• Nemesis Inferno is the first inverted coaster to feature interlocking corkscrews (in the same layout).
• Additionally, the world record for 'most naked people on a rollercoaster' was set on Nemesis Inferno in May 2004.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• The Swarm opened as Europe's tallest wing coaster and the first coaster in the world to feature the "wing over drop".
• Saw - The Ride was marketed as having the world's steepest 'freefall' drop,<ref name="bbc news magazine saw">Template:Cite news</ref> and as the world's first horror movie themed roller coaster. Saw - The Ride was not actually the steepest rollercoaster in the world when it opened in March 2009 - Steel Hawg at Indiana Beach had opened the previous year with a steeper 111° drop. However, whilst Steel Hawg's drop has brakes on it, Saw's drop is brakeless - hence it being marketed as having the steepest freefall drop. This particular accolade was taken by The Monster in 2016 (and, as of 2022, is held by Defiance).
• Colossus held the world record for the most inversions on a rollercoaster when it opened in 2002, with 10 inversions. This record was matched in 2006 by "10 Inversion Coaster" (an exact clone of Colossus) and then beaten in 2013 by The Smiler at Alton Towers Resort, with 14 inversions.
• Stealth was the UK's fastest roller coaster, launching from Template:Cvt in 1.8 seconds (as of 2024 this record has been taken by Hyperia) Standing at Template:Cvt, it is also the UK's third tallest roller coaster (behind The Big One and Hyperia).
• Tidal Wave opened as Europe's tallest water ride.
• Hyperia is the tallest roller coaster in the UK at Template:Cvt, and the fastest roller coaster in the UK at 81 mph (130 km/h).<ref name="exodus proposal"/> Hyperia also contains Europe's tallest inversion at 168 ft (51.2 m), and a world's first outer-banked turn inversion. Thorpe Park also claim that Hyperia has 14.8s of airtime being the UK's most weightless coaster.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, this is debated as they have included a 3s stall in this statistic, which is widely regarded as hangtime and not airtime.
• Stealth is the world's fastest accelerating rollercoaster<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> (Template:Cvt in 1.8 seconds) with the announced closure of Do-Dodonpa at Fuji-Q Highland on 13 March 2024.

Fright Nights

Fright Nights,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> formerly styled as "Fright Nites", is Thorpe Park's annual Halloween event and the largest Halloween event of its kind in the United Kingdom. The event has run at the park since 2002, celebrating Halloween with extended opening hours and a range of temporary Halloween attractions. Roaming actors in costume or make-up can also be found around the park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During Fright Nights, the park remains open until 9 pm, with a selection of "scare mazes" available for guests, who usually enter in groups of eight to ten. "Face It Alone" has sometimes been offered as an upcharge experience, in which a guest enters alone and must sign a disclaimer before participating.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2013, Fright Nights was relaunched with a horror film theme following a three-year contract with Lionsgate. All pre-existing Fright Nights attractions, with the exception of The Asylum and Saw: Alive, were removed to make way for new horror film-themed attractions.

In 2014, following the opening of the Thorpe Shark Hotel, Thorpe Park introduced two overnight scare experiences. One involved a "night terror" character appearing in guests' hotel rooms during the night, while the other, the "Extra Cut", involved guests being "kidnapped" from their room and chased throughout the park.<ref name="2014 fright nights about">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2017, Fright Nights was reinvented with a Walking Dead theme. Two new Walking Dead attractions were introduced to coincide with the premiere of the show's eighth series. Saw: Alive, The Big Top and Platform 15 remained from previous years, with Containment returning as an upcharge attraction.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2020, restrictions introduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant that only two mazes operated: Platform 15 and Roots of Evil, both of which took place primarily outdoors. A wide selection of scare zones was introduced for the first time at Fright Nights, including The Swarm: Invasion on Swarm Island, Creek Freaks Unchained in Old Town, The Fearstival Arena in the Dockyard, The Howling of LycanThorpe High in Lost City (on the site near Zodiac and Rush typically used for a scare maze), and Terror at Amity High returning for its third year on the Stealth Plaza. The Crows were also added as roaming scarecrows, primarily based in key locations but appearing throughout the park and interacting with other scare zones.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fright Nights attraction history

Year	Attractions (number of seasons)
2002	THE FREEZER (3)	Freakshow 3D (3)
2003
2004			Carnival of the Bizarre (5)
2005	The Asylum (9)	Hellgate (6)
2006				Se7en (6)
2007
2008					The Curse (5)
2009
2010			SAW: Alive (9)			Dead End (1)
2011		Experiment 10 (2)
2012				The Passing (1)
2013		My Bloody Valentine (3)		Cabin in the Woods (4)	Blair Witch (4)
2014	Studio 13 (1)					Extra Cut (1)
2015	Containment (5)					The Big Top (3)
2016		Platform 15 (5)
2017				The Walking Dead: Living Nightmare (3)	The Walking Dead: Sanctum (1)
2018					The Walking Dead: Do or Die (2)	The Big Top: Showtime (1)	Blair Witch (2)	Terror at Amity High: High School SUCKS! (3)	Screamplexx Cinema (3)	Vulcan Peak (1)	Dead Creek Woods (1)
2019			Creek Freak Massacre (1)
2020	The Swarm: Invasion (2)		Roots of Evil (1)	The Howling of LycanThorpe High (1)	Creek Freaks Unchained [as a Scare Zone] (2)	The Fearstival Arena (1)	The Crows (2)
2021		Platform 15: End of the Line (1)	Creek Freak Massacre (1)	Amity High vs LycanThorpe: LoveBITES! (1)		Trailers (5)		The Crows of Mawkin Meadow (5)	Birthday Bash (2)	Legacy (2)
2022	Survival Games (4)	The Terminal (1)	Creek Freak Massacre: The Final Cut (1)	Amity High vs LycanThorpe: Graduation SUCKS! (1)	Creek Freaks Unchained [as a Roaming Team] (1)		Death's Doors (2)
2023		Creature Campus: Trouble's Brewing (1)	Lucifer's Lair (3)	Stitches (3)
2024		Creature Campus: Looks Can Kill! (1)			Deadbeat (2)		IT: The 4D Experience (2)
2025		Creature Campus: Shock to the System (1)

Template:Color box – Previous Fright Night attraction. Template:Color box – Current Fright Night attraction.

Thorpe Shark Cabins

Guests can stay on-site at the Thorpe Shark Cabins, comprising 90 rooms converted from shipping containers and linked to facilities in the adjacent Dome. The accommodation takes its name from its shark-head entrance feature, constructed from recycled park signage.

The hotel initially opened in 2013 as The Crash Pad, operated by the external company Snoozebox. The temporary development was purchased by the park the following year and rebranded as the Thorpe Shark Hotel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Thorpe Park had originally planned to construct a permanent 250-bed hotel as early as 2006. It would have been located on the opposite side of the lake, on the site of former excavation works, and feature a lakeside bar, health club, and restaurant. Planning permission was granted in 2011.<ref name="PlannedHotelA">Template:Cite web</ref>

The development was proposed again following the installation of The Crash Pad to "test market conditions". The park received planning permission to construct the permanent hotel in 2014, with construction planned to begin in 2016 and an opening scheduled for 2018. However, the hotel was never built, and the Shark Hotel’s planning permission was instead extended by ten years.<ref name="PlannedHotelB">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2023, new Swarm, Nemesis Inferno, and Stealth-themed rooms opened in the Thorpe Shark Cabins. They feature bespoke theming and provide unlimited fastrack access to each room’s associated roller coaster on the second day of a stay.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2024, new Colossus and Hyperia-themed rooms opened in the Thorpe Shark Cabins.

Operations and developments

Thorpe Park has a maximum capacity of 15,000 guests.<ref>Crowds force closure of theme park – The Guardian. 17 April 2006. Retrieved 16 November 2021.</ref><ref>Theme Parks Operation in Chertsey – Scoot. Retrieved 16 November 2021.</ref>

In 2010, the park outlined a five-year development plan, which proposed new roller coasters for 2012; this was later realised with the opening of The Swarm. The plan also included a roller coaster scheduled for 2015 and a permanent lakeside hotel, neither of which has come to fruition. No application was ever submitted for the 2015 development, and the site behind The Swarm remains undeveloped.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 26 November 2021, the park launched a public consultation website outlining a proposal for a new roller coaster.<ref name="thorpepark-consultation.com">Template:Cite web</ref> Leaflets were distributed to local residents, stating the proposal would "involve the removal of existing old rides and replacement with a new roller coaster in the Old Town part of the resort". The public consultation began on 10 December 2021, with plans detailing a Template:Convert tall steel hypercoaster codenamed "Project Exodus".<ref name="thorpepark-consultation.com"/>

An application for planning permission was submitted on 14 March 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Objections were raised by Surrey Wildlife Trust, Natural England and the Environment Agency, citing concerns regarding biodiversity, pollution and flood risks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The concerns raised by Surrey Wildlife Trust and Natural England were addressed, and their objections were subsequently withdrawn.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 5 October 2022, Runnymede Borough Council approved the application for "Project Exodus"; however, due to the unresolved objection from the Environment Agency, the application was referred to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for approval<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (under the terms of The Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2021).

On 1 November 2022, a letter sent to Runnymede Borough Council on behalf of the Secretary of State stated that he was content for the application to be determined by the local planning authority.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Subsequently, Runnymede Borough Council granted planning permission for "Project Exodus" on 2 November 2022.<ref name="AttractionSource - exodus planning permission granted">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="SurreyLive - exodus planning permission granted">Template:Cite news</ref>

Construction began in January 2023,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with Mack Rides confirmed as the manufacturer. On 17 July 2023, the first supports arrived for the coaster. In August 2023, Project Exodus was confirmed as the UK's fastest roller coaster and its colour scheme of black, gold and white was revealed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 5 October 2023, the name for Project Exodus, Hyperia, was announced, and on 6 March 2024, the track was completed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The roller coaster opened on 24 May 2024, but closed the following day. It reopened on 12 June 2024,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> before a temporary closure on 19 June due to an incident four days earlier in which riders were stranded for an hour.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Transport

There are no direct rail connections to Thorpe Park; the nearest railway station is Chertsey, situated approximately 2 km away.

Thorpe Park is served by the 950 express bus, which departs from Staines railway station,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> providing connections from London Waterloo and Reading. Other local bus routes serving the park include routes 461 and 446.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, there is the seasonal 951 bus between Watford and Thorpe Park, operating once daily (arriving in the morning and departing in the evening), with two return journeys during Fright Nights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Merlin Entertainments
• The Tussauds Group
• RMC Group
• "Thorpe Park", an episode of The Inbetweeners in which the main characters visit Thorpe Park.
• Primeval – the third episode of Series 2 featured the park under a fictitious name.
• Staines railway station
• Chertsey railway station
• Alton Towers
• Chessington World of Adventures
• Drayton Manor Theme Park

External links

• Template:Official website
• Memories of Thorpe Park