I love how you include old Amusement parks in the UK. Being in the Untied States, it is fascinating hearing about these old parks in the UK. Awesome job!
The weird thing is (having moved to England in 1990) there hasn’t been many (multiple big ride) theme parks built and usually all of them have their ‘day’ where they’re the must go place in the UK so when one goes its big and sad news.
I'm deeply offended by this park's inaccurate representation of my country. Where's the endless fast food restaurants, cheap motels, Walmarts, gun ranges, and muscle cars?
Hubert Berrum Maybe I should've worded it better (damn these Simpsons memes being implanted in my brain!), but basically I'm saying "It's obviously a joke. You don't need to try starting an argument with this guy"
I live a 10 min walk from here and walk my dogs around it quite often - there's literally nothing there anymore - nice to see what it looked liked at one point
Aaron Beers is it still empty? They’ve literally torn every building down? It’s just concrete and grass? I take they don’t have any security there if there’s nothing to protect?
GoldBallTV I live 10 minutes away too and your right, it’s just grass and concrete. However, there is a giant fence around it and cctv and it’s trespassing to go in there
My dad worked here as a fork lift truck driver. He spent endless amounts of days happy and loving his job there. It was excellent growing up with free tickets to the park. To this day I still own merchandise from the park, and we all wish it remained in the country. It would have been so successful by now. Lots of love to American Adventure ❤️
Me too. It looks like a little place near me that was called Ghost Town in the Sky (it was on top of a mountain in NC.) It had gun fights and a cowboy theme. I don’t get why someone made that in the UK.
As a Brit who visited this park, please do not waste your fascination here lol. I can guarantee you it is not worth it. It was the size of 4 football (soccer) fields and was such a random mish mash of rides. It was about as exciting as the entrance of mgm, imagine how my tiny brain exploded when the year after this I was in florida, where 'theme' park meant something more than a field with some rides and stuff lol.
Gam Sansam I think it’s just that to us in the states England has a kind of cache, an elegance I guess. To think you would be at all interested in some old west gun shows and stupid Americana stuff if just odd to us.
I've only just discovered this video, my heart 😭 My family used to go every year, we have so many amazing memories that we still talk about to this day! We still have so many photos 😂 Thank you for this video!
I spent so many of my birthdays at this place with family and friends - good times! Always sad to see images of it now, but fondly remember the good times had there. Great vid 👍
I’ve been really obsessed with themepark and ride history. Defunctland, Themeparkhidtory, and you Expedition Theme Park have been my favorite channels keep it up
This has actually made me feel quite sad... American Adventure was our go-to family day out when I was a kid and I have a lot of great memories of the place. Such a shame to see how little of the park remained in the end.
Visited AA so many times as a kid. From not long after it opened up to the mid 90's. My last visit was 2001, when I came back to the UK for a holiday (I'd moved to live overseas at this point) and my heart just broke seeing what it was like at the time especially after seeing the 'new' entrance. Before that, the last time I'd visited it was still the old entrance at the top of the park, I loved going in all the shops in the little shopping arcade, I don't know why, but I just loved the architecture of it all. I remember the motion master seats well too, at least the Robocop, I believe I saw the Alien one also, but cannot remember to tell the truth. I also remember when I got to go with a scout day trip when I was on international camp, the memories....of both the camp and that day to AA. Each scout group were allowed only 2 tickets, so everyone had to do the lucky hat. But I'd be passing over all the events so the others could do everything they wanted, since I was the most senior scout and stayed back often to help with our groups camp site. When we got the tickets, I wasn't given a choice, every one banded together and said I should go and have a break from tending our camp site. The other ticket went to a girl guide from our same unit, a girl I knew all to well that had a crush on me....I used to call her a klingon.....not because of Star Trek, but for the other reason :D Wow the memories. Some good times.....good times indeed. I remember the final visit back in 2001. Wasn't much to do back then, so we pretty much went around the park cleaning out the arcade claw machines and festival games. We won so many prizes, we couldn't carry them all. When it came time to go back, we found that we couldn't fit ourselves and all the plush in the car either, so we spent an hour at the gates giving away most of the plush to kids as they were leaving. The park employees loved that, they gave us some free drinks and snacks while they also helped us giving out the plush. Of course at some point, some one in management heard and came down to reprimand the employees, but we smoothed it out and explained the situation, the guy couldn't help but chuckle at our conundrum of what to put in the car.....the plush or the teens (my brother and me). Needless to say, at the end, even he ended up helping us giving away the plush after thinking it was a great thing to do, sharing some happiness with the kids on their way home. When I came back to the UK, I was hoping of visiting once more for nostalgia sake, but never got around to looking into it. It wasn't until about 2013 that I found out it no longer existed. Seeing those drone shots at the end almost had me in tears. So many great memories.
I remember my first time going to The American Adventure. Panning for gold, having a Wild West-themed photo session, and throwing up a lot shortly after riding The Missile. Speaking of The Missile, nice to see that it was relocated to one of the first ever theme parks I visited as a kid. I'd love to go to Pleasurewood Hills again after my last visit 25 or so years ago! :D
I remember the American Adventure well. Having a theme park on my doorstep was taken for granted at that young age. Looking back, it's actually amazing that it ever existed!
Ilkeston Web Design Yup, this and Alton Towers being so close took it for granted. Although went loads as a kid. My parents bought the pic of me on The Missile as my Dad is laughing and I’m sobbing 😂
I miss this park so much. I remember going aged 8 in 1987- then again many times. It was a thriving place. I went to a radio 1 roadshow here too. Take That were there before they got huge & did a big auction. Many treasured memories
Such a shame, I had some good childhood memories of this place. About the original grand entrance, when you walked in you would be greeted by singing animatronic bears which I believe were the mascots for this theme park. I think the last time I went was probably in 2000 and I went with a friend from school, still had a good time but it felt off, the grand entrance wasn't being used and looking at the rides you could easily tell that this theme park was really lagging behind in comparison to Alton Towers. RIP The American Adventure. :(
This park was great back in the day too bad it was run by a bunch of idiots that couldn't be arsed with it . All It needed a group of investors to come in an turn it around get rid of the crap rides and put some new rides in and bring back the American theme to the park I'm sad it's not their anymore
Hi mate I've been watching you're videos for months just wanted to say they are awesome . So glad to hear a British accent on theme park commentary. You do some fantastic research
I live about 10 minutes up the road from where the American Adventure was, have loads of memories of it as a kid, it was great having a theme park just down the road, I remember going on the Nightmare Niagara log flume tons as a kid. When I go out walking I often end up walking around where the park used to be. It’s all fenced off but you can still walk around it, this video brought back loads of memories for me!
Brilliant video mate, remember going to this place about 2 years after it opened, didn't even know it was a theme park before it became American adventure?? It was a really good park in its heyday, think if it had been managed better it would have been up there with Alton Towers today..
Went in 89 and it was amazing. The view of the park after you came through the entrance was great. Went in the very early 2000's with my other half and step daughter and was shocked when I saw the entrance was the shady looking side gate, was even more shocked at what I saw inside.
I went with my family in 1991 and it was packed. Loads of fun and the indoor kids play area is still to this day the biggest I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t tall enough to get on The Missile (although at the time I was glad!) but it was a great day never the less. When I went back with my girlfriend at the time in 2003, it was in a sorry state to say the least. We rode Missile back to back 7 times and at one point there was only the 2 of us on it! So sad.
Thank you for making this video - brought back many memories. I can remember going there 2 or 3 times. I got sick from the Missile through motion sickness lol
I used to absolutely love this place when I was a kid, much more than Alton Towers (which is about 30 minutes away from me) and the huge wall with the faces on has always stuck in my mind. Brilliant video.
Has there ever been a case where transitioning to a more "family friendly" model has actually worked? Alton Towers has CBeebies land, but that's just a land within a much more thrill orientated whole. I've never heard of a theme park which was previously known for thrill rides successfully abandoning the teenage and adult groups and focusing just on families with small children without it all falling apart down the line.
Usually when things 'transition' to family friendly themes they dont work. Be it movies, music, novels. They usually fall apart from then on. The only way family friendly theme works is when they 'start out' as family friendly.
this park was roughly an hour from my house as a child, and i remember going nearly every weekend in the summer, it was an amazing place and i have so many great memories, i really did feel like I was in the wild west, it was such an immersive and fun park. I wish it could of stayed the same and stayed open.
I’m the same as you, sooooo many fond memories and the missile was my first inversion coaster too. Thanks for answering all my questions as to what happened. Such a shame, what a fab place it once was.
I actually visited Brittania Park its was a mess. The rain was unbelievable and barely anything was open. As a teenager this was the best theme park in the UK and was better than Alton Towers. Makes me quite emotional watching this but brings back fond memorys
I always wanted to go as a kid but was never taken. as a teen I explored some of the abandoned parts and even attended one of the auctions selling off the old kit and rides.
It's crazy to think a theme park you grew to love just disappears, at a time when you don't even understand why. Luckily no theme parks I visited have closed down yet, but then again i have only been to the big ones in Europe, with no signs of closing any time soon (Walibi Holland/Belgium, Slagharen, Efteling, Europa Park etc.)
So sad, I remember this park fondly, it was my favourite as a kid, it always had an atmosphere that to this day the likes of alton towers can't seem to recreate 😢
I remember riding the log flume and saying "it's 10 double decker buses high" so proudly. That will always stick in my head. Also the time i got severe heat stroke and the staff of a shop took care of me by keeping me cool. Fond memories
I delivered to a garden centre a few hundred yards down the road from here and because I turned up at 5pm they wouldn't unload me and told me to park the night in the unused entrance road for here. Had a walk around and nothing to see except piles of rumble. Woke up in the morning and a van that had been parked the other side of the road to me had been broken into and all the blokes tools stolen.
From what I remember of American Adventure - and I had never been to it, was that it did not seem highly promoted or advertised through the 90's. Where as it seems to me that Alton Towers and Chessington both had quite soiled TV campains ... in fact the first I head of American Adventure was when I saw the turn off sign for it on the highway when I was on the way to Alton Towers !
I only live 5 min drive away from here and I remember coming here often as a young kid around 05/06, I used to have a season ticket and I always remember having such fun but looking at this and seeing what the park once was, it’s such a shame to see the potential wasted. It’s always nice getting to go on the rides at other theme parks like the buffalo stampede at Twinlakes but wish I got to visit the park in it’s heyday. Really good video mate 👍
i was only wondering what happened to it. we raced the British bmx championship there 1 year. it was awsome fun. my dad told me for years afterwards if i was at the track more i would of won instead of coming second. but we were kids had had a free pass to a theme park. what did the adults expect. it was the best meeting ever. thanks for the upload.
I was lucky enough to go to Florida, as a child in the 80’s and 90’s. That was amazing but the American Adventure, an hour from home gave a good taste of the Florida parks. The shows were Florida good and Missile was a memorable white knuckle ride. But remember, the bigger, Alton Towers is just a short run down the road, tough competition that would have diluted revenues.
Went here so many times as a kid. Other than the cafe that was built into a mountain, what I remember most were the Dinosaur garbage bins that gave out a rawr when you put trash in them - When they worked that is!
I live in the town of Heanor, located right by Shipley Country Park and where The American Adventure used to be. Even my mum used to go there when she was young. It was shut down shortly after I was born. You can still see the lake, from the hilltop where Shipley Hall Ruins are currently laid out.
I've been following Camelot Theme Park for a few years now, but I only discovered the existence of this park within the past year. It's too bad it experienced such a decline in its final years, as it showed amazing promise in its first few years. You did an excellent job chronicling the park's history. A job well done!
I always wanted to go but it was too much money when I was a kid in the 90s, it was the place to go when you were a kid in Derbyshire, I was surprised when I heard it closed.
246th subscriber keep up the good work am sure you will get plenty more if you keep making vids to this quality!! Brought back some good memories! Peace
You should do one for Southport pleasureland!! It was fantastic, it then had a sad death and then it was resurrected! It will hopefully get a new coaster soon!
I had been on the cyclone many times with my late dad, my late grand father and grandmother my mum's perents went on it in 1937 when the cyclone opened
I knew i recognised the rocket from somewhere! Whilst pleasurewood hills isn't perfect, i always loved wipeout and it was one of the few rides there that i really found fun. Plus the park being mostly aimed at kids means the lines for wipeout are amazingly short. I never went to the american adventure but its sad to see what could have been a pretty great park fall like that. Im really loving these videos btw! :D
I‘m from Germany but I have fond memories of that park. I’ve been there with my host family during my student exchange. Sad but interesting story. Maybe you could do videos about German parks as well? I think one of the most interesting stories is that about the spreepark in Berlin. Look it up
WOW,,I never heard of this park. Its funny to see a park in the UK themed after American culture,,but then again we do that with other countries. Bush Gardens(the old country-from back in the day) was themed after Europe.
11:30 What a ridiculous and horrible decision. There HAS to be something that happened behind the scenes to cause them to destroy this park and it's potential. Sorry for your childhood loss mate. Come to Florida where I live and I'll take you to some real parks any day.
You are right. This was one of my first ever videos and when editing I realised I said the wrong name letter order and I had to try fix it. Looking back now yeah it’s not good haha
It was effectively an ok park but the lack of investment defiantly killed it off, also just a note about the entrance, it was found that the foundations of the entrance were sinking and in dire need of repair, which made it unsafe for use, this is when the park had to create a temporary entrance with portacabins and then just kept it that way because they didn't want to pay for repairs, closing the whole area and entrance bit off. Kinda miss the park still, gutted about the B&M coaster because I knew of the strong rumours for that and what else was planned because there was lots more planned and it all sounded exciting, definatly makes you wonder what the park could have been like had everything happened the way it did, sad it didn't. Thanks for the memory's from this video, really enjoyed it
The Runaway Mine Train was sold to Mellors Group Events in 2009 who restored and converted the ride into a traveling roller coaster. For the short time the Mellors Group toured the ride on the UK traveling fairground scene, before shipping it over to the Middle East to Fantasy Island Dubai which is operated by the Mellors Group.
After watching a couple of these expedition extinct on local UK parks it seems as if that vekoma boomerang has been passed around to every single one of them.
I think England is the only country outside the US that would ever build an American themed amusement park!XD I guess its the equivalent of all the Renaissance fair/ medieval theming we do in America despite never having actually had castles or princes here. Reminds me a lot of what "Disney's America" park would have been. Thanks for sharing something so close to your heart!
That's interesting to hear! It is a pretty unique theme genre compared to other often used themes. Is it because of your connection to The American Adventure Theme park or had you always loved western themes and iconography?
Going to this place as a young kid in the early 90's when it was at its peak was so exciting, being a very young child in the 80's you just didn't have all the exciting stuff kids have on demand today, back then we only had 4 channels on TV unless you had SKY TV or cable, most people didn't, so yes, old western movies would be on TV on a Sunday afternoon quite often.
loved this place as a kid. I dont think they completely dropped the cowboys and indians theme, because I went after the Nightmare Niagra rebranding and there was still cowboy stunt shows and a native american area where you could toast bits of bread on a stick over a fire...for some reason
Not sure if you will see this comment on a video from years ago that you've redone (watching these in chronological order so i'm sure i will get to it eventually!) I just wanted to say i really enjoyed this one. My childhood, teenage years and adult theme park life so far in the UK have been spent almost exclusively at thorpe park, i never visited this park and it was really interesting hearing all about it. I could feel that it meant a lot to you and you had fond memories of what no longer exists. I feel sad over the changes and ride removals at thorpe park, but at least the park iself is still there and lots of good stuff stands in its place. To have a theme park you spent your childhood visiting, now no longer existing... right in the feels 😢 especially frustrating hearing some of the ridiculous decisions made that led to its downfall when it seems like it was just on the cusp of being something really great.
The yellow double loop coaster was my first coaster, I live about 20 minutes from where this used to be so I used to go there a lot as a kid, sad that it's not longer there
I literally 10 min walk away from where American adventure once stood. I've been in a few times, it's so eriee walking around the old footings knowing from a kid what was there. I remember watching the fireworks every year for bonfire night to the song duarde sandstorm. I do miss the park though since that's gone the towns around have fallen into disarray due to the lack of tourism and has invited crime and low funding. It's amazing what happens when something that good disappears 😔.
![Megan Thee Stallion - Mamushi (Remix) [feat. TWICE] [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5c0_u9PsrsQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I love how you include old Amusement parks in the UK. Being in the Untied States, it is fascinating hearing about these old parks in the UK. Awesome job!
Thank you! Yeah I like covering less well known places
The weird thing is (having moved to England in 1990) there hasn’t been many (multiple big ride) theme parks built and usually all of them have their ‘day’ where they’re the must go place in the UK so when one goes its big and sad news.
Had the best time here as a child!!! Sad sad times
This park was such a feature of my earliest childhood. Seeing it flattened is an emotional experience for me.
Me toooo such a shame :(
I'm deeply offended by this park's inaccurate representation of my country. Where's the endless fast food restaurants, cheap motels, Walmarts, gun ranges, and muscle cars?
missiletoe99 because it was themed to the West during the pioneer times all that stuff (but the gun ranch’s) didn’t exist
Hubert Berrum That's the joke
Otaking Mikohani um what you mean?
Hubert Berrum Maybe I should've worded it better (damn these Simpsons memes being implanted in my brain!), but basically I'm saying "It's obviously a joke. You don't need to try starting an argument with this guy"
Otaking Mikohani I’m not I just making a point
I live a 10 min walk from here and walk my dogs around it quite often - there's literally nothing there anymore - nice to see what it looked liked at one point
Aaron Beers is it still empty? They’ve literally torn every building down? It’s just concrete and grass? I take they don’t have any security there if there’s nothing to protect?
GoldBallTV I live 10 minutes away too and your right, it’s just grass and concrete. However, there is a giant fence around it and cctv and it’s trespassing to go in there
Used to be a good spot for fishing after it closed but now they have security there
My dad worked here as a fork lift truck driver. He spent endless amounts of days happy and loving his job there. It was excellent growing up with free tickets to the park. To this day I still own merchandise from the park, and we all wish it remained in the country. It would have been so successful by now.
Lots of love to American Adventure ❤️
One thing I have learned from RUclips: Never invest in a mall or a theme park
The theme park industry is dodgy in the UK anyway because our weather is notoriously unreliable.
But Cedar Fair is a sure bet
As an American, I am fascinated
Me too. It looks like a little place near me that was called Ghost Town in the Sky (it was on top of a mountain in NC.) It had gun fights and a cowboy theme. I don’t get why someone made that in the UK.
Carrie Bridges Hello from Burnsville!
As a Brit who visited this park, please do not waste your fascination here lol. I can guarantee you it is not worth it. It was the size of 4 football (soccer) fields and was such a random mish mash of rides. It was about as exciting as the entrance of mgm, imagine how my tiny brain exploded when the year after this I was in florida, where 'theme' park meant something more than a field with some rides and stuff lol.
*Shoots a shotgun as an eagle flys to shoulder* 'MURICA!
Gam Sansam I think it’s just that to us in the states England has a kind of cache, an elegance I guess. To think you would be at all interested in some old west gun shows and stupid Americana stuff if just odd to us.
I remember going here as a kid, it’s so nostalgic seeing all this ☺️🌿
I've only just discovered this video, my heart 😭
My family used to go every year, we have so many amazing memories that we still talk about to this day! We still have so many photos 😂
Thank you for this video!
Sarah Smiles I feel your pain 😥
I spent so many of my birthdays at this place with family and friends - good times! Always sad to see images of it now, but fondly remember the good times had there. Great vid 👍
Thank you!
I’ve been really obsessed with themepark and ride history. Defunctland, Themeparkhidtory, and you Expedition Theme Park have been my favorite channels keep it up
This has actually made me feel quite sad... American Adventure was our go-to family day out when I was a kid and I have a lot of great memories of the place. Such a shame to see how little of the park remained in the end.
Sad to see this park closed. Been to most of the theme parks and I had my best memories from this one.
Yeah same for me at the UK parks!
cyrus kaan yup
cyrus kaan if you could go back what would you change.
(Aka photos or video) your time at the park or kept the maps of the different changes
It's been 20 years and I still rememeber that facehugger on an Indian. Thank you so much for that picture.
Visited AA so many times as a kid. From not long after it opened up to the mid 90's. My last visit was 2001, when I came back to the UK for a holiday (I'd moved to live overseas at this point) and my heart just broke seeing what it was like at the time especially after seeing the 'new' entrance. Before that, the last time I'd visited it was still the old entrance at the top of the park, I loved going in all the shops in the little shopping arcade, I don't know why, but I just loved the architecture of it all. I remember the motion master seats well too, at least the Robocop, I believe I saw the Alien one also, but cannot remember to tell the truth. I also remember when I got to go with a scout day trip when I was on international camp, the memories....of both the camp and that day to AA. Each scout group were allowed only 2 tickets, so everyone had to do the lucky hat. But I'd be passing over all the events so the others could do everything they wanted, since I was the most senior scout and stayed back often to help with our groups camp site. When we got the tickets, I wasn't given a choice, every one banded together and said I should go and have a break from tending our camp site. The other ticket went to a girl guide from our same unit, a girl I knew all to well that had a crush on me....I used to call her a klingon.....not because of Star Trek, but for the other reason :D
Wow the memories. Some good times.....good times indeed. I remember the final visit back in 2001. Wasn't much to do back then, so we pretty much went around the park cleaning out the arcade claw machines and festival games. We won so many prizes, we couldn't carry them all. When it came time to go back, we found that we couldn't fit ourselves and all the plush in the car either, so we spent an hour at the gates giving away most of the plush to kids as they were leaving. The park employees loved that, they gave us some free drinks and snacks while they also helped us giving out the plush. Of course at some point, some one in management heard and came down to reprimand the employees, but we smoothed it out and explained the situation, the guy couldn't help but chuckle at our conundrum of what to put in the car.....the plush or the teens (my brother and me). Needless to say, at the end, even he ended up helping us giving away the plush after thinking it was a great thing to do, sharing some happiness with the kids on their way home.
When I came back to the UK, I was hoping of visiting once more for nostalgia sake, but never got around to looking into it. It wasn't until about 2013 that I found out it no longer existed.
Seeing those drone shots at the end almost had me in tears. So many great memories.
It’s ‘darrby’ not ‘durrby’
Daniel Ryan no its derby ;)
said with an e not a, hense scarface spelt it for you lol
Init
Maks in what?
Darbashure
I remember my first time going to The American Adventure. Panning for gold, having a Wild West-themed photo session, and throwing up a lot shortly after riding The Missile.
Speaking of The Missile, nice to see that it was relocated to one of the first ever theme parks I visited as a kid. I'd love to go to Pleasurewood Hills again after my last visit 25 or so years ago! :D
From what i year it may not be around too much longer so i would go sooner than later!
That doesn't sound good... But I guess it happens now and again. :(
So basically the 90’s was the war of the theme parks 😂
Yep! And many lost
it was and wit the tail end of the recession to contend with - there could only be a few survivors ..
Kings island is a winner of the theme park war
I remember the American Adventure well. Having a theme park on my doorstep was taken for granted at that young age. Looking back, it's actually amazing that it ever existed!
Ilkeston Web Design Yup, this and Alton Towers being so close took it for granted. Although went loads as a kid. My parents bought the pic of me on The Missile as my
Dad is laughing and I’m sobbing 😂
i visited this park with school and i can remember how run down it looked still was my first real visit to a theme park
Yeah, when did you visit?
I miss this park so much. I remember going aged 8 in 1987- then again many times. It was a thriving place. I went to a radio 1 roadshow here too. Take That were there before they got huge & did a big auction. Many treasured memories
Such a shame, I had some good childhood memories of this place. About the original grand entrance, when you walked in you would be greeted by singing animatronic bears which I believe were the mascots for this theme park. I think the last time I went was probably in 2000 and I went with a friend from school, still had a good time but it felt off, the grand entrance wasn't being used and looking at the rides you could easily tell that this theme park was really lagging behind in comparison to Alton Towers.
RIP The American Adventure. :(
Yeah i have such fond memories from it's earlier days also!
Yeah, I went there before in 1991, I believe when I was 5 back then, it was a lot better during it's earlier days.
This park was great back in the day too bad it was run by a bunch of idiots that couldn't be arsed with it . All It needed a group of investors to come in an turn it around get rid of the crap rides and put some new rides in and bring back the American theme to the park
I'm sad it's not their anymore
Hi mate
I've been watching you're videos for months just wanted to say they are awesome .
So glad to hear a British accent on theme park commentary.
You do some fantastic research
Thank you Sam!
I live about 10 minutes up the road from where the American Adventure was, have loads of memories of it as a kid, it was great having a theme park just down the road, I remember going on the Nightmare Niagara log flume tons as a kid. When I go out walking I often end up walking around where the park used to be. It’s all fenced off but you can still walk around it, this video brought back loads of memories for me!
Brilliant video mate, remember going to this place about 2 years after it opened, didn't even know it was a theme park before it became American adventure?? It was a really good park in its heyday, think if it had been managed better it would have been up there with Alton Towers today..
Thank you. Yeah i agree i loved this place back in the earlier days, just wish it didn't get mis-managed like it did.
Feel genuinely sad after watching this. I have so many happy memories from here
Went in 89 and it was amazing. The view of the park after you came through the entrance was great. Went in the very early 2000's with my other half and step daughter and was shocked when I saw the entrance was the shady looking side gate, was even more shocked at what I saw inside.
I went with my family in 1991 and it was packed. Loads of fun and the indoor kids play area is still to this day the biggest I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t tall enough to get on The Missile (although at the time I was glad!) but it was a great day never the less.
When I went back with my girlfriend at the time in 2003, it was in a sorry state to say the least.
We rode Missile back to back 7 times and at one point there was only the 2 of us on it!
So sad.
This channel needs more exposure.
Written and produced brilliantly.
Thank you for making this video - brought back many memories. I can remember going there 2 or 3 times. I got sick from the Missile through motion sickness lol
The missile was my first big rollercoaster!
Had never heard of this park until now. Thank you for the excellent memorial.
It was a good park and could of been alot more! Shame really.
I used to absolutely love this place when I was a kid, much more than Alton Towers (which is about 30 minutes away from me) and the huge wall with the faces on has always stuck in my mind. Brilliant video.
Has there ever been a case where transitioning to a more "family friendly" model has actually worked? Alton Towers has CBeebies land, but that's just a land within a much more thrill orientated whole. I've never heard of a theme park which was previously known for thrill rides successfully abandoning the teenage and adult groups and focusing just on families with small children without it all falling apart down the line.
Usually when things 'transition' to family friendly themes they dont work. Be it movies, music, novels. They usually fall apart from then on.
The only way family friendly theme works is when they 'start out' as family friendly.
Chessington kind of did but was really a family park to begin with.
Fakinnnn Drayton manor seem to be heading more and more towards family. They ain’t even replaced G force yet
Good to see the safari park get some recognition, it’s my home park!
this park was roughly an hour from my house as a child, and i remember going nearly every weekend in the summer, it was an amazing place and i have so many great memories, i really did feel like I was in the wild west, it was such an immersive and fun park. I wish it could of stayed the same and stayed open.
ME too! Could of been so much more.
I’m the same as you, sooooo many fond memories and the missile was my first inversion coaster too. Thanks for answering all my questions as to what happened. Such a shame, what a fab place it once was.
I worked here, it was an amazing time, the park is sadly missed. Thanks for this video
Great video! Bring back The American Adventure! Went here ever year for my birthday! Loved it!
I actually visited Brittania Park its was a mess. The rain was unbelievable and barely anything was open. As a teenager this was the best theme park in the UK and was better than Alton Towers. Makes me quite emotional watching this but brings back fond memorys
Crikey that aerial footage is sad, so many happy days there, Nightmare Niagara was incredible for its time. Great video thank you.
Thank you. Nightmare Niagara was the best!
I always wanted to go as a kid but was never taken. as a teen I explored some of the abandoned parts and even attended one of the auctions selling off the old kit and rides.
It's crazy to think a theme park you grew to love just disappears, at a time when you don't even understand why. Luckily no theme parks I visited have closed down yet, but then again i have only been to the big ones in Europe, with no signs of closing any time soon (Walibi Holland/Belgium, Slagharen, Efteling, Europa Park etc.)
So sad, I remember this park fondly, it was my favourite as a kid, it always had an atmosphere that to this day the likes of alton towers can't seem to recreate 😢
Damn this is sad, It's basically your childhood died when the park was destroyed. Things have to come to an end sadly x.x
I remember riding the log flume and saying "it's 10 double decker buses high" so proudly. That will always stick in my head. Also the time i got severe heat stroke and the staff of a shop took care of me by keeping me cool. Fond memories
Great video full of facts and details I didn't know. Nice to see a full start to finish video.
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it.
I actually live 10 minutes away from this park and there’s not much left there but the backstory around this park is really interesting
Really the saddest one you’ve done.. really enjoyed it.. can tell you loved the park.
I delivered to a garden centre a few hundred yards down the road from here and because I turned up at 5pm they wouldn't unload me and told me to park the night in the unused entrance road for here. Had a walk around and nothing to see except piles of rumble. Woke up in the morning and a van that had been parked the other side of the road to me had been broken into and all the blokes tools stolen.
From what I remember of American Adventure - and I had never been to it, was that it did not seem highly promoted or advertised through the 90's. Where as it seems to me that Alton Towers and Chessington both had quite soiled TV campains ... in fact the first I head of American Adventure was when I saw the turn off sign for it on the highway when I was on the way to Alton Towers !
I went here when I was a kid I remember this place crazy it went
I only live 5 min drive away from here and I remember coming here often as a young kid around 05/06, I used to have a season ticket and I always remember having such fun but looking at this and seeing what the park once was, it’s such a shame to see the potential wasted. It’s always nice getting to go on the rides at other theme parks like the buffalo stampede at Twinlakes but wish I got to visit the park in it’s heyday.
Really good video mate 👍
I use to love American adventure and sometimes search about it this is great thank thankyou
Great video I remember this place fondly, the log flume with the giant 3rd drop was amazing. I was too young to ever go on missile or the wolf.
Yeah the log flume was so good! The missile was my first ever rollercoaster.
Expedition Theme Park and mine! As a child. The missile the most exciting minute of my life back then. Am so sad it’s turning to housing
i was only wondering what happened to it. we raced the British bmx championship there 1 year. it was awsome fun. my dad told me for years afterwards if i was at the track more i would of won instead of coming second. but we were kids had had a free pass to a theme park. what did the adults expect. it was the best meeting ever. thanks for the upload.
So sad, this was the only theme park I went to as a kid since it was so close. Many fond memories.
subscribed! Really interesting series. And love the old footage use!
Thank you so much! glad you are here
I remember the the American adventure theme park fondly as a child even skipping school to go there fond memories
I was lucky enough to go to Florida, as a child in the 80’s and 90’s. That was amazing but the American Adventure, an hour from home gave a good taste of the Florida parks. The shows were Florida good and Missile was a memorable white knuckle ride. But remember, the bigger, Alton Towers is just a short run down the road, tough competition that would have diluted revenues.
Theme Park video's is the new great trend on RUclips.
And I love it.
notice how things went downhill after you dropped the all 'murican theming 💪🗽
merica
Went here so many times as a kid. Other than the cafe that was built into a mountain, what I remember most were the Dinosaur garbage bins that gave out a rawr when you put trash in them - When they worked that is!
I love your videos, they are so well done. I wish they would build an English theme park here in the US 😁
I went in the late 90s with a friend. Got a photo of us on the log flume somewhere. I remember the cinema with the moving seats.
I live in the town of Heanor, located right by Shipley Country Park and where The American Adventure used to be. Even my mum used to go there when she was young. It was shut down shortly after I was born. You can still see the lake, from the hilltop where Shipley Hall Ruins are currently laid out.
I've been following Camelot Theme Park for a few years now, but I only discovered the existence of this park within the past year. It's too bad it experienced such a decline in its final years, as it showed amazing promise in its first few years. You did an excellent job chronicling the park's history. A job well done!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
RampagingRex Productions hi
Well, hello!
Twin Looper was the first inverted coaster that I ever went on. Have loved roller coasters ever since.
I always wanted to go but it was too much money when I was a kid in the 90s, it was the place to go when you were a kid in Derbyshire, I was surprised when I heard it closed.
My history of this place matches yours. This is somewhat depressing but it's good to know how it all shook out at least.
I went there shortly after it opened in 1987. It was pretty good as I recall - very similar to Frontierland at Disney.
246th subscriber keep up the good work am sure you will get plenty more if you keep making vids to this quality!! Brought back some good memories! Peace
Thank you very much Stuart, i am really glad you enjoyed the video! If you have any suggestions for future vids be sure to let me know.
You should do one for Southport pleasureland!! It was fantastic, it then had a sad death and then it was resurrected! It will hopefully get a new coaster soon!
Great idea! I will put it on the list.
that's Because of Amanda Thompson owner of Blackpool Pleasure Beach wanted it dead and now she has demolished the Wild Mouse at Blackpool
Anthony Mcdonnell it closed because it was insurance and H&S nightmare
I had been on the cyclone many times with my late dad, my late grand father and grandmother my mum's perents went on it in 1937 when the cyclone opened
I knew i recognised the rocket from somewhere! Whilst pleasurewood hills isn't perfect, i always loved wipeout and it was one of the few rides there that i really found fun. Plus the park being mostly aimed at kids means the lines for wipeout are amazingly short. I never went to the american adventure but its sad to see what could have been a pretty great park fall like that. Im really loving these videos btw! :D
My dad took me as a kid... good memories of this place
I‘m from Germany but I have fond memories of that park. I’ve been there with my host family during my student exchange. Sad but interesting story. Maybe you could do videos about German parks as well? I think one of the most interesting stories is that about the spreepark in Berlin. Look it up
I went here every school holiday as a child. Good memories here
I went in 93 I think, remember it well, sad how it ended up, like you said it could have become a park on par with alton towers.
WOW,,I never heard of this park. Its funny to see a park in the UK themed after American culture,,but then again we do that with other countries. Bush Gardens(the old country-from back in the day) was themed after Europe.
11:30 What a ridiculous and horrible decision. There HAS to be something that happened behind the scenes to cause them to destroy this park and it's potential. Sorry for your childhood loss mate. Come to Florida where I live and I'll take you to some real parks any day.
The Buffalo is now at a theme park near called Twinlakes
The audio "punch in" or edit 3:12 mark is beyond hilarious! It reminds me of bad dubbed 60's movie! That being said I love all of your videos!
You are right. This was one of my first ever videos and when editing I realised I said the wrong name letter order and I had to try fix it. Looking back now yeah it’s not good haha
@@ExpeditionThemePark Its all good man! We all started somewhere! Peace be with you my brother!
It was effectively an ok park but the lack of investment defiantly killed it off, also just a note about the entrance, it was found that the foundations of the entrance were sinking and in dire need of repair, which made it unsafe for use, this is when the park had to create a temporary entrance with portacabins and then just kept it that way because they didn't want to pay for repairs, closing the whole area and entrance bit off. Kinda miss the park still, gutted about the B&M coaster because I knew of the strong rumours for that and what else was planned because there was lots more planned and it all sounded exciting, definatly makes you wonder what the park could have been like had everything happened the way it did, sad it didn't.
Thanks for the memory's from this video, really enjoyed it
Yeah, i really enjoyed this park as a kid and it is a shame it didn't grow to become something great. Thank you so much!
The Runaway Mine Train was sold to Mellors Group Events in 2009 who restored and converted the ride into a traveling roller coaster. For the short time the Mellors Group toured the ride on the UK traveling fairground scene, before shipping it over to the Middle East to Fantasy Island Dubai which is operated by the Mellors Group.
After watching a couple of these expedition extinct on local UK parks it seems as if that vekoma boomerang has been passed around to every single one of them.
being local to the American Adventure knew it well, great video
Thank you!
Great video I have fond memories of American Adventure
I think it's funny how Brits are fascinated by the American Wild West, and we Americans are all over here watching Downtown Abbey and Robin Hood 😋😎🤣😃
rayn adler speak for yourself
Sad used to love going to that theme park
I think England is the only country outside the US that would ever build an American themed amusement park!XD I guess its the equivalent of all the Renaissance fair/ medieval theming we do in America despite never having actually had castles or princes here. Reminds me a lot of what "Disney's America" park would have been. Thanks for sharing something so close to your heart!
I am so interested in americanand western themeing haha
That's interesting to hear! It is a pretty unique theme genre compared to other often used themes. Is it because of your connection to The American Adventure Theme park or had you always loved western themes and iconography?
Going to this place as a young kid in the early 90's when it was at its peak was so exciting, being a very young child in the 80's you just didn't have all the exciting stuff kids have on demand today, back then we only had 4 channels on TV unless you had SKY TV or cable, most people didn't, so yes, old western movies would be on TV on a Sunday afternoon quite often.
I went there a few times as a kid, right up until the time it finally closed.
Went here when i was like 4 or 5 I remember the giant heads i loved the place ..Great memories ..So sad to see its gone
As an American this looks amazing and wish I could’ve gone
loved this place as a kid. I dont think they completely dropped the cowboys and indians theme, because I went after the Nightmare Niagra rebranding and there was still cowboy stunt shows and a native american area where you could toast bits of bread on a stick over a fire...for some reason
Main entrance closed as it was subsiding
Not sure if you will see this comment on a video from years ago that you've redone (watching these in chronological order so i'm sure i will get to it eventually!)
I just wanted to say i really enjoyed this one. My childhood, teenage years and adult theme park life so far in the UK have been spent almost exclusively at thorpe park, i never visited this park and it was really interesting hearing all about it. I could feel that it meant a lot to you and you had fond memories of what no longer exists. I feel sad over the changes and ride removals at thorpe park, but at least the park iself is still there and lots of good stuff stands in its place. To have a theme park you spent your childhood visiting, now no longer existing... right in the feels 😢 especially frustrating hearing some of the ridiculous decisions made that led to its downfall when it seems like it was just on the cusp of being something really great.
Same for me !
Brittania Park's plans sound like something Alan Partridge would pitch.
Utterly naff. I'm so upset it never opened, we don't have footage to laugh at
The yellow double loop coaster was my first coaster, I live about 20 minutes from where this used to be so I used to go there a lot as a kid, sad that it's not longer there
I'm from the US and I think that there should be a near-clone of the park for the US.
Or maybe we'll see a British-themed amusement park in the US.
I'd buy that for a dollar!!
I literally 10 min walk away from where American adventure once stood. I've been in a few times, it's so eriee walking around the old footings knowing from a kid what was there. I remember watching the fireworks every year for bonfire night to the song duarde sandstorm. I do miss the park though since that's gone the towns around have fallen into disarray due to the lack of tourism and has invited crime and low funding. It's amazing what happens when something that good disappears 😔.