Blackpool Pleasure Beach

The park opened in 1896 on sand dunes south of the town and has stayed in the same family since, which is unusual for a British amusement park of this size. Its defining rides are wooden: the Grand National, built in 1935, is a racing coaster with two trains running side by side on interlaced track in a Moebius loop, so the trains swap sides and each finishes on the other's starting track, a layout of which only a few survive worldwide. The Big Dipper dates from 1923 and Big One, opened in 1994, was the tallest and steepest coaster in the world at the time at 65 metres. The Grand National and Big Dipper are both listed structures. Valhalla is a large indoor water dark ride, and the site is compact, squeezed between the promenade and the railway.

What you actually see

• The Grand National - a 1935 racing coaster where the trains swap tracks.
• The Big One - the world's tallest coaster when it opened in 1994.
• The Big Dipper - a wooden coaster running since 1923, now listed.
• The compact site - rides packed tightly between promenade and railway.

When to go

April to October; the park closes over winter apart from event periods. Midweek outside school holidays has short queues. The Illuminations season in autumn is busy but the weather is unreliable.

Honest expectations

The wooden coasters are rough by modern standards and shake hard. Rides close in wind and rain, which is frequent on this coast, without refunds. The site is cramped and queue areas are tight. Gate prices are much higher than advance booking.

Nearby

Blackpool Tower and the piers are north along the promenade; Lytham lies south.