Playland (Vancouver) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Playland Amusement Park

Previously known as Happyland (1929–1957)
Location	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates	49°16′58″N 123°02′12″W / 49.2827°N 123.0366°W / 49.2827; -123.0366
Status	Operating
Opened	1929; 95 years ago (1929)
Owner	Pacific National Exhibition
Slogan	Come and join the fun!
Operating season	May-September
Attendance	378,000
Area	6.1 hectares (15 acres)
Attractions
Total	39
Roller coasters	3
Water rides	1

Playland is an amusement park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The amusement park is located at Hastings Park and is operated by the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), who also hosts an annual summer fair and exhibition adjacent to Playland. Playland opened at its current location in 1958, although an amusement park has been held by the PNE since 1929.

Playland operates seasonally, opening from May to September every year. The park also reopens in October for its annual "Fright Nights" Halloween themed events. As of 2018, the park operated 39 attractions, including three roller coasters. Additional rides are brought in from West Coast Amusements during the PNE's annual summer fair from mid-August to Labour Day; nearly doubling the number of rides at the park.

History

The Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) has hosted a number of amusement rides since it opened in 1910; with an early roller coaster installed in 1915. However, a permanent amusement complex was not built until the 1920s. Built at Hastings Park, several rides were opened by 1926, including a Shoot the Chute ride and a new roller coaster, the Giant Dipper, to replace the one built in 1915.

Although the first rides were opened by 1926, Playland's predecessor, Happyland, did not fully open for its first regular season until 1929. Happyland was operated by several companies while it was open, including the British Columbia Amusement Company; and the Pacific Amusement Company. The park continued to operate until 1957, when amusement park operations were moved to its present location. The original site was demolished after the amusement park's relocation; with the site later being used for Pacific Coliseum.

Construction for the modern amusement park occurred from December 1957 to 1958, with the park opening in time for that year's PNE exhibition. Reopened as Playland, the park featured several new attractions including the Wooden Roller Coaster, the country's largest at the time of its opening.

Although it was located adjacent to the PNE's fairgrounds, the amusement park did not formally become a division of the Pacific National Exhibition until January 1993.

In 2001, the park begain operating Halloween-themed events or "Fright Nights" during the month of October. During this time, haunted houses are set up inside the amusement park and employed monsters are roaming the park scaring patrons. Most of the parks regular amusement rides are in operation. The haunted houses have been owned and managed by ScreamWorks Inc., a Calgary-based company. Fright Nights event and its including the haunted houses were managed by the PNE and Playland beginning in 2009.

In 2009, the Wooden Roller Coaster was designated with "classic" and "landmark" status by the American Coaster Enthusiasts.

Attractions

Stalls used to house the carnival games at Playland. The Wooden Roller Coaster is visible behind the stalls.

As of 2018, Playland is home to 39 attractions. Interactive attractions at Playland including a climbing wall, face painting, the Glass House funhouse, and mini golf. Playland also has a haunted house attraction and shooting gallery, although these attractions are not included in the park's admission fee and require an additional fee for entry.

The amusement park also has an arcade and a number of carnival games; including a balloon popping darts game, ring toss, Skee-Ball, and Whac-A-Mole.

In addition to interactive attractions, the park also holds a number of amusement rides, including three roller coasters.

An Enterprise ride at Playland

The Flume is a log flume ride at Playland

Hell's Gate is a Top Spin ride at Playland

Past attractions

Past attractions at Playland included the "Nintendo Power Zone", an area where guests could play the latest games for Nintendo and PlayStation video game consoles; and a maze built out of covered chain link fencing.

The Jet Scream II (later renamed Super Big Gulp) at Playland in 1987. The ride was later removed from the park in 1994

Temporary rides

In addition to the permanent rides installed at the amusement park, West Coast Amusements (WCA) also brings in temporary rides to Hastings Park for the PNE's annual fair from mid-late August to early September. WCA operates a travelling carnival circuit whose inventory includes over 100 amusement rides such as Ferris Wheels, Hurricane, Music Express, and Scrambler. However, the lineup of rides that the WCA brings to the PNE varies from year-to-year.

Film setting

The amusement park was for the filming of several films. The 1999 Canadian teen-drama film Rollercoaster, was shot at the park. The opening scenes of the horror film Final Destination 3 were also shot at the park, utilizing the Corkscrew roller coaster, seen in the film as "Devil's Flight". Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days was filmed at Playland for the boardwalk scene, where the Corkscrew roller coaster and Revelation ('Cranium Shaker' in the movie) rotating arm ride were shown along with many smaller rides. The Nickelodeon original movie Splitting Adam was also filmed at Playland's water park. The 1996 film, Fear was shot there in the summer of 1995.

Images for kids

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  A rollercoaster at Playland in 1960, two years after Playland was opened to the public.