The Amusement Park ─ History, Culture and the Heritage of Pleasure

From the turn of the twentieth century, when amusement parks first sprang up in cities and seaside resorts across Britain, their mixture of fantastical architecture, technology and multi-sensory thrills resulted in an appeal that transcended age, gender and class boundaries for many decades to come. This international and interdisciplinary collection of original and thought-provoking essays explores the social history and cultural heritage of the amusement park in the UK and in international settings. Firstly examining the notion of modernity and the heyday of the amusement park in the UK, the volume then compares the UKa€?s experience with a range of international cases, before focusing on their decline, demise and cultural significance and finally concludes by looking at their heritage and protection. The book is timely, in view of the recent closure of many amusement parks in the UK and the forthcoming reopening of Margatea€?s Dreamland as the a€?worlda€?s first heritage amusement parka€?. Presenting a unique blend of history, tourism and heritage studies, it provides a holistic and comprehensive overview of these a€?pleasure-scapesa€?, not only giving a detailed account of their rise and fall, but also offering important contributions to current policy-making and regeneration initiatives.

Jason Wood is Director of Heritage Consultancy Services, Lancaster, UK and former Professor of Cultural Heritage at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK.