American Adventure
Statistics
Opened
1987
Closed
2006
Location
Shipley, Derbyshire
Owner
THG Group but now the landowner is Derbyshire Council
Website
www.americanadventure.co.uk
Dedicated Fan Site
http://www.theamericanadventure.moonfruit.com/
What Now?
Awaiting Development into new homes and leisure complex - Planning Accepted
Missile
Notable Rides and Attractions
Twin Looper
Runaway Train
Skycoaster
Rocky Mountian Rapids
Other Rides and Attractions
Name- Type- Status
Buffalo Ride- Zamperla Powered Coaster- Relocated to Twinlakes Park- Leicestershire
Mini Mine Rush- Zamperla Family Gravity Coaster- Relocated to Flamingo Land- Malton, North Yorkshire
Coasters
Name- Type- Status
Canyon Trip- Vekoma Canyon Trip- Moved to Camelot theme park in 1995 and was Scrapped due to problems with the ride system in 2010
Balloon Ride- Zamperla Balloon Race- Unknown
Custer's Carousel- Carousel by Chance Rides- Relocated to the Flambards Experience in Cornwall
Rockin Tug- A Zamperla Rockin Tug ride- Relocated to the Flambards Experience in Cornwall
Starbase Slide- A children's Slide where you slid down on mats, Unknown Manufaturer- Themed Around Missile and the Space centre- Unknown
Black Hole- Huss Ben Hur ride- Unknown
Santa Fe Railroad- A minature Railway which went around the whole lake and was produced by Severn Lamb- Relocated to Billing Aquadrome
Dive Bomber- A Lusse Diver bomber ride where riders are enclosed in capsuals that girate on a Giant arm- Unknown
Flat Rides (continued)
Attractions and Shows
Name- Type- Status
Nightmare Niagra- Log Flume by Big Country Motioneering- Relocated to Thorpe park and is featured as the biggest drop on loggers leap
Water Rides
Name- Type- Status
Flying Island- A Vekoma flying island, where riders were taken up in a "space ship" and could see all the park from above- Unknown
Flat Rides (Continued)
Photo's
Park Open Photo's
Park Closed Photo's
2007
Websites (Just Click to View)
2005- 2006
2002- 2004
2003
Maps and Brochures
American Adventure was located on an old coal mine in Derbyshire. The council had owned the land since the mine closed and were stuck with it. It was decided that the land would be turned into a theme park themed around "Everything British". Britiannia Park opened in 1985 and closed after just 10 unssuscessful weeks. In 1986 the park was sold to Granada (who had also just purchased Camelot theme park in Lancashire) and the park was turned into American Adventure which opened in 1987. This was a park that was themed around everything American!
In 1987 Granada invested in 5 new rides to get the park off its feet, these included: The Runaway Mine Train, Buffalo Stampede Coaster, Cherokee Falls Log Flume, Yankee Clipper Pirate Ship and High Siera Ferris Wheel. This went down really well and got the park off to a great start!
Name- Type- Status
Yankee Clipper- Zamperla Swinging Ship- Relocated to Twinlakes Theme Park
High Siera- Zamperla Ferris wheel, themed after waggon wheels- Relocated to Billing Aquadome, the ride has now been scrapped
Tennesse Tenticles- A Soriani and Moser Polyp Ride- Unknown
Flat Rides
Following the first big investment the park invested in its biggest coaster yet in 1989... Missile! Missile was a Vekoma Boomerang and at the time of its building was voted the "Best coaster in the country"!
The years flew by and the Investments kept coming with the Rocky Mountain rapids and the rebrand of Cherokee Falls to Nightmare Niagara with an added 3rd drop the park was looking great and visitor numbers were booming!
However in 1997 Granada wanted to move away from theme parks and decided to sell the park to Ventureworld. Ventureworld Started off well and were focussing on turning the park into a family friendly park. However after only 2 years in ownership and after trialling a name change the park was sold again to the THG Group who let it fall into disrepair.
Over the coming years the group tried to fall into the family market, and thought the best way to do this was to close and sell off their major attractions.
The park had fallen into disrepair and to visitors it showed. Not only had the park had to move the main entrance due to subsidence, but the park was beginning to stop maintenance.
In 2005 the park closed Missile and sold it to Pleasurewood Hills, where it still operates today. They also closed Nightmare Niagara this year too saying the two rides didn’t fit in with their family market. In this year Rocky Mountain Rapids and Yankee Clipper were closed due to maintenance.
2006 saw the turnaround for the park, with two new rides being added at the park including a small children’s rollercoaster, however the previous years of underinvestment and bad maintenance of the park showed through and the park closed for good in January 2007.
