Linnanmäki (Swedish: Borgbacken, colloquially Lintsi, lit. 'Castle Hill') is an amusement park in Helsinki, Finland. It was opened on 27 May 1950 and is owned by the non-profit Children's Day Foundation (Finnish: Lasten Päivän Säätiö, Swedish: Stiftelsen Barnens Dag), which operates the park to raise funds for Finnish child welfare work. In 2023, the foundation donated €4.5 million, and so far has donated a total of over €130 million to this cause.[1]
Linnanmäki is the oldest and most popular amusement park in Finland.[4][5] It has many rides of different types and sizes,[6] and of the all Nordic amusement parks, Linnanmäki has the most rides in relation to the number of visitors.[4] It also has other attractions, including arcades, games, kiosks, restaurants and an outdoor stage on which different performers appear in the summer. The park is open from spring to autumn; the opening day is around May Day and the closing is in the third week of October. Linnanmäki is visited by over a million guests annually. In August 2006, Linnanmäki received its fifty-millionth visitor.[7]
In 1950, six Finnish child welfare organisations leased an area in the middle of a recreational zone in Helsinki, consisting of two parks, to establish an amusement park. Initially, the lease was granted for three years. However, in 1953, the city extended the lease and allocated 5.37 hectares (13.3 acres) for the park. Following the city plan approved in 1956, the amusement park was further expanded to over 7.2 ha (18 acres).[8] In 1957, the welfare organisations formed the non-profit Children's Day Foundation, which continues to manage and develop the amusement park.[1] Today, the site covers 7.5 hectares (19 acres).[3]
Linnanmäki, as the amusement park is known, is built on a hill and takes its name from Vesilinnanmäki (lit. 'Water Castle Hill'), a name given by locals in the early 20th century due to the presence of two water towers built in 1876 and 1938, respectively. Although the towers were disconnected from the water grid in 2003 and are no longer operational,[9] they are protected by the city's zoning plan and cannot be demolished. There have been plans to utilize the towers year-round in support of the amusement park's activities.[9] The older, angular tower, located near the park's perimeter and the oldest water tower in Helsinki, currently serves as a maintenance and storage facility for the park. The newer, cylindrical tower, which dominates the park and its surroundings, houses an indoor roller coaster called Linnunrata eXtra.
Since its opening in 1950, Linnanmäki has had two fatalities related to ride accidents, both involving the Vuoristorata roller coaster and resulting from rider negligence.[10][11] The first incident occurred in 1953 when the roller coaster's brakeman, who had finished his shift, sat in the front row for the final ride of the evening. He did not secure the safety bar, fell off, and was struck by the train. In 1985, a young male guest sitting in the front row managed to open the safety bar and stood up to wave to his friends. He then fell in front of the train and was run over.[10][11]
Linnanmäki is situated in the Alppila sub-district of Alppiharju, 2.5 km (1.6 mi) north of Helsinki's city centre, the capital of Finland. The park is located on a hill that offers a nice view of the city. The park has no distinct theming and feels relatively compact and densely packed, with rides and attractions in close proximity to each other.
Beyond the amusement rides and attractions, the park is home to the Peacock theatre, a historic venue built in 1957, renowned for its musical productions. Visitors can also explore the Sea Life aquarium, the only Sea Life centre in the Nordic countries, which opened in 2002.
Linnanmäki operates from April to October, though the theatre and aquarium are open year-round. From 1996 to 2005, the park also housed Linnanmäen museo, a museum facility near the main entrance that hosted several exhibitions annually.
The park is easily accessible from the city centre by tram lines 3, 8, and 9, as well as bus line 23.
Linnanmäki currently features 42 rides along with various non-ride attractions.[4] The park's most iconic ride is Vuoristorata, a wooden roller coaster that opened in 1951. It is the most recognisable symbol of the park and was one of the first permanent rides constructed there. Technically, the oldest ride at Linnanmäki is Karuselli, a carousel built in Germany in 1896, which has been at Linnanmäki since 1954.[12]
Linnanmäki has eight roller coasters, complemented by other major attractions, including three tower rides, a Ferris wheel, a river rapids ride, and several spinning rides. Linnanmäki also offers a variety of family-friendly and kiddie rides.
Admission to the park is free, but most rides require either a ride ticket or the more popular wristband. The wristband grants unlimited access to all rides for the entire day, subject to height restrictions. As of 2013[update], the wristband price is the same for all customers, regardless of age or height.[13] Additionally, a season pass is available, providing customers with a personal wristband for each day of the season.[14] Separate priority boarding tickets are also offered for Taiga and Swingi, allowing riders to skip the line through a dedicated entrance.
Linnanmäki hosts various events and festivals throughout the year, such as the popular iik!week horror festival[15] and the traditional Valokarnevaali[16] ("Carnival of Light"). These events are held in the autumn and have been organized since 2016 and 2006, respectively. Until 2019, the season's last day featured a grand fireworks display, but this has not been organized since 2020 due to concerns over responsibility.[17]
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Vedenneitohalli (English: Mermaid hall) was a popular dunk tank attraction at Linnanmäki from 1951 to 1980. Operated by Finnish fairground operator Lauri Seiterä and his wife Johanna,[18] the attraction featured young female performers dressed in swimsuits, referred to as mermaids. The performers would lie on a platform above a water tank, shielded by a net. For a fee, visitors attempted to hit a target on a pole with a ball. If successful, the target's release mechanism would trigger, causing the performer to fall into the water.
In the 1970s, men were also included as performers after a women's organisation highlighted the issue of gender equality.[19] In 1978, Naisasialiitto Unioni, a Finnish women's organisation, sent a letter to Linnanmäki's management, criticizing the attraction as demeaning to women. Consequently, the attraction was closed in 1980.[20]
Media related to Linnanmäki at Wikimedia Commons
Linnanmäki travel guide from Wikivoyage
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