There are quite a lot of amusement parks in the Netherlands, but they vary greatly in size and style. Whether you're an adventurer looking to escape to new worlds, or a a rollercoaster buff looking for their next thrill, there's a Dutch amusement park for you!
The history of amusement parks
The first amusement park in the Netherlands was created in 1933. Many Dutch amusement parks started out as recreational areas where visitors could stroll and enjoy nature. The Efteling, for instance, was a sports park with walking trails and rowing ponds.
The parks were generally located near a castle or a city, and were called lusthoven, or pleasure courts. Then, the first attractions started to make their appearance. The idea arose to combine pleasure courts and carnivals, fence them off and charge a set general entry fee instead of a small fee for each separate ride.
Where can you find them?
Since the Netherlands is a small and densely populated country, most larger amusement parks are located in more remote areas, away from major Dutch cities. Although that means that these locations require a bit of a drive to reach, there is more room for expansions.
When travelling with public transport, many of the more distant parks have arranged special bus services to transport visitors to and from the nearest train station, which is often free for people with an entry ticket.
Different kinds of amusement parks in the Netherlands
Amusement parks can be divided up into those with a theme, those that are aimed to thrill with their attractions and those that are mainly aimed at families with young children. That is excluding zoos and animal parks.
Theme parks
Theme parks mainly exist for their atmosphere. They revolve around a specific theme that lets you experience another world, like a fairy tale or another era.
Efteling
In 1952, former sports park the Efteling in Kaatsheuvel added a fairy tale forest, featuring 10 classic children’s stories, and became a fantasy theme park. Every year since then, new elements and attractions have been added until it became, arguably, the most iconic theme park in the Netherlands and the biggest theme park in the Benelux area. If you are a child growing up in the Netherlands, your favourite amusement park is most likely the Efteling.
The fairy tale forest was designed by the famous artist of nostalgic and romantic scenes, Anton Pieck. Pieck’s trademark characters include renditions of famous fairy tale characters like the Big Bad Wolf, Holle Bolle Gijs and Snow White, as well as his playful citizens, the Laven, who have their own village in the Efteling.
In 1981, the park opened one of the first steel roller coasters in Europe, called the Python. Nowadays, the park features 62 different attractions for all ages, including six roller coasters, four dark rides and three water rides.
Madurodam
Madurodam in The Hague is a park with 1:25 scale model replicas of famous Dutch monuments and landmarks. Not just the buildings, but also the tulip fields, windmills, dykes and much more are presented here, with tiny people cycling through the streets and visiting the miniature locations.
The park is highly informative and interactive, and visitors can learn all about the sites in fun ways with interactive installations. The park is divided into three themes: "Water, as a friend and an enemy", "Historical cities" and "The Netherlands as an inspiration for the world".
Archeon
Archeon in Alphen aan den Rijn is a historical theme park that takes visitors on a tour through Dutch prehistory, 8800 BC, the Roman Period and the Middle Ages in 15th century AD.
A mix of education and entertainment, actors explain old customs while seemingly living the life they describe for real, in historically accurate huts and buildings. They demonstrate old lifestyles and trades such as weapon-making and basket weaving, with authentic tools. Archeon presents authentic reconstructions of 43 building and multiple monuments. The park describes itself as a combination between a theme park and a museum.
Aviodrome
Aviodrome in Lelystad is an aviation theme park featuring over 100 airplanes. Visitors can see the flying wonders up close and learn about the history of Dutch flight. The machines on display include a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet, which can be admired up close and even entered. Special attractions introduce visitors to morse code in a radio room, present play areas and offer mock pilot and steward exams.
Veenpark
The Veenpark in Barger-Compascuum, near Emmen, is a representation of the important role that the raw material peat played in the history of the Netherlands. Visitors drive and sail through historic villages and natural local moorlands. A real peat cutter, as well as representatives of other trades such as a baker, a grocer and a clog maker, can be seen working as they did in olden times.
Roller coaster parks
These parks are mainly visited for their rides, like roller coasters, water attractions and other things that give you a thrill.
Walibi Holland
Walibi Holland in Biddinghuizen started out as De Flevohof in 1971. In the 1990s, it became Walibi Flevo, followed by Six Flags Holland and Walibi World. Whilst the name has changed a lot over the years, the park has always been the amusement park in the Netherlands for daredevils. The fastest and tallest roller coaster in the Netherlands (106 km/h), Goliath, can be found in Walibi Holland. Other than Goliath, it has 11 other aptly named “thrill rides”, including roller coaster El Condor, which is a hanging roller coaster with five loops.
Duinrell
Located in Wassenaar, Duinrell is not just an amusement park, it’s also a tropical water park. And this is exactly why it’s on the list! There are more than 40 attractions in the amusement park, including three roller coasters. Tropical water park Tikibad boasts an impressive 16 unique water slides, which is more than 1,3 kilometres of water slide fun combined. Most of these slides are indoors, since the Netherlands is not known for its tropical climate. The rest of the park has a number of roller coasters and attractions, both family friendly ones and more hardcore ones.
Attractiepark Slagharen
Attraction park Slagharen used to be a pony park, but today it is mainly aimed at attractions. It was the first European amusement park that charged for general entry instead of letting customers pay per ride. Many of the rides have been around for quite a while and have developed a nostalgic status. Quite a few were designed by famous builder Schwarzkopf.
Avonturenpark Hellendoorn
Adventure Park Hellendoorn in Overijssel is relatively small. It caters to thrill seekers, as well as families with small children. Rollercoasters include the Tornado and the "Sewer Rat", and some of the rides are water based. What Hellendoorn is most known for is its water slide park called Aquaventura, which requires a separate entry fee. This 5.000-square-metre outdoor attraction has 11 slides, and a separate area for the youngest visitors.
Parks mainly aimed at children
These parks are aimed at families with young children, mainly catering to the experience of the little ones.
Julianatoren
Julianatoren in Apeldoorn is specifically aimed at families with children from two to 12 years old. It is accessible and safe, with about 60 attractions.
Drievliet
Drievliet is located in The Hague, making it easier to reach than most other parks, along with Madurodam. It has a few thrill rides, but most attractions are aimed at families with younger children. Mirror funhouses, haunted houses and shows are presented alongside the standard rides.
Linnaeushof
The Linnaeushof in Bennebroek is the largest playground in Europe. Although an entry ticket is required, there are no or few standard automated rides. Rather, it is filled with all kinds of large playground attractions. The attractions, counting up to more than 350, include a super slide, a mini-golf court, a water area, obstacle courses, crawling tubes, large, interactive constructions, and much more.
Amusementspark Tivoli
Amusement park Tivoli in Nijmegen has a few rides, like a children’s roller coaster, bumper cars and a water slide, but it mainly consists of various play areas where children can play in sand pits, jump on trampolines, play mini-golf and see sights.
Toverland
Attraction park Toverland in Sevenum sets itself apart because it is largely indoors. This makes it a lot less dependent on the weather than other amusement parks. It also has an outside area that’s still expanding with rollercoasters and other larger rides. The park is relatively new, having first been opened in 2001.
Other amusement parks
Here are some smaller parks you can find in the Netherlands. Most of these are family parks, with attractions that will most appeal to children:
- Oud Valkeveen, Naarden - North Holland
- Plaswijckpark, Rotterdam - South Holland
- Ponypark City, Collendoorn - Overijssel
- De Waarbeek, Hengelo - Overijssel
- Sybrandys Speelpark, Oudemirdum - Friesland
- Drouwenerzand, Drouwen - Drenthe
- Sprookjeshof Zuidlaren, - Drenthe
- Plopsa Indoor, Coevorden - Drenthe
- Speelpark Hoge Boekel, Enschede - Overijssel
- Kinderparadijs Malkenschoten, Apeldoorn - Gelderland
- Het Arsenaal, Vlissingen - Zeeland
- Recreatiepark Hemelrijk, Volkel - North Brabant
- Speelpark de Splinter, Eindhoven - North Brabant
- Dippiedoe, Best - North Brabant
- Wereldtuinen Mondo Verde, Landgraaf - Limburg
- Sprookjesbos, Valkenburg aan de Geul - Limburg
- Kinderstad Heerlen - Limburg