Linnanmäki, Amusement park in Alppila, Helsinki, Finland.
Linnanmäki is a large amusement park in Helsinki featuring over 40 rides spread across different zones for various age groups. The park sits on hilly terrain with roller coasters, family rides, and smaller attractions distributed throughout the grounds.
Six Finnish child welfare organisations leased land between Alppipuisto and Lenininpuisto in 1950 and opened the park on 27 May; the lease was initially three years. The city extended it in 1953 and allotted 5.37 hectares, and a 1956 plan expanded the site to over 7.2 hectares. The organisations founded the Children's Day Foundation in 1956 (English sources say 1957) to run the park.
The name Linnanmäki shortens Vesilinnanmäki, the hill named for two water towers built in 1876 and 1938; the older tower now stores equipment, the cylindrical one holds the Linnunrata coaster. In 2004 all rides were given Finnish names, earning the park the University of Helsinki's "Language Pearl" award. Autumn brings the iik!week horror festival and the Valokarnevaali carnival of light.
The park is easy to reach by public transportation and sits close to central Helsinki. It makes sense to wear comfortable shoes since you will walk a lot and the terrain is hilly.
Vuoristorata, the park's best-known ride, opened in 1951 and is one of the few remaining coasters where a brakeman stands on the train and controls its speed by hand. The park's oldest ride is Karuselli, a carousel built in Germany in 1896 and at Linnanmäki since 1954.
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