American Adventure Theme Park, Ilkeston Derbyshire-April 08

I decided to revisit American adventure theme park to see how decimated it was and whether it had been developed on yet. The place is definitely looking deserted and there is not a lot left of the place and it was very sad to see it like this as I had some fond memories of the park in its heyday when I was a child.

Panoramic view of the site from Shipley country park



The pit head on approach to the park.


The first entrance was closed for years, I always liked this entrance and I don’t know why they decided to only use the one at the bottom of the park.




The car park at the bottom of the park looks a bit empty. Pitt lane entrance is blocked off so there is no entry by car here




A kestrel watches over the park and me from up high on the hill, don’t know if this was once a camera hut or was intended as a birds nest?


The security guard on his patrol across the other side of the lake






I waited for a train, but nothing came. The fact that most of the track has been ripped up probably didn’t help.


The remains of the farm animal buildings


Crazy golf


Nightmare Niagara log flume – remains of.


The shop buildings still remain. Silver city has been completely demolished though






Looks like someone didn’t approve of the facilities.



Aztec kingdom and motion master buildings still remain







The racing kart track was still intact








The remains of the water rapids are still evident. A lot of the concrete ‘track’ is filled in but some is still open.







The carrousel for loading/unloading boats is still intact but without the wooden platform. All the wood from the queuing area has gone but it looks like they gave up on destroying the concrete sections.





I didn’t have time to go and see the side where the twin looper and sky coaster used to be but it all looked flattened from a distance



for a comparison, here are maps from different years. notice that as the years go on there are fewer rides and the missile and nightmare niagra 'dissapear' in the later years.
1987


1989


1997


1999


2004?


A shame that the park had to end its life like this, but it was on its knees for years before it closed.
I hope Derbyshire council make good use of the land. The lake is very active with wildlife and so could be turned in to a nature reserve and be given to shipley country park which is only next door. But It will proberbly end up as a housing estate. only time will tell.

These are sad pics. I knew they were going to demolish it all, but seeing it like this is really sad. Used to take my now 16 year old here regularly during the summer when she was little. Used to watch the stunt riders in the western show at Silver City. She used to love that. And feeding the animals in the small farm there.

It started life as Britannia Park, then it went into major financial difficulties, and i think it was Derbyshire county council who took it on, Think it was Granada who has also owned it. Not sure who had it for the last few years tho.

Used to use that entrance thats boarded up, then as you went through the turnstiles, on the left were all those little shops, that you've got pics of. Candle makers, gift shop, Cadbury's lol, soap makers, glass blowing, can't remember all the other shops that were there now. Memory is a little rusty.

Think Tims took pics of the place when it had first closed. Then a few more people got pics. Then during the auction, there were other pics put up (sorry guys, I can't remember who went there now ).

Used to be a good theme park years ago, and they used to have the large rides as well as the smaller ones. then a few years ago, they got rid of most of the white knuckle ones, and started catering for the younger children. I think that was it's downfall.

With luck, it will be taken over again by Shipley Country Park. It would be a shame to stick more box size houses on it.

Cheers jon_nic for these latest pics from AA. Welcome to Derelict Places, hope you enjoy it here. Excellent first post.

Sal

thats some good exploring, i like the panormaics. always nice to see theme parks. how big was it when it was open? it looks like it didn't have too many rides yet the car park is pretty big.

thanks,
I used to go as a kid proberbly once a year in the late 80's. I was allways amazed at the stunt shows in silver city and in the arena area where they had stunt riders on horses and motobikes. For nostalgic reasons I paid a visit there about two years ago and they had gotten rid of all the big rides including nightmare niagra which was at one time the tallest drop log flume in europe apparently. this was the first sign i had that it was going down hill rapidly and half the site was cordend off to visitors.

Trying to cater for only children was a big mistake and the ultimate downfall of the place. they could have attracted many more punters by simply adding another big coaster and had two sections of the lake, the big boys toys and the kiddy stuff so everyone would have been happy.

I am sure i have photos of the place in the 80's i will try and find them and scan them.

A great website dedicated to the history of AA with lots of pictures is here: http://www.theamericanadventure.moonfruit.com/

Its strange to see it like that. Have some fond memories of the place, though as far as theme parks go it was pretty crap really lol

yeah i used to love the place i went to take my cousin ages ago just before it shut and the woman on the gate was letting people in for free! tis a shame

I did this a few days after it cloesed, My god its changed, Can you get in the buildings with the big heads? Were the buildings where they did the shoot out still there?

There are notices all over this site to not include any details of access or security. Please don't in the future.

Just had my mom looking over my shoulder on this one. She used to take us there a lot, She wants to go on an explore now

I saw this derbyshire development opportunities ages ago, may be of some interest to peeps, and id to would love to have a bsah at investigatin the place>>>

Fond memories of hot summer days,getting wet through and going home filthy and knackered.Had some good days there when it was properly themed and active.That motion master cinema was really fierce and really threw you around.

Really sad to see it in this state,just hope they make "good"use of it and feature the lake as part of it.

Great report and photos

What a totally weird place!Love the 'photo point'

and here is one more map from 1998 - what a difference 10 years makes!

visited early 2007 before the auction.

took loads of shots, comparison report up soon enough!


its just all out destruction thats occured there though! as they've removed every last scrap of everything to sell @ the auction.

I don't ever remember going specifically, but when I was little (about 10-12) i went to a theme park with a mate and his family, and when I was walking around AAL I recognised a few things here and there, so can only reckon it must have been here

anyway, pic's up soon! they were on 28dl, but the thread got deleted way back as people were making a mess out of it :icon_evil

Great explore, i went there when i was younger, think the last time was about 1996, its really sad to see it like this.

it's a shame that , was their few months back and it look like it had more stuff , watch out for the German Shepherd guard dogs.

shame its gone so quick i went to the auction as my mum never did take me when i was a nipper

It's strange too see something relatively new becoming derelict.

Photos look really eerie - like an old set for the Avengers or something.

Visited with the kids about 2002 i reckon and had a great time. It's a shame it has closed - think they tried to be all things to all people.

Wow, what a difference the site is now to when Tims first took photos. I don't have any attachments to when it was open or anything, and from the point of view of exploring, I have to say I find it very interesting. There's something incredibly peacefully weird about it, if that makes sense! I love the pics of the pier and the water rapids remains. Good stuff, jon-nic.