Blackpool Pleasure Beach is a spectacular national and international phenomenon that deserves the serious attention of historians. Since the 1890s it has evolved into Britain’s most visited tourist attraction. Each year, its 42 acres become a vast wonderland of noise, rides (including ten roller coasters), attractions and shows.

This cultural and social history examines why the Pleasure Beach has been so successful over such a long period, when rival seaside amusement parks have faltered and fallen by the wayside. It examines the experiences of the park’s visitors and workforce as well as the history of the rides, and pays sustained interest in the planning and design of the park.

As the first critical perspective of a major amusement park, this is a book for both the serious historian and general reader. You will find in these pages a study that is as accessible as it is authoritative, offering new interpretations of the changes in leisure, amusement, technology and consumption that helped to transform popular culture and society in twentieth-century Britain. The book is fully referenced as well as being profusely illustrated, featuring 44 photographs, most of which are previously unpublished.

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