Tivoli Gardens Part 1

Last May, I went on a study abroad trip to Budapest, Hungary. After my time in Budapest, I took the short train ride to Vienna, Austria, where I spent a few days. I could have flown home afterwards, but instead I decided to fly to Copenhagen, Denmark. Copenhagen is a beautiful city (and I'll share more of the city in the second part of this post), but admittedly, my main motivation for visiting was to experience Tivoli Gardens. Opened in 1843, Tivoli Gardens is the quintessential urban amusement park, and its influence on amusement parks around the world made it a top bucket list item for me. It's a place that I could only dream of visiting for years, and I'm still incredibly grateful I had the chance to visit.

If you arrive in Copenhagen by train, you're enveloped in great architecture from the moment you disembark through to your entrance into Tivoli. This is the city's central train station, built in 1911.

This is your view when you walk out the end of the train station's cavernous waiting room. This isn't the main entrance to the park, but it gives a great view of Rutschebanen (which is simply Danish for "roller coaster"). Opened in 1914, Rutschebanen is the park's oldest ride and is currently the second-oldest operating roller coaster in the world. The ride was originally built with fake mountain peaks as it has today. However, they were removed in 1924 because the government deemed them an eyesore for visitors exiting the train station. The mountain peaks were restored in 2014 for the ride's 100th anniversary.

The Tivoli administration building stands on the east side of the park and was originally built in 1893, although it wasn't owned by the park at first. I neglected to take a picture, but near where I took this picture is a statue of Hans Christian Andersen. Notebook in hand, the statue's gaze is directed at this building. Andersen visited the park during its first season in 1843 and was inspired by Tivoli's architecture, influencing his fairytale "The Nightingale."

Here is the park's iconic main entranceway. I had seen countless pictures of this structure over time, making it an unreal experience to finally stand in front of it. At park opening, the entrance was flush with school groups, as I visited on a Tuesday in late May.

Built in 1890, the entrance is spectacular at night, as we'll see in the second post in this series. Tivoli's abundance of electric lights was a direct influence on Coney Island's three major parks, and its style shaped the notion of classic amusement park architecture across the globe.

All of the park's employees are very well-dressed, and now I'm wondering if the man on the right was posing for my picture.

The Moorish-style Nimb Hotel is one of Tivoli's most iconic buildings. The structure has housed a hotel and restaurant since it was built in 1909, yet it replaced a nearly identical building dating to 1862. These green benches are common throughout Copenhagen, and here one accompanies some of the meticulous landscaping that is Tivoli's trademark.

The Bubble Fountain dates to 1961, yet it still strikes one as modern today. The Nimb Hotel is a five-star accommodation, with rates at around $500 a night. 

The Copenhagen City Hall, built in 1905, makes up the backdrop to the park. It's impossible to miss the ringing of its bells every hour. It was an image similar to this shot—with the Dragon Boats in the foreground—that I first saw in the "Kennywood Memories" documentary years ago. In that documentary, the park manager describes Kennywood as "America's Tivoli." After visiting for myself, I see the similarities, but that's also like comparing apples and oranges.

The Chinese-style Pantomine Theater was built in 1874 and is now Tivoli's oldest building. The unique peacock curtain parts to reveal the stage, referencing the peacocks who roam the park grounds.

Walt Disney visited Tivoli Gardens in 1951, and it's not a stretch to say that aspects of the park, like its many light displays, shaped his ideas for Disneyland.

The Vintage Cars are a small-scale antique car ride dating to 1959. 

Although made for children, anyone can take a ride around its well-landscaped track.

Another signature structure at Tivoli is this pagoda, built in 1900. Like the Nimb Hotel, it replaced a similar structure built in the mid-19th century. It also inspired the pagoda refreshment stand at Kennywood in the 1980s, although Kennywood has since felt the need to litter their pagoda with tacky signage. At Tivoli, the pagoda is home to a gourmet restaurant.

Den Flyvende Kuffert is an Omnimover dark ride based on the stories of Hans Christian Andersen. I did not know much about this ride going into it, and I was surprised that you descend a staircase underground, where the ride is built on multiple levels.

The sets and animatronics are all simply executed in a style similar to the art found throughout the rest of the park. This picture was taken from one of the places in the ride where the different levels interact.

The Classic Carousel dates to 1920, and I am unsure of who is to credit for carving its figures. Regardless, there's a variety of figures not often found on carousels, like this elephant.

Although Tivoli is one of the world's oldest amusement parks, modern additions are thoughtfully integrated into the rest of the park. Daemonen opened in 2004 and is the park's major steel coaster. During my visit, it was closed early in the day due to construction in that part of the park, but it reopened later.

Ballongyngen opened in 1943, though the park has had a Ferris wheel since 1888 (notably predating George Ferris' wheel at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893). 

The ride sits above a games building, and its pedestal is beautifully landscaped.

Gliding above Tivoli, you can take in views of Copenhagen as well as the park itself. That's the train station on the left, and you can also see some of the recently-replaced wooden track on Rutschebanen. We'll head over there soon.

Smögen, or "nook," is another often-photographed spot in Tivoli. It is wedged between Rutschebanen on the right and one of the roads that borders the park, with a restaurant crammed in for good measure.

You can hear screams of delight on Rutschebanen as you walk through the narrow alley with its whimsical touches.

The faux mountain which houses Rutschebanen is also home to two other attractions: a fun house and a boat ride. The entrance of the fun house is easy to miss if you aren't paying attention, but inside are lots of classic gags.

You can tell the fun house has received re-skins over the years, but some of its tricks, like this shifting staircase and the revolving barrels, probably date back to the 1950s when it opened.

Here you can see how the fun house shares space with Rutschebanen, as coaster track cuts through above the heads of guests. The track splitting off to the left is a maintenance spur.

On the bottom level of the Rutschebanen building is Minen, a classic "old mill" style dark ride.

Although short in length, it's a cute little ride, and I was surprised that you can reach up and touch the props above your head. That wouldn't last a day in an American park!

There isn't much of a story behind the ride. Instead, you just peacefully float past fairytale-inspired dioramas such as this one. 

Alright, we've waited long enough; it's time to ride one of the world's oldest roller coasters! This was the attraction I was looking forward to most, and it did not disappoint.

Rutschebanen was designated as a Roller Coaster Landmark by the American Coaster Enthusiasts in 2023, and I found it somewhat humorous to see one of these plaques in Denmark after riding several ACE Landmarks in America!

What makes Rutschebanen so special is the presence of an on-board brakeman (or brakewoman), who is wholly responsible for slowing the train and ensuring it doesn't fly off the track. Rutschebanen was built before wheels underneath the track became common on wooden coasters, and it's a perfect example of the "scenic railways" that were popular in its day. It feels like a mix between a roller coaster and a train ride, emitting a clickety-clack sound while traversing the course.

This brakeman was sporting a cool hat.

This theming was added for the ride's 100th anniversary along with the reconstructed mountain peaks, and it's very reminiscent of the Disneyland Matterhorn.

A fascinating aspect of the ride's history is that it was bombed by Danish Nazi Collaborators in June 1944 who infiltrated the park after closing, yet it reopened after only 25 days. It's a true survivor, and as you can see, it's still kept in pristine condition.

Red and green signals along the ride course tell the on-board brakeman whether it is clear to enter the next section of track.

This has to be the best job in the world! All of the brakemen wear hearing protection to block out the screams of riders.

Unfortunately, no pipes are allowed on the coaster. However, it's totally acceptable to jump out of the ride while it's still moving, as the lap bars pop up while the train rolls into the station... and many people just get off. 

Given the high degree of control held by the brakeman, each ride can feel slightly different. Of course, I took more than one ride on Rutschebanen, and this brakeman definitely gave the fastest rides. One time he switched out with another operator right before we left the station, and another repeat rider in front of me sighed in disappointment.

Here's what I'm talking about: Rutschebanen being run to its full potential! At about the 0:45 mark, you'll notice the brakeman reach out and flip a switch to turn the lights off in the tunnel!

From the park's oldest to newest roller coaster, here's Mælkevejen (Milky Way), which opened in 2019. I hope you enjoyed this look around one of the world's most aesthetically pleasing amusement parks in the day. Right now, it seems like a dream in the depths of winter! Next time, we'll see Tivoli as the lights come on. 

Santa's Land - Cherokee, NC

I cannot believe it has been almost a year since I wrote a blog post. I hope to post more regularly next year, but for now, here's a look at a small Christmas-themed park in the Great Smoky Mountains called Santa's Land. I had the chance to visit this quaint park this past July.

Santa's Land opened in 1966, and it feels like a time capsule from the golden age of roadside attractions. Cherokee, North Carolina and neighboring Maggie Valley are both tourist towns that have declined in popularity since the 60s, so Santa's Land is a relic from a past era of tourism in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Unfortunately, the carousel was closed for the day, but the park made sure you were aware of this fact before purchasing a ticket!

The park is encircled by a miniature train, with a large zoo taking up one end of the park alongside quaint storybook buildings and tableaux. The other end of the park is home to Fun Land, which houses a small collection of rides.

The rides include classic Allan Herschell helicopters and boats as well as an "umbrella" ride built by a Belgian manufacturer. It still has a trailer hitch attached to the platform, yet it has probably not been on the road in at least 50 years.

Another classic kiddie ride is the Midge-O-Racer, built by Eyerly Aircraft. The park owner explained to me that each of the numbers has significance to him personally, whether they sport his high school football number or represent the park's fiftieth anniversary.

The park's roller coaster is the Rudicoaster, built in 1989. On your approach to the park, there are billboards urging you to "ride the Rudicoaster" for miles!

The park contains several animated displays built in the early 1960s by New York City department store window artist David Hamburger. They have been maintained remarkably well, though the song sung by the elves is a little unsettling (not in a bad way).

This display used to be creepier, as it was lit entirely in blacklight. This elf also used to hold a meat cleaver and would slice the ham sitting next to him. Other displays include a family of deer and penguins.

The park has several buildings formerly used to house craft demosntrations, including a grist mill and broom maker.

Unfortunately, there were no broom-making demonstrations on the day we visited.

Despite the age of the park, the buildings and rides all looked fresh.

The Allan Herschell boat ride used to be commonplace at parks, but many have been removed over time.

The park's tallest ride is this "Big Eli" Ferris Wheel, named after its manufacturer, the Eli Bridge Company. You board your car after ascending this Astroturf-covered platform.

The most impressive fact about this Ferris wheel is that it formerly operated at the legendary Palisades Park in New Jersey before that park closed in 1971. It still offers a smooth glide over the treetops.

No real roadside attraction in the South is complete without a moonshine still. If you ask how this is related to Christmas, stop asking silly questions.

Another animated tableau is Scrooge and the Ghost of Marley. The ghost slightly moves his hands, but there is no soundtrack, making this another slightly disconcerting display.

Tucked in the back of the park is a snow cone stand and a small lake, which is home to paddle boats. Monkeys inhabit two islands in the middle of the lake, and there are lots of koi fish in the water itself.

The polka dot boat is slightly off-balance, but I'm sure they'll be okay!

It is slightly surreal to be outside in 80 degree weather in the summer with instrumental Christmas music playing over the park's crackly old PA system. The music is only interrupted by the bell of Santa's Express, which constantly rings as the train makes its rounds.

I love hand-painted signage, and the park's chapel has a great sign.

Nearby the chapel sits this nativity scene across the stream.

One of the park's main attractions remains the chance to meet Santa, and he can be found in this brightly-colored building.

After you enter the park, you are greeted by two large fiberglass statues, including this snowman.

There is also this towering, slightly sinister Easter bunny, who has been a park fixture since 1970.

Here's another piece of signage that feels like you're stepping back in time.

The park's theater hosts a magic show every few hours, and a small magic shop sits nearby.

It is important to mention that Santa's Land has a large array of animals, including deer, black bears, peacocks, and camels. The park has been criticized for its small enclosures that are typical of roadside zoos.

The park's train cuts right through the walkway, with nothing to stop guests from getting in its way.

As you exit through the gift shop, you experience another time capsule. Amongst other retro souvenirs, you'll see old GAF "Pana-Vue" travel slides in the upper right. Given that GAF shut down its photo division in 1977, these slides have doubtlessly been sitting here for a long time. I had to purchase a set, though they have turned very red over time. The back says you can send 25 cents for your Pana-Vue Slide Catalog and a free slide by writing to a PO Box in Portland. I might have to try that.

I hope you enjoyed this trip to Santa's Land in Cherokee, North Carolina! Have a great Christmas.