Luna Park in Melbourne is a beautiful blend of old world charm and modern technology. This place reminds the elderly generation of their prime and gives the newer generation some wonderful experiences and memories to cherish forever. Luna Park has a history dating back to almost a century. The oldest and operating Luna Park is in Melbourne Australia. J D Williams, an American showman, developed this park. This park in the early years was a great success and featured attractions such as River Caves of the World, Scenic Railway, Penny Arcade and many more.
During the First World War the Park was closed and was reopened in 1923 after renovation, and with added attractions. For three decades from the 1950s to the 1970s, the park enjoyed great popularity; unfortunately, following some mishaps in the 1980s and the deteriorating condition of the rides in the park there was a decline in the number of visitors. In 1995, the park was sold, and the new owners refurbished some of the rides and Scenic Railways. Currently, the park is listed as a cultural heritage site in Australia.
Despite being the oldest among the Luna amusement parks, it attracts thousands of visitors every year. For almost a hundred years, Luna Park Melbourne has been the smiling face of fun and family entertainment. The most attractive feature of Luna Park’s landscape is its colorful and bright exterior. The architecture of the park has given it a seaside charm; the main entrance of the park has a huge mouth of a clown face/ Mr. Moon, which gives the park a distinctive appearance with its bright colors of blue, red, and yellow. The park is enclosed with a towering border. Several merchandise outlets, and eating joints dot the park and offer a variety of options for the whole family to enjoy. The Luna Park at Melbourne has a variety of attractions that appeal to all age groups. From the original Scenic Railway roller coaster and the Carousel, to the newly built Street Legal Dodgem – a dodgem cars pavilion; rides from both the Victorian Era and modern times, appeal to all generations of visitors and attract them to visit this park repeatedly.
Famous rides in Luna Park
- Metropolis, also called the Mad House is a roller coaster and a thrilling ride.
- Twin Dragon is a pirate ship like thrilling ride.
- Pharaoh’s Curse is also an exciting and thrilling ride
- Silly Serpent, Scenic Railway, Arabian Merry and the Carousel are rides for the whole family.
Apart from the above-mentioned rides, the park is also popular for bands, performances, acrobats and so on. The Park also offers several games such as darts, the Lucky Starbag, and Milk Cans to test skills and aptitude, and Street Legal Dodgem to test visitors’ driving skills in a fun way.
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Luna Park Map
Amazing facts about Luna Park
- The most famous Scenic Railway roller coaster is also a prominent feature in the Park.
- The first Luna Park opened at Coney Island, USA was designed by Charles I.D. Looff.
- The success of the Luna Park prompted Frederick Ingersoll, who was a reputed designer of the roller coaster constructions to open similar amusement parks in Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
- Frederick Ingersoll is credited with having designed more than 40 Luna Parks across the globe, some of which are still operating while others are defunct.
Where is Luna Park?
One of the renowned landmarks of St. Kilda, Luna Park has been a major attraction for visitors to Melbourne. An ultimate destination for fun, it is located on the Port Phillip Bay foreshore in St. Kilda, which is a suburb of Melbourne in Australia. If you wish to travel by public transport to the park, then tram and bus are the best options available, as they are cheap and easily available. Tram numbers 16, 79, and 96 directly reach Luna Park from St. Kilda beach, Richmond and Melbourne University respectively. The bus connectivity is equally good; bus numbers 623 and 606 are Luna Park interchange buses, which stop at the park. Besides there are other buses which stop at St. Kilda including bus numbers 600, 246, 923 and many more. Visitors can park vehicles on the streets surrounding the park for a fee. The nearest airport named Melbourne International Airport is located at a distance of 20 miles.
Best time to visit Luna Park
The Luna Park is open 365 days. Just be sure to check that you are not planning to visit the Park during the peak periods, usually during NSW Government School holidays.
Opening hours
Luna Park revises the visiting hours from time to time. You can simply check out the Opening Hours page for current information. The opening time for the Luna Park during public holidays, weekends and school holidays is 11:00 am.
Entry tickets
No fee is charged for entry to the Luna Park. If you want to enjoy rides, you will have to pay a certain amount for getting the tickets. There are different kinds of tickets available such as the unlimited ride tickets, single ride tickets, group bookings, council and youth groups, etc. For buying tickets, visit the official website. http://www.lunapark.com.au/tickets
Nearby Attractions: Astor Theatre, Jewish Museum of Australia, Skydive the Beach Melbourne, Alma Park, St. Kilda’s State Park and St. Kilda Mangrove Boardwalk.
Photo by : Jupiter Firelyte