Thorpe Park (formerly known as Thorpe Park Resort) is a theme park located in the village of Thorpe between the towns of Chertsey and Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, England, west-southwest of Central London. It is operated by Merlin Entertainments and features rides, themed cabins, live events, and Hyperia, the United Kingdom's tallest and fastest rollercoaster at over 236 feet (72m) and 129 km/h (80 mph). The ride also includes Europe's tallest element and the world's first outer-banked airtime hill. In 2019, Thorpe Park was the United Kingdom's third most visited theme park (1.9 million visitors), behind Alton Towers and Legoland Windsor.
Thorpe Park opened in 1979, originally as a leisure park, on the site of expended, flooded gravel pits that give it its distinctive water-based surroundings. It has since expanded into a major theme park in the United Kingdom. Major attractions include a number of roller coasters, Hyperia, Colossus, Nemesis Inferno, Saw – The Ride, Stealth, The Swarm, and The Walking Dead: The Ride, as well as a dark ride, Ghost Train.
History Initial development The demolition of the Thorpe Park Estate in the 1930s resulted in the grounds being converted into a gravel pit, originally owned by Ready Mixed Concrete Limited. RMC extracted gravel from the site for thirty years, from 1941 until 1970, at which point the company began planning to flood the expended gravel pits and develop the site into a leisure-based visitor attraction. In 1975, the Water Ski World Championships were held on the lake.
RMC established a subsidiary, Leisure Sport Limited, to operate the park for water sports, leisure activities, and heritage exhibitions, at a cost of £3 million. The park was formally opened to the public by Lord Louis Mountbatten on 24 May 1979,"Park of Lakes", Staines and District Chronicle, 25 May 1979, p. 21. in what would be his final public appearance before he was assassinated later that year by a bomb planted by the Provisional IRA on a fishing boat in Mullaghmore, Ireland. In addition to its lakes and parkland, the site featured a replica Stone Age cave, a Celtic farm, a Norman castle, and a Viking camp, as well as exhibits of historic watercraft and aircraft.
Theme park development In the early 1980s, the park was redeveloped into a theme park with permanent themed rides and attractions. New large attractions were introduced throughout the 1980s, including Magic Mill, Phantom Fantasia, Thunder River, Logger's Leap and the Canada Creek Railway, along with the development of a central area of themed streets, shops and eateries.
Space Station Zero was the park's first roller coaster, an indoor powered coaster, opened in 1984.
New themed areas opened in the 1990s with Fantasy Reef and Ranger County. The last major attraction developed under Leisure Sport Ltd was the themed indoor roller coaster, X:\ No Way Out, in 1996 (now The Walking Dead: The Ride).
Between 1983 and 1989, the park was also used as a filming location for The Benny Hill Show.
In 1998, The Tussauds Group purchased the park. This period saw considerable investment, with major attractions opening such as Tidal Wave in 2000, Vortex in 2001, Colossus in 2002, Nemesis Inferno in 2003, and Stealth in 2006.
In May 2007, the Blackstone Group purchased The Tussauds Group for US$1.9 billion, and the company was merged into Merlin Entertainments, who took over operation of Thorpe Park. Dubai International Capital also acquired a 20% stake in Merlin Entertainments.
On 17 July 2007, as part of the financing for the Tussauds acquisition, Merlin sold Thorpe Park to the private investment firm Prestbury under a sale-and-leaseback agreement. The site is operated by Merlin under a renewable 35-year lease. As of 2023, the site is owned by LXi REIT plc.
In 2009, the park opened Saw – The Ride.
In 2010, the park outlined a five-year development plan, which proposed new roller coasters for 2012; this was later realised with the opening of The Swarm. The plan also included a roller coaster scheduled for 2015 and a permanent lakeside hotel, neither of which has come to fruition. No application was ever submitted for the 2015 development, and the site behind The Swarm remains undeveloped.
In 2014, Merlin also sought to broaden the park's appeal to families with additions including Angry Birds Land and the park's onsite hotel.
In July 2016, the park opened Derren Brown's Ghost Train. After the 2022 operating season, the ride’s virtual reality elements were removed, and its association with Derren Brown was discontinued.
On 20 February 2019, Thorpe Park's official Twitter account confirmed the permanent closure of Logger's Leap. In 2021, the park announced plans to construct a new roller coaster on the former site of the log flume. During the 2023 Fright Nights event, the ride was officially revealed as Hyperia. Designed to become the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the United Kingdom, Hyperia reaches a height of 236 feet (71.9 metres) and achieves speeds of up to 81 mph (130 km/h). The roller coaster opened to the public on 23 May 2024.
For the 2023 season, Derren Brown's Ghost Train was re-imagined into Ghost Train.
For the 2024 season, Thorpe Park adopted a new logo and branding, which the park stated was to "encapsulate the spirit of Thorpe Park".
For the 2026 season, it was announced that approximately half of the Amity Beach area would be redeveloped to create a new relaxation zone called The Launchpad. The Launchpad is designed as a year-round space for visitors to rest and refuel between rides, featuring seating and canopies. The smaller remaining half of Amity Beach will remain operational.
On 12 March 2026, the park released an official statement alongside Jack Silkstone, confirming the permanent closure of Rumba Rapids after 39 years of operation. The park has stated ‘Whilst we don’t have plans to share just yet on what’s next, we’re always reviewing our line-up of world-class rides and attractions to make sure Thorpe Park remains the UK’s most thrilling theme park’.
Rides and attractions
Roller coasters
NamePictureTypeOpened TerritoryManufacturerAdditional informationHyperia Hypercoaster2024Fearless ValleyMack RidesA Mack Rides Hypercoaster themed around Hyperia, the "Golden Goddess," who is depicted as being trapped on an island due to her fear of water. Inspired by the birds flying above, she fashioned wings of unbreakable golden steel to soar above the waters and overcome her fear, hence the slogan "find her fearless." It is currently the tallest, fastest, and most weightless roller coaster in the United Kingdom, reaching a maximum height of 236 ft and speeds exceeding 81 mph. The minimum height requirement is .The Swarm Wing Coaster2012Swarm IslandBolliger & MabillardThe United Kingdom's first winged coaster, opened in 2012. It was the first winged coaster to feature an inverted "wing-over drop". Between 2013 and 2016, the rear two rows were modified to face backwards. The ride is themed around a post-apocalyptic universe in which Thorpe Park is under attack by aliens. The Swarm is the only attraction on Swarm Island. The minimum height requirement is , and the maximum height limit is .Saw – The Ride Euro-Fighter2009GerstlauerA custom Euro-Fighter featuring a beyond-vertical drop of 100 degrees and drop. It is themed to the Saw film franchise and was marketed as the world's first horror-film-themed roller coaster. The minimum height requirement is .Stealth Accelerator Coaster2006Amity SpeedwayIntaminAn Intamin hydraulic launch Accelerator Coaster standing tall and accelerating from in 1.8 seconds. Its the third-tallest roller coaster in the United Kingdom and the second-fastest, having been surpassed by Hyperia. It is often regarded as having the fastest acceleration of any roller coaster in the world. Stealth was previously recognised as the park's flagship attraction prior to the opening of Hyperia. The ride features a loose 1950s-style drag-racing theme. The minimum height requirement is , and the maximum height limit is .Nemesis Inferno Inverted roller coaster2003The JungleBolliger & MabillardA B&M inverted roller coaster that opened in 2003, named after Nemesis (now renamed Nemesis Reborn) at its sister park, Alton Towers. The ride has a loose volcano theme and features the first interlocking corkscrews on an inverted coaster. The minimum height requirement is . It was filmed for The Inbetweeners episode "Thorpe Park".Colossus Multi Inversion Coaster2002Lost CityIntaminOpened in 2002, the ride achieved the world record for the most inversions on a roller coaster, featuring ten inversions. This record was surpassed in 2013 by The Smiler at its sister park, Alton Towers, which includes fourteen inversions in 2013. Marketed as "the world's first ten-looping roller coaster", it is loosely themed around traversing the ruins of a lost Atlantean civilisation. The minimum height requirement is , and the maximum height limit is .The Walking Dead: The Ride Sit-down roller coaster1996 (2013) (2018)The Dock YardVekomaSituated at the centre of the park within a pyramid-shaped structure, the attraction is based on The Walking Dead franchise. On peak days, the ride's exit features live actors. It was previously known as X, which had a rave and dance-music theme, and originally as X:\ No Way Out, which featured a computer-virus theme. The minimum height requirement is .Flying Fish Powered roller coaster1984 (1990) (2007)Amity CoveMack RidesA powered roller coaster. It originally opened in 1984 as an indoor attraction named Space Station Zero. The ride was moved outdoors in 1990, to the site now occupied by Stealth. It reopened in its current location next to Amity Beach in 2007. The minimum height requirement is .
Flat rides
NamePictureTypeOpenedTerritoryManufacturerAdditional InformationRush Screamin' Swing2005Lost CityS&S – Sansei TechnologiesA Screamin' Swing ride which opened alongside Slammer in 2005. The minimum height requirement is .Samurai Top Scan2004MondialA Top Scan ride, formerly located at Chessington World of Adventures under the same name. The ride was repainted when it was relocated to Thorpe Park, and was repainted again for the 2024 season. It is loosely themed around the sword of a Japanese samurai warrior. The minimum height requirement is .Quantum Magic Carpet2003Lost CityFabbri GroupA large Magic Carpet ride. The minimum height requirement is .Vortex Afterburner2001Lost CityKMGA KMG Afterburner which opened in June 2001. The minimum height requirement is .Detonator Drop tower2001 (2014) (2022) (2024)Big Easy BoulevardFabbri GroupA 35-metre-tall drop tower, added to the park following the Thorpe Park fire. Originally intended as a temporary addition, it was later made a permanent addition. The ride was renamed "Detonator: Bombs Away!" for the opening of Angry Birds Land in 2014, before reverting to its original name, Detonator, in 2023. It was previously themed to the Angry Bird Detonator, but is now loosely themed around a firework. The ride reaches a maximum speed of 45 mph and exerts a maximum G-force of 5.5 G. The minimum height requirement is . It received a soft retheme in 2024.Zodiac Enterprise2000 (2001) (2006)Lost CityHUSSA HUSS Enterprise that originally opened in 2000 as Enterprise, intended as a temporary attraction. It was renamed "Zodiac" and made a permanent attraction in 2001. At the end of the 2005 season, Zodiac was removed and replaced by another HUSS Enterprise relocated from Drayton Manor, where it had operated as Cyclone. The replacement opened at the start of the 2006 season. The minimum height requirement is .
Water rides