Luna Park, Melbourne

Luna Park is a name shared by many amusement parks across the world. of which some are operating and some are defunct. The first Luna Park was at Coney Island, USA, which was constructed and designed by Charles I.D. Looff. Later Frederick Ingersoll designed about forty amusement parks with the same name. Luna Park in Melbourne, Australia is the oldest operational Luna Park. Australia also had four Luna parks, of which two are now defunct and two are operational - the ones in Melbourne and in Sydney. Both the Luna Parks in Australia attract thousands of visitors every year. For over hundred years, Luna Park Melbourne has been the smiling face of fun and family entertainment. It has also been a distinctive landmark for the visitors to the city.



Location
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 traveling by public transport to the park than 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 park does not charge any entry fee.

Fast Facts

Name of the Park	Luna Park, Melbourne
City	Melbourne
Country	Australia
Nearest Airport	Melbourne International Airport
Distance from Melbourne Airport	20 miles
Built	1912
Architect	Frederick Ingersoll
Operational Hours	Open throughout the year (At present due to renovation work the park remains mostly closed)

History
Luna Park has a history dating back to almost a century. The first Luna Park opened at Coney Island, USA, designed by Charles I.D. Looff. After the success of the first park, he designed other parks in Seattle and Washington. 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. He designed amusement parks with the same name. In fact Frederick Ingersoll is credited to have designed more than 40 Luna Parks across the globe, some of which are still operating and some are defunct. 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 with attractions 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 again reopened in 1923 after renovation, and with added attractions. For three decades from the 1950's to the 1970's, the park enjoyed great popularity; unfortunately, following some mishaps in the 1980's and the deteriorating condition of the rides in the park saw a decline in the number of visitors.

In 1995, the park was sold, the new owners refurbished some of the rides and Scenic Railways. Currently the park is listed as a cultural heritage site in Australia.

Landscape
The most attracting feature of Luna Park's landscape is its colorful and bright exterior. The architecture of the park gives 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 towering border. The most famous Scenic Railway roller coaster is also a prominent feature in the Park. The park also has merchandize outlets, and eating joints, which dot the park and offer variety of option for the whole family to enjoy.

Special Attractions
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 Carousal, 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 to visit this park repeatedly.
Some of the other famous rides in the park are:

• 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, the Carousal are rides for the whole family to enjoy.

Apart from the above mentioned rides, the park is also popular for bands, performing animals, acrobats and so on.

Activities
Apart from a number of rides the Melbourne Luna Park also has many games and activities to engage its visitors. From playing darts to trying your luck at the Lucky Starbag, from testing skills and aptitude at Milk Cans to testing their driving skills at Street Legal Dodgem; visitors can indulge themselves in various fun activities. For ardent shoppers, there are also merchandize outlets to keep you busy and occupied.

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. Despite being the oldest among the Luna amusement parks, it attracts thousands of visitors every year. In Australia, both the Luna Park at Melbourne and Sydney are major attraction for the tourists and are considered prime theme parks.

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Last Updated on: August 22, 2012