Linnanmäki

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Vuoristorata is the most popular ride in Linnanmäki.

Linnanmäki (Borgbacken in Swedish, colloquially Lintsi, literal translation Castle's Hill) is an amusement park in Helsinki, Finland. It was opened on May 27, 1950 and is owned by Lasten Päivän Säätiö (Children's Day Foundation). Linnanmäki has around 30 different rides of different sizes. It also has other attractions, such as arcades, games, kiosks, restaurants and an outdoor stage on which different performers appear in the summer.

In 2004 Linnanmäki had 1,337,591 visitors[1].

[edit] Rides and attractions

Linnanmäki currently has 38 rides, along with many other non-ride based attractions. Probably the most notable ride in the park is the Wooden Roller Coaster or Vuoristorata in Finnish. This is the most recognisable symbol of the park, and was one of the first rides to be built at the park. The oldest ride in Linnanmäki is Karuselli (a carousel), built in 1896.

Linnanmäki also has many other big attractions, including Raketti, or "Rocket" (formerly Space Shot), which is a standard upwards-launched free fall tower, built in 1999 by S&S Power. Other roller coasters in the park include Tulireki, Linnunrata (an indoor roller coaster built inside a water tower, with a space theme), Pikajuna, and Finland's first water coaster, Vonkaputous. Other attractions include:

Vekkula, a fun house.
Kieppi, built by Huss of Germany in 2003.
Kieputin, formerly called Top Spin, also built by Huss, in 1994.
Rinkeli, a new ferris wheel built in 2006 to replace the ageing Helsinki Pyörä.
Hurjakuru, a Rapid river ride, built with an ancient Germanic theme.

Admission to the park is free, and the rides can only be ridden with the possession of a ride ticket, or the more popular wristband, which allows the wearer free access to all of the park's rides for the entire day. The wristband's cost depends on the customer's height, as taller customers can visit more of the park's rides.

The park also contains the "Peacock Teatteri", known for its musical productions. In addition to the park itself, guests can also visit a Sea Life Centre.

In 2007, a new roller coaster is expected to be built. It will be a "ball coaster", known as a Kirnu in Finnish, and will be built by Intamin, of Switzerland. Other changes for 2007 include the movement of the Autorata into the new space under the Rinkeli Ferris Wheel.