The American Adventure Theme Park in Heanor, Derbyshire, welcomed visitors for two decades before closing at the end of the 2007 season. The site, now a housing estate, was once home to record-breaking rides and thousands of visitors.
History of the Park
The park first opened in June 1987 with an Old West theme, built around cowboys versus Native Americans. The site had previously housed another adventure park before being taken over by Derbyshire County Council and later sold to the Granada conglomerate. Marketed as Britain's Major New Theme Park, it thrived under Granada's ownership.
Record-Breaking Attractions
Among its headline attractions was 'Nightmare Niagara', a log flume extended in 1993 to claim the title of the UK's tallest drop on a water-based attraction, according to Derbyshire Live. Other rides included the Buffalo Stampede roller coaster and the Santa Fe Railroad miniature railway, both relocated to Twinlakes Theme Park after closure.
Expansion and Decline
The original Western concept expanded to include broader North American culture and space travel, with the Missile roller coaster (a Vekoma Boomerang) gaining acclaim as the UK's best roller coaster at the time. However, the park deteriorated, and by 1997 it was sold to another developer, renamed Adventure World, and later reverted to its original name before closure.
Campaigns for Reopening
Locals fought to revive the park after its closure. In 2017, thousands signed a petition demanding reopening, and a Facebook page was created to share memories. The page states: "This isn't a theme park you can visit... It's a collection of memories - of staff, guests, families, and fans. It's a community." Fans recalled the log flume: one wrote, "I remember when it got stuck at the very top and we had to walk down the stairs!" Another said, "I loved that ride, queued up for hours to go that, came off and queued up again."
Current Site
Today, the location is a housing estate, with neighbouring land developed into a park. The site shows no trace of its former life as a beloved theme park.
