Rollercoasters rise above the Surrey landscape like steel sculptures built for speed. Thorpe Park packs white-knuckle rides into a compact island site linked by footbridges. Stealth launches riders to eighty miles per hour in under two seconds. The Swarm flips passengers upside down through a post-apocalyptic setting. Colossus twists ten times in a single ride. The park is not for the faint of heart. It is for teenagers testing their courage, for families seeking adrenaline, for anyone who wants to scream in public without embarrassment. Water rides cool down the summer crowds. Fright Nights transform the park every October into something darker and more deliberately terrifying.
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If you are looking for a fun day out for family members of all ages, Thorpe Park is one of England’s biggest and most popular theme parks. Located in Surrey, not far from London, the park is easy to access from the capital and has plenty of car parking as well as public transport links.
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\nPhoto licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Dave Smith
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You have to pay to get in to the theme park itself, which currently costs £30 for children, £40 for adults (and a child over 12 is considered an adult so expect to pay full price for older kids) or £120 for a family of four for a day, so it isn’t cheap, but once inside your ticket covers all of the rides and so the only extras will be souvenirs and food and drink.
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Thorpe Park is famous for some of its rides, including the new rollercoaster and live action maze based on the Saw movie series. Not all of these rides are suitable for young children and some are particularly scary, so it is a great choice for thrill seekers and teenagers but not so good for the feint hearted.
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Thorpe Park has several rides, including the Logger’s Leap log flume, where you will get very wet, so unless it is a very hot day it is a good idea to buy one of the waterproof ponchos they sell at the park to try and keep your clothes dry.
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Thorpe Park also has plenty of restaurants and bars where you can unwind during your visit. For further information visit their official website.
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View Thorpe Park – one of England’s biggest and most popular theme parks United Kingdom in a larger map
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Saw, Nemesis Inferno, Tidal Wave, and Other Rides
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Beyond Stealth, The Swarm, and Colossus, Thorpe Park has five other major rides worth planning for. SAW: The Ride, built in 2009, drops 100 feet at a 100-degree angle beyond vertical with 4 inversions. Nemesis Inferno is an inverted coaster that turns passengers upside down 12 times across 770 metres of track, reaching 80 kilometres per hour through fire effects. Tidal Wave sends a boat down a 23-metre waterfall, generating a splash that soaks the entire queue area. The drop pool holds 500,000 litres of water. Rides on a summer afternoon guarantee a complete soaking. Detonator lifts riders 80 metres before releasing them into a 4.5-second free fall at 90 kilometres per hour. Storm Surge is a spinning rapids ride through whirlpools and waterfalls. The park packs these rides into a compact island site, so walking distances between zones are short. Families with younger children will find depth too: Mr Monkey’s Banana Ride offers a tame introduction to rollercoasters for riders over 0.9 metres, and the entire Angry Birds Land area features gentler flat rides, a 4D cinema, and a soft play zone where children can burn off energy between the big coasters.
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Visitor Tips: Fastrack, Timing, and Fright Nights
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Thorpe Park operates from late March through October, with hours varying from 10 AM to 5 PM in spring and autumn to 10 AM to 6 PM in summer. Standard day tickets start at 35 pounds when booked online in advance. On-the-day tickets cost 55 pounds. The cheapest tickets are available for Monday to Wednesday visits during term time. Fastrack passes start at 10 pounds per ride or 35 pounds for an unlimited day pass. Arrive at opening time and head directly to Stealth or The Swarm, the two rides with queues exceeding 90 minutes by midday. Fright Nights, the park’s Halloween event, runs from late September to early November. Entry is included with standard admission, but haunted house mazes cost an additional 15 pounds each. Bringing your own food is permitted, with picnic areas available near the lake. The park offers free WiFi throughout and a mobile app showing real-time queue times, which is essential for planning your route during peak summer weekends.
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What is the scariest ride you have ever been on and would it compare to Stealth? 🎢
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