The summer season is in full swing and we’ve had lots of great visits to the park. We’ve still added a few things to the site as shown below – there’s also lots of things in draft that we’ll publish too.

July saw the opening of this seasons two(!) ice shows – Hot Ice XC and Alice Frozen in a Wonderland of Dreams, both incredible productions in the Arena. Make sure you visit.

Enjoy the summer, catch you next month!

Name 
Old English Street 
Opened 
1912
Closed 
Replaced by 
Spanish Street 
Replaced by 
New buildings on main avenue 

The park’s Pleasure Beach Express is a fine example of a miniature railway that originally opened in 1933. Its layout has remained almost unchanged since its introduction, save for a few minor tweaks to aid a century of development around it.

In this rare footage taken from our collection, we see the ride in its opening year, the aftermath of the fire in its second season and the ride back in action post rebuild. It is shot on 9.5mm Pathescope film.

The clip is a great snapshot of what the southern area of the park looked like very early in its development, with few buildings and a small number of rides operating among the sand hills. Look out for the scale mode of the Forth Bridge that the train passes over near the Boating Pool.

This and other videos are available on our YouTube channel.

The park’s second ice show for the 2026 season got underway today with a preview performance of Alice Frozen in a Wonderland of Dreams at the Arena.

Starring the 30-strong cast of Hot Ice XC, the 50 minute show takes audiences down the rabbit hole to meet a host of characters inspired by the work of Lewis Carroll.

Director Amanda Thompson OBE said: “Our new show is a shining example of our commitment to offering entertainment beyond our world famous rides. I hope this production inspires young audiences to get their first taste of live theatre and provide families with a one-of-a kind activity for the summer holidays.”

The show runs each afternoon until September 10 (no show on Sundays). Entry is free with an E-Ticket. Alternatively, tickets for the show are available via the park’s official website.

The opening of the Superdome during the 1991 season came as there were many other architectural changes afoot. Some planned, some unplanned. The Ocean Boulevard complex was taking shape on the promenade and at the end of the 1991 season, a fire ravaged Emberton’s marvellous Fun House.

This snippet from a Superdome Circus programme tells the story of how the structure came to be. The Superdome was a fine structure than continues to serve as the main performance area of The Globe today.

The 2026 instalment of Hot Ice got underway in the Arena this evening. XC celebrates ’90 years of Excellence’. As ever, the show features an international cast in the 2 hour production. It is the 32nd Hot Ice production directed by Amanda Thompson OBE.

Launching in a few weeks time is the second ice show of the season Alice Frozen in A Wonderland of Dreams that will fill the former Hot Ice matinee slot.

This year’s show will run until September 10.

Tickets are available via the park’s official website.

Previously, the animals around the base of Noah’s Ark looped around the rocking boat structure on what was essentially an electric railway. The rocking of the Ark itself has always provided a sense of motion, but this effect really was pretty great.

In this video from our collection, on our channel, the array of animals seen in the ‘parade’ is seen from end to end. At the time of writing, it isn’t known if this arrangement was unique to the Blackpool Noah’s Ark ride or if it was copied elsewhere.

‘Directions’ served as the in house magazine for Arrow Dynamics throughout much of the company’s later history.

In this edition from 1994, the company touts the Pepsi Max Big One as its latest achievement. The entry creates further confusion about the structure’s ‘true’ height. This generally accepted to be around 213ft and 214ft, however, the ride’s manufacturer lists it here as 201ft.

The close up photograph of the train has been used countless times, if you look closely you will see Geoffrey Thompson in row 3 and Nick Thompson behind him.