Centro-Park

Centro-Park, originally known as CentrO.Park, was an amusement and animal park located in Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It opened in autumn 1996 on a derelict industrial site as part of the "Neue Mitte" urban regeneration project, inaugurated in the same year as the adjacent CentrO shopping centre. The park was initially owned and operated by the Bruch family of showmen; Oscar Bruch, Jr. took over its direction in 2001 and expanded it by 8.5 hectares, shifting its theme toward nature. In 2002 the park gained a further 5 hectares. From 2003 to 2010 its mascot was an elephant named Benjamin Blümchen. The entrance was completely rebuilt in 2005 near the CentrO shopping centre, and the park welcomed its millionth visitor on 23 September 2006. On 23 March 2010, Oscar Bruch, Jr. announced the park's closure at the end of the 2010 season. In 2011, Merlin Entertainments signed an agreement to take over operations. The former owner recovered several rides, while others were relocated to parks in Sweden and elsewhere. Merlin reopened the site in April 2011 with seven attractions. In 2012, CentrO.Park was closed for renovation, modelled on Sea Life Adventure Park in Weymouth, with a €15 million investment. The Legoland Discovery Centre was moved from Duisburg and opened on 14 April 2013 on a small plot of the former park. The rest of the site reopened as an outdoor park under the name Sea Life Abenteuer Park on 25 April 2013. In 2014 the association with the Sea Life Centre ended and some rides were added. After the 2015 season, the attractions were removed and the park reverted to a free-access public park.

Centro-Park, originally called CentrO.Park, opened in autumn 1996 in Oberhausen, Germany, on a derelict industrial site. It was part of the "Neue Mitte" regeneration project and was inaugurated in the same year as the CentrO shopping centre. In 2001, Oscar Bruch, Jr., from a family of showmen, took over the park's direction and expanded it by 8.5 hectares, focusing its theme on nature. That same year, three Huss Rides attractions were inaugurated: a rocking boat, a bee carousel, a breakdance, and a large Ferris wheel by Ronald Bussink. The Condor, opened in 2000, was relocated to Belantis in 2004. In 2002, the park gained another 5 hectares. From 2003 to 2010, the park's mascot was an elephant named Benjamin Blümchen. In 2005, the entrance was completely rebuilt near the CentrO shopping centre. The park received its millionth visitor on 23 September 2006. On 23 March 2010, Oscar Bruch, Jr. announced in a press release the closure of the park at the end of the 2010 season. Merlin Entertainments signed an agreement in 2011 to take over the park's operation. The former showman owner Oscar Bruch Junior recovered some attractions, such as the Regenbogen Riesenrad (Ferris wheel) and Benjamin Blümchens Wellenflieger (swing ride). The Piratenschiff rocking boat was relocated to the Swedish Kolmården zoo, and the Bee Bee bee carousel reopened at the Swedish Furuvik park. The Wild Mouse Speedy, the Breakdance Rodeo, and the entrance facilities were relocated to Skara Sommarland. Merlin Entertainments reopened the site in April 2011 with seven attractions. Belonging to the same owner, the Sea Life Centre Oberhausen of 2004 is 100 m away. In 2012, CentrO.Park was closed for renovation with Sea Life Adventure Park in Weymouth as a model. With €15 million investment, the group redeveloped the site and moved the Legoland Discovery Centre from Duisburg (2008, 12 km away). Opened on 14 April 2013, it opened on a small plot of CentrO.Park. The rest of the domain opened as an outdoor park under the name Sea Life Abenteuer Park on 25 April 2013. In 2014, the association with Sea Life Centre ended and some rides were added. After the 2015 season, the attractions were removed and the park became a free-access public park again.

• 2015

  After the season, attractions are removed and the park becomes a free-access public park.

• 2014

  Association with Sea Life Centre ends; some rides added.

• 2013

  Legoland Discovery Centre opens on 14 April; rest of site opens as Sea Life Abenteuer Park on 25 April.

• 2012

  CentrO.Park closed for renovation with €15 million investment; Legoland Discovery Centre moved from Duisburg.

• 2011

  Merlin Entertainments signs an agreement to take over operations and reopens the site in April with seven attractions.

• 2010

  On 23 March, Oscar Bruch, Jr. announces closure at the end of the 2010 season.

• 2006

  Park receives its millionth visitor on 23 September.

• 2005

  Entrance completely rebuilt near the CentrO shopping centre.

• 2004

  The Condor is relocated to Belantis.

• 2003

  Elephant Benjamin Blümchen becomes the park's mascot (until 2010).

• 2002

  Park gains another 5 hectares.

• 2001

  Oscar Bruch, Jr. takes over direction and expands the park by 8.5 hectares; three Huss Rides attractions and a Ferris wheel are inaugurated.

• 2000

  The Condor attraction opens.

• 1996

  Park opens in autumn as CentrO.Park on a derelict industrial site as part of the "Neue Mitte" project.

Family-oriented amusement and animal park integrated into the CentrO leisure and retail complex in Oberhausen.

• Abenteuerspielplatz

  Playground and water play area (formerly Wasser- und Abenteuerspielplatz).

• Goldwäschen

  Gold panning attraction.

• Hip und Hop

  Junior drop tower by S&S Worldwide, 2014.

• Jeep Safari

  Jeep ride by Metallbau Emmeln, 1996 (formerly Traktor-Bahn).

• Labyrinth

  Maze attraction.

• MS Seegang

  Rockin' Tug by Zamperla, 2014.

• Pinguine! Abenteuer Antarktis

  Log flume by ABC Engineering, 2013.

• Rutschturm

  Slide complex by Wiegand, 1997 (formerly Rutschenturm).

• Shanghai Express

  Steam train, 2001.

• Trampoline

  Trampoline attraction.

1. 1Centro-Parkwikidata.org
2. 2Sea Life Abenteuer Parkfr.wikipedia.org