Halmstad Adventure Park

Halmstad Adventure Park, known in Swedish as Halmstad Äventyrsland and colloquially as Äventyrslandet, was an amusement park located in Söndrum in western Halmstad, Sweden. It opened on 18 June 1966 as Miniland, a miniature park inspired by Madurodam and focused on scale models of famous Swedish castles, manor houses, churches and other landmarks, alongside a fairy-tale area. The park occupied a roughly 34,600-square-metre site at an old quarry in Knebildstorp, which had been used for recreational facilities since 1964. Over the decades it evolved from a miniature park into a full amusement park with water rides, carousels and a dinosaur park. It was owned by the Rademaekers family until the mid-1990s, then by private operators, and from 2004 by Axels Nöjesfält, Tony Andreasson AB, when it was renamed Halmstad Äventyrsland. In 2021 ownership passed to Nöjespark Sverige AB, run by CEO Kenny Andreasson, while the land itself was owned by property entrepreneur Wulf Fricke, who planned housing on the site. The park was closed in the summer of 2023 and did not reopen. A major fire on 28 April 2024 destroyed the Wild West Steakhouse restaurant and other structures, and demolition began in August 2024. The site is slated for 450–500 new homes, with a detailed plan expected by the end of 2025.

The site at the old quarry in Knebildstorp, covering about 34,600 square metres, had been used for recreational facilities since 1964. In 1964, a Dutchman named Johannes Rademaekers, inspired by Madurodam, sent a request to Halmstad municipality to build a park with model buildings of famous Swedish castles, manor houses, churches and other objects. In cooperation with the city, the site for Miniland was chosen; Laxön and areas around Östra Stranden were also considered. A model builder from Waco, Kurt Lennå, was hired as head of the model workshop, employing Dutch, German, Danish and Swedish craftsmen. Some models were also purchased. Lennå built model airplanes in his spare time, with which he competed in the Swedish championships in hang gliding. A model of the Halmstad townscape from the 1800s was also built, though not on working time at Miniland, although the model airplanes were sometimes displayed. Miniland finally opened on 18 June 1966 in the presence of Halland county governor Ingvar Lindell and his wife. From the opening onwards, Miniland had its own postmark. Sagolandet, which was part of Miniland, initially focused on Disney characters and was called Kalle Ankas serieland, but after the Disney licence expired, the area was rebuilt in 1973 into a more generic fairy-tale land. The facility remained in the Rademaekers family until the 1996/1997 season. The son, Jan, who had taken over the park after his father's death, sold it because he wanted to develop his consulting company and spend more time with his family. It was then bought by Michael Eliasson and Mikael Andersson. They expanded with more family activities and also a model of the Globe. As the park became more visited, rumours began to circulate that other actors would open a large amusement park outside Halmstad. According to HP, they wanted to sell to a local owner, which became the tivoli group Axels. After the ownership change in 2004 to Axels Nöjesfält, Tony Andreasson AB, the park changed its name to Halmstad Äventyrsland. At the same time, the park was expanded with more attractions, such as a water park, carousels and a dinosaur park with life-size models of dinosaurs. The number of model buildings decreased and was cleared out. Although Miniland changed its name several years earlier, it still appeared from time to time in newspapers, letters to the editor and at the bus stop. In 2013, it was discovered that a water slide with a height of 20 metres had been built without a building permit, and the building committee imposed a fine but granted retrospective dispensation. After an appeal by a neighbour to the park, the County Administrative Board revoked the building permit and the attraction had to be demolished. A controversy arose when signs with text telling about "Lapps" had been noticed at one of the miniature environments built during the Miniland era, in a letter to the editor in HP, and that Axels Tivoli's marketing manager had not been aware of this. The sign was removed after a reply in HP. In March 2021, Skanska proposed building homes on the area after the lease agreement with Halmstad municipality expires in 2026. On 17 March 2021, Hallandsposten/Hallands affärer reported that the group company GKM Syd AB had been declared bankrupt before Christmas 2020/2021. The bankruptcy trustee described the group as complicated with "...companies that have claims on each other" and both buy services and rent out to each other's operations. They were also looking for buyers for various subsidiaries. The current owner is property entrepreneur Wulf Fricke, who plans to build homes on the area in a few years. A further ownership change took place in 2021 by Nöjespark Sverige AB. From the ownership change, the park was run by Kenny Andreasson, CEO of Nöjespark Sverige AB. The facility was closed in the summer of 2023 and it is not likely that it will open again as there are plans to build homes on the area. On 28 April 2024, the facility was hit by a powerful fire that totally destroyed, among other things, the restaurant "Wild West Steakhouse". On 11 August 2024, Sveriges Radio P4 Halland reported that the demolition of Äventyrslandet had begun. On the site, 450–500 new homes are planned, ranging from terraced houses to rental apartments. The detailed plan is expected to be ready by the end of 2025.

• First plans for a miniature park in Halmstad; site at Knebildstorp chosen.

• Miniland opens in the presence of county governor Ingvar Lindell.

• Sagolandet rebuilt into a generic fairy-tale land after Disney licence expired.

• Rademaekers family sells the park to Michael Eliasson and Mikael Andersson.

• Ownership changes to Axels Nöjesfält, Tony Andreasson AB; park renamed Halmstad Äventyrsland.

• Water slide built without permit; later demolished after appeal.

• Skanska proposes housing on the site after lease expires in 2026.

• Ownership change to Nöjespark Sverige AB; Kenny Andreasson becomes CEO.

• Park closed for the summer; unlikely to reopen.

• Major fire destroys Wild West Steakhouse and other structures.

• Demolition of Äventyrslandet begins; 450–500 homes planned.

Family-oriented amusement park and miniature park in western Halmstad.

• Miniature park

  Scale models of Swedish castles, manor houses, churches and other landmarks.

• Sagolandet

  Fairy-tale area, initially Disney-themed as Kalle Ankas serieland.

• Water park

  Added after 2004 expansion.

• Dinosaur park

  Life-size dinosaur models.

• Wild West Steakhouse

  Restaurant destroyed in 2024 fire.

1. 1Halmstad Adventure Park - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Halmstad äventyrsland - Wikipedia (Swedish)sv.wikipedia.org