THEME park fans in the UK can enjoy a new and unique experience this summer. Alton Towers was recently named in the top 10 theme parks in the world, with its rides, rollercoasters and attractions deemed better than those at Disney World in Florida. However, its latest offering comes in the form of something slightly different, with no thrills or inversions.
Instead, guests can now take a tour of the house and gardens around which the theme park is based. Visitors are invited to "stroll the sights, soak up the sun and enjoy a VIP tour this summer" with a walking guide taking them "through the historic listed house and gardens". The park's website promises "an insightful and informative tour of Alton Towers " with a personal guide.
The house is known as the towers ruins and the grounds were the original attraction more than 100 years before it officially became a theme park. They were first opened to the public in 1860 and by 1890 the house was attracting crowds as large as 30,000, with acrobats, lion tamers, elephants, bands and fireworks among the entertainment on show. The park once again became a popular attraction throughout the 60s and 70s after the war, when it had been taken over by the Ministry of Defence.
They returned it to Alton Towers in the 1950s, and it finally became recognised as a theme park in 1980, following the introduction of the corkscrew rollercoaster . This history, along with much more, is explored in the two-hour long tour through the house and garden.
