Tivoli Pleasure Gardens

Pleasure Gardens may be an outmoded idea, but in 1843, when these gardens were first opened to the public they were a very popular attraction. The original name of the gardens ‘Tivoli and Vauxhall’ refers to the Tivoli Gardens in Paris and in Tivoli near Rome and London’s Vauxhall Gardens.

The idea of a pleasure garden involves existence of lots of different things for visitors—from the garden and flower gardens themselves to bandstands, cafes, theatres, concert halls and early rides like a basic scenic railway and a merry-go-round. In the evening, performances are staged under brightly coloured lanterns and there is the occasional fireworks display. The garden has its own entertainment committee, including its own music director. Since the original construction, when the gardens lay outside the walls of the city, the gardens have remained open and survived intact (except for a few buildings, which were destroyed by the Nazis during World War II). The gardens have been added to and repaired over the years, the idea being that the park will never be finished. Two of the most popular attraction are the world’s largest carousel and Rutsjebanen—a wooden roller coaster constructed in 1914 and still running today.