Miniature park explained
A miniature park is a display of miniature buildings and models, usually as a recreational and tourist attraction open to the public. A miniature park may contain a model of a single city or town, often called a miniature city or model village, or it can contain a number of different sets of models.
History
There is evidence to suggest the existence of private model villages and miniature parks since the 19th century, but it was only in the 1930s to 1950s that the genre became tourist attractions. Early examples include Bekonscot and Bourton-on-the-Water in the UK and Madurodam in The Hague.
Variations on a theme
Most model villages and parks are built to a consistent scale; varying from 1:76 as used by the intricately detailed Pendon in England up to the 1:9 scale of Wimborne Model Town.
There has been a move away from the model village concept since the mid- to late 20th century towards a miniature park concept. Model villages are typically larger-scale, sit in a cohesive miniature landscape and allow viewing and physical interaction with the exhibits, such as publicly accessed streets and urban areas. Miniature parks however, are primarily concerned with the display of exhibits in their own right, viewed from a distance. Model railways, rivers and roads may provide a continuation between miniature parks exhibits.
List of notable miniature parks
Europe
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Many Danish towns also have extensive miniature towns from historic periods (normally 1900s). Some of the most significant include:
France
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Portugal
Russia
Slovakia
Spain
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Kingdom
- Babbacombe Model Village, Babbacombe, Devon
- Bekonscot, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
- Bourton-on-the-Water model village, Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, opened in 1937, now a grade II listed structure[1]
- Haigh Hall Miniature Railway, Wigan
- Legoland Windsor in Windsor
- Pendon Museum, Pendon, Oxfordshire
- Southport Model Railway Village
- Tucktonia, Dorset, closed in 1985
- Wimborne Model Town
Americas
Brazil
Canada
- Canadia Niagara Falls, Ontario, opened in 1966 - closed
- Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village, Whitby, Ontario, opened in 1980 - closed in the mid-2000s
- Little Canada, Toronto, Ontario, opened in 2021
- Woodleigh Replicas, Burlington, Prince Edward Island, closed
- Tivoli Miniature World, Jordan, Ontario, closed in the 1990s
Chile
United States
- Tiny Town, Morrison, Colorado, opened in 1921
- Tiny Town, Springfield, Missouri, opened in 1925
- Miniature Railroad & Village, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania opened 1920s
- Ave Maria Grotto, Cullman, Alabama, opened in 1933
- Roadside America, Pennsylvania, opened in 1935, closed 2020
- Storybook Land Canal Boats, Disneyland, California opened in 1956
- Palestine Park, Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York
- Splendid China (Florida), opened in 1993, closed 2003
- Holy Land Experience, Orlando, Florida, the park has a scale model of Jerusalem, Israel
- Forbidden Gardens, Katy, Texas, opened in 1997, closed 2011
- Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Palm Desert, California, opened in 1971
- San Diego Model Railroad Museum, San Diego, California, opened in 1981
- Legoland California, Carlsbad, California, opened in 1999
- Legoland Florida Winter Haven, opened 2011
Asia/Pacific Region
Australia
China
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Thailand
Middle East
Israel
Turkey
External links
Notes and References
- News: Davies . Caroline . Bourton-on-the-Water model village gets Grade II listed status . The Guardian . 18 April 2013 . Guardian News & Media Limited . 15 January 2021.
