Chessington World of Adventures
Chessington World of Adventures Resort is a 128 acres (52 hectares) theme park, zoo and hotel complex in Chessington, Greater London, England, around 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Central London. The complex originally opened as Chessington Zoo in 1931; the theme park aspect was developed by The Tussauds Group, debuting on 7 July 1987 as one of the first combined animal-amusement parks in the UK. The theme park, which features over 40 rides, is now owned by Merlin Entertainments, following its merger with The Tussauds Group in 2007. Under Merlin, Chessington has been increasingly developed into a resort and tourist destination, including two on-site hotels, swimming pools, a campground, spa and fitness facilities.
| Previously known as Chessington Zoo, Chessington World of Adventures & Zoo | |
| Location | Leatherhead Road, Chessington KT9 2NE, Greater London, England |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°20′55″N 0°19′00″W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened |
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| Owner | Merlin Entertainments |
| General manager | Ramesh Ganeson (Divisional Director) |
| Slogan | Britain's Wildest Adventure! |
| Operating season | Theme Park: March–November Zoo: Year-Round Safari Hotel Year-Round Aztec Hotel Year-Round Explorer Glamping April - October Sealife Centre Year-Round Go Ape Year-Round |
| Attendance | 2022: 1,500,000 (3%) |
| Area | 128 acres (0.52 km2; 52 ha) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 34 |
| Roller coasters | 5 |
| Water rides | 3 |
| Website | www.chessington.com |
The Chessington Zoo has over 1,000 animals, including western lowland gorillas, sea lions, and Sumatran tigers. It is split up into several areas; Trail of the Kings, Sea Lion Bay, Children's Zoo, Amazu, Penguin Bay, a Sea Life Centre and Wanyama Village and Reserve.
Chessington World of Adventures was ranked (in 2019) as the fourth most-visited park in the UK, with an attendance of roughly 1.69 million guests. In 2020, due to restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the park experienced an unexpectedly short operating season and temporary closed its gates. Despite the park seeing a drop in attendance during the pandemic, Chessington still ranked as the fourth most-visited park in the UK for 2020, behind Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Legoland Windsor.
Chessington World of Adventures is separated into different themed areas, loosely inspired by a range of world cultures. ‘Adventure Point’ is a colonial English "market square",'‘Mexicana' borrows from the Wild West and Latin America, 'Shipwreck Coast' is a nautical harbour town, 'Wild Woods' is a Central European-styled area with Bavarian architecture, 'Forbidden Kingdom' mirrors the ancient Middle East, 'Land of the Tiger' reflects the Far East, and 'Wild Asia' is based on an Indian jungle. Major attractions include: Vampire, Dragon's Fury, KOBRA, Tiger Rock, Scorpion Express, The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure, Mandrill Mayhem, and Croc Drop.