Founders OF World Amusement Park

16. Universal Studios Florida

• Founder: Universal Parks & Resorts
• Year: 1990
• Country: United States (Orlando, Florida)

17. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

• Founder: Anheuser-Busch
• Year: 1959
• Country: United States (Tampa, Florida)

18. Knott’s Berry Farm

• Founder: Walter Knott
• Year: 1940s (expanded from a berry farm established in the 1920s)
• Country: United States (Buena Park, California)

19. Tivoli Gardens

• Founder: Georg Carstensen
• Year: 1843
• Country: Denmark (Copenhagen)

20. Liseberg

• Founder: Gothenburg City Council
• Year: 1923
• Country: Sweden (Gothenburg)

21. Canada’s Wonderland

• Founder: Taft Broadcasting Company
• Year: 1981
• Country: Canada (Vaughan, Ontario)

22. Gardaland

• Founder: Livio Furini
• Year: 1975
• Country: Italy (Castelnuovo del Garda)

23. Everland

• Founder: Samsung Group
• Year: 1976
• Country: South Korea (Yongin)

24. Ocean Park Hong Kong

• Founder: Hong Kong Jockey Club
• Year: 1977
• Country: Hong Kong

25. Phantasialand

• Founder: Gottlieb Löffelhardt and Richard Schmidt
• Year: 1967
• Country: Germany (Brühl)

26. Parque Warner Madrid

• Founder: Warner Bros. (operated by Parques Reunidos)
• Year: 2002
• Country: Spain (San Martín de la Vega)

27. Kings Island

• Founder: Taft Broadcasting Company
• Year: 1972
• Country: United States (Mason, Ohio)

28. Dreamworld

• Founder: John Longhurst
• Year: 1981
• Country: Australia (Coomera, Queensland)

29. Warner Bros. Movie World

• Founder: Warner Bros. (operated by Village Roadshow)
• Year: 1991
• Country: Australia (Gold Coast, Queensland)

30. Silver Dollar City

• Founder: Hugo Herschend and Mary Herschend
• Year: 1960
• Country: United States (Branson, Missouri)

31. Hersheypark

• Founder: Milton S. Hershey
• Year: 1906
• Country: United States (Hershey, Pennsylvania)

32. SeaWorld Orlando

• Founders: George Millay, Milt Shedd, Ken Norris, and David Demott
• Year: 1973
• Country: United States (Orlando, Florida)

33. Blackpool Pleasure Beach

• Founder: William George Bean
• Year: 1896
• Country: United Kingdom (Blackpool)

34. Carowinds

• Founder: Pat Hall
• Year: 1973
• Country: United States (Charlotte, North Carolina)

35. Six Flags Great Adventure

• Founder: Warner LeRoy
• Year: 1974
• Country: United States (Jackson, New Jersey)

36. SeaWorld San Antonio

• Founders: George Millay, Milt Shedd, Ken Norris, and David Demott
• Year: 1988
• Country: United States (San Antonio, Texas)

37. Dollywood

• Founders: Herschend Family Entertainment (originally Rebel Railroad)
• Year: 1986 (rebranded)
• Country: United States (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)

38. Hong Kong Disneyland

• Founder: Walt Disney Company in partnership with the Hong Kong Government
• Year: 2005
• Country: Hong Kong

39. Shanghai Disneyland

• Founder: Walt Disney Company in partnership with Shanghai Shendi Group
• Year: 2016
• Country: China (Shanghai)

40. Tokyo DisneySea

• Founders: The Oriental Land Company, in cooperation with Walt Disney Company
• Year: 2001
• Country: Japan (Urayasu, Chiba)

41. Beto Carrero World

• Founder: Beto Carrero (João Batista Sérgio Murad)
• Year: 1991
• Country: Brazil (Penha, Santa Catarina)

42. Puy du Fou

• Founder: Philippe de Villiers
• Year: 1978
• Country: France (Les Epesses)

43. Ferrari World

• Founders: Aldar Properties and Ferrari
• Year: 2010
• Country: United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi)

44. Futuroscope

• Founder: René Monory
• Year: 1987
• Country: France (Chasseneuil-du-Poitou)

45. De Efteling

• Founder: Peter Reijnders and Anton Pieck
• Year: 1952
• Country: Netherlands (Kaatsheuvel)

46. Parc Astérix

• Founder: Albert Uderzo (co-creator of Astérix)
• Year: 1989
• Country: France (Plailly)

47. Gröna Lund

• Founder: James Schultheiss
• Year: 1883
• Country: Sweden (Stockholm)

48. Nagashima Spa Land

• Founder: Nagashima Resort
• Year: 1966
• Country: Japan (Kuwana, Mie)

49. Heide Park

• Founder: Hans-Jürgen Tiemann
• Year: 1978
• Country: Germany (Soltau)

50. Gold Reef City

• Founder: The mining industry of Johannesburg
• Year: 1987
• Country: South Africa (Johannesburg)

51. Sunway Lagoon

• Founder: Sunway Group
• Year: 1992
• Country: Malaysia (Petaling Jaya, Selangor)

52. Everland

• Founder: Samsung Group
• Year: 1976
• Country: South Korea (Yongin)

53. Fuji-Q Highland

• Founder: Fuji Kyuko Co.
• Year: 1968
• Country: Japan (Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi)

54. Cedar Point

• Founder: Louis Zistel (initial recreational park, later developed by Cedar Fair)
• Year: 1870
• Country: United States (Sandusky, Ohio)

55. Kings Dominion

• Founder: Taft Broadcasting Company
• Year: 1975
• Country: United States (Doswell, Virginia)

56. Busch Gardens Williamsburg

• Founder: Anheuser-Busch
• Year: 1975
• Country: United States (Williamsburg, Virginia)

57. Thorpe Park

• Founder: Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
• Year: 1979
• Country: United Kingdom (Chertsey, Surrey)

58. La Ronde

• Founder: Expo 67 Corporation
• Year: 1967
• Country: Canada (Montreal, Quebec)

59. Chessington World of Adventures

• Founder: Madame Tussauds Group
• Year: 1987 (as a theme park; originally a zoo since 1931)
• Country: United Kingdom (Chessington, Surrey)

60. SeaWorld Gold Coast

• Founder: Keith Williams
• Year: 1971
• Country: Australia (Gold Coast, Queensland)

61. Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi

• Founder: Warner Bros. and Miral Asset Management
• Year: 2018
• Country: United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi)

62. IMG Worlds of Adventure

• Founder: Ilyas & Mustafa Galadari Group
• Year: 2016
• Country: United Arab Emirates (Dubai)

63. Enchanted Kingdom

• Founder: Mario and Cynthia Mamon
• Year: 1995
• Country: Philippines (Santa Rosa, Laguna)

64. Genting SkyWorlds

• Founder: Genting Group
• Year: 2021
• Country: Malaysia (Genting Highlands, Pahang)

65. Happy Valley

• Founder: Overseas Chinese Town Enterprises
• Year: 1998
• Country: China (Shenzhen, Guangdong)

66. Legoland Windsor

• Founder: The LEGO Group (acquired by Merlin Entertainments)
• Year: 1996
• Country: United Kingdom (Windsor, Berkshire)

67. Siam Park

• Founder: Wolfgang Kiessling
• Year: 2008
• Country: Spain (Adeje, Tenerife)

68. Alton Towers

• Founder: John Broome (developed the modern theme park)
• Year: 1980 (The estate dates back to the 1800s)
• Country: United Kingdom (Staffordshire)

69. Dreamworld

• Founder: John Longhurst
• Year: 1981
• Country: Australia (Coomera, Queensland)

70. Lotte World

• Founder: Lotte Corporation
• Year: 1989
• Country: South Korea (Seoul)

71. Motiongate Dubai

• Founder: Dubai Parks and Resorts
• Year: 2016
• Country: United Arab Emirates (Dubai)

72. Ocean Park Hong Kong

• Founder: Hong Kong Jockey Club
• Year: 1977
• Country: Hong Kong

73. Phantasialand

• Founder: Gottlieb Löffelhardt and Richard Schmidt
• Year: 1967
• Country: Germany (Brühl)

74. PortAventura Park

• Founders: Tussauds Group, Anheuser-Busch, and Universal Parks & Resorts (initial development)
• Year: 1995
• Country: Spain (Salou, Catalonia)

75. SeaWorld San Diego

• Founders: George Millay, Milt Shedd, Ken Norris, and David Demott
• Year: 1964
• Country: United States (San Diego, California)

76. Silver Dollar City

• Founder: Hugo Herschend and Mary Herschend
• Year: 1960
• Country: United States (Branson, Missouri)

77. Six Flags Great America

• Founder: Marriott Corporation
• Year: 1976
• Country: United States (Gurnee, Illinois)

78. Six Flags Magic Mountain

• Founder: Newhall Land and Farming Company
• Year: 1971
• Country: United States (Valencia, California)

79. Sunway Lagoon

• Founder: Sunway Group
• Year: 1992
• Country: Malaysia (Petaling Jaya, Selangor)

80. Tokyo DisneySea

• Founders: The Oriental Land Company, in cooperation with Walt Disney Company
• Year: 2001
• Country: Japan (Urayasu, Chiba)

81. Universal Studios Japan

• Founder: Universal Parks & Resorts (part of NBCUniversal)
• Year: 2001
• Country: Japan (Osaka)

82. Universal Studios Singapore

• Founder: Genting Group in partnership with Universal Parks & Resorts
• Year: 2010
• Country: Singapore

83. Warner Bros. Movie World

• Founder: Warner Bros. (operated by Village Roadshow)
• Year: 1991
• Country: Australia (Gold Coast, Queensland)

84. Yas Waterworld

• Founder: Aldar Properties
• Year: 2013
• Country: United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi)

85. Wonderland Eurasia

• Founder: Turkish Government
• Year: 2019
• Country: Turkey (Ankara)

86. Xetulul

• Founder: IRTRA (Instituto de Recreación de los Trabajadores de la Empresa Privada de Guatemala)
• Year: 2002
• Country: Guatemala (Retalhuleu)

87. Blackpool Pleasure Beach

• Founder: William George Bean
• Year: 1896
• Country: United Kingdom (Blackpool)

88. Carowinds

• Founder: Pat Hall
• Year: 1973
• Country: United States (Charlotte, North Carolina)

89. Dreamland Margate

• Founder: John Henry Iles
• Year: 1920 (reopened in 2015)
• Country: United Kingdom (Margate, Kent)

90. Fårup Sommerland

• Founder: Anders Kragelund
• Year: 1975
• Country: Denmark (Fårup)

91. Gröna Lund

• Founder: James Schultheiss
• Year: 1883
• Country: Sweden (Stockholm)

92. Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari

• Founder: Louis J. Koch
• Year: 1946
• Country: United States (Santa Claus, Indiana)

93. Linnanmäki

• Founder: Lasten Päivän Säätiö
• Year: 1950
• Country: Finland (Helsinki)

94. Pleasurewood Hills

• Founder: Joe Larter
• Year: 1983
• Country: United Kingdom (Lowestoft, Suffolk)

95. PowerPark

• Founder: Jorma Lillbacka
• Year: 2002
• Country: Finland (Härmä)

96. SeaWorld Orlando

• Founders: George Millay, Milt Shedd, Ken Norris, and David Demott
• Year: 1973
• Country: United States (Orlando, Florida)

97. Six Flags Over Texas

• Founder: Angus G. Wynne
• Year: 1961
• Country: United States (Arlington, Texas)

98. Tivoli Gardens

• Founder: Georg Carstensen
• Year: 1843
• Country: Denmark (Copenhagen)

99. Universal Studios Hollywood

• Founder: Carl Laemmle (Universal Pictures)
• Year: 1964
• Country: United States (Universal City, California)

100. Worlds of Fun

• Founder: Lamar Hunt
• Year: 1973
• Country: United States (Kansas City, Missouri)
• Founders of Super Power Countries