Gröna Lund


Gröna Lund, or colloquially Grönan, is an amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden. Located on the seaward side of Djurgården Island, it is relatively small compared to other amusement parks, mainly because of its central location, which limits expansion. The amusement park has over 30 attractions and is a popular venue for concerts in the summer. It was founded in 1883 by James Schultheiss.

History

Gröna Lund's roots are in the 1880s, making it Sweden's oldest amusement park. However the area has been used for similar purposes since the early 18th century. In 1883, a German by the name of Jacob Schultheiss rented the area to erect "carousels and other amusements". Until 2001, descendants of Schultheiss ran Gröna Lund. Before the amusement park came into being, Gröna Lund was the name of a small park.
The park's location is unique in the sense that most of the buildings are old residential and commercial structures from the 19th century. The buildings were not built for the park; instead, the park was built around the buildings. The park has three different entertainment venues: Dansbanan, Gröna Lundsteatern and Stora Scenen.
Gröna Lund features most attractions common to amusement parks, such as a tunnel of love, a funhouse and seven roller coasters. Gröna Lund is also known for its rock and pop music concerts; the capacity record is held by Bob Marley, who attracted 32,000 people in 1980; it was his third performance at the venue, after stints in 1977 and 1978. The record is unbeatable since new regulations prevent such large audiences at Gröna Lund. American rapper Nas performed with almost 22,000 people in 2010.
The park is easily accessible by tram #7, bus #67 and by ferry from the city centre. Its central location allows visitors to view large parts of Stockholm from the taller attractions.
Since 2006, the park is owned by Parks & Resorts Scandinavia AB, which is wholly owned by the Tidstrand family, which also owns Kolmården Zoo and Skara Sommarland.

Rides

Roller coasters

Other rides

The park hosts various special events throughout the season, particularly music concerts. Famous musicians that have performed at Grona Lund include: Bob Marley and the Wailers in '78 and '80, ABBA in '73, Europe in '84, The Cardigans in '97, Robyn in '99, Caesars in '02, Dr. Alban in '03, A*Teens in '03, Icona Pop in '13, Tove Lo in '14, Meshuggah in '14, "Weird Al" Yankovic and Basshunter in '15, Deep Purple in '16, Ghost in '17, Zara Larsson in '17, Gojira in '19 and Sting in '19.

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