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History

Howdy! Are you in the mood for a history lesson? Then you've come to the right place! We have been around for 60 years now and have plenty to tell. All the history from our very first accommodation to the construction of Aqua Mexicana can be found in the timeline. Perfect for a school assignment or to learn more about our park!

1963

The opening

In 1963 the time came: Shetland Pony Park Slagharen is founded. Henk Bemboom saw that entrepreneurs in Slagharen were finding it increasingly difficult, even his own shop was doing less and less well. He therefore decided to build 24 cottages in a meadow at Slagharen, each equipped with its own Shetland pony and wagon. At Whitsun in the year 1963, the park was opened. Soon the holiday park was expanded with an outdoor swimming pool, play equipment and observation tower. In 1965, a water organ was even added!

1968

Ocean of Darkness

In 1968, the Underwater World was given a place in the park; it was the biggest attraction at the time. It was a 'dark ride', giving visitors the feeling of being at the bottom of the ocean. They boarded a cart shaped like a diving helmet and went on an adventure among fish and other ocean creatures. Over the years, this attraction has had different names, such as Ocean of Darkness and Nautilus. In 2012, this attraction was removed, making way for the Passepartout Explorer. In this attraction, young visitors can learn how to drive a car and get a driving license! Well, it doesn't actually let you hit the road but it's a start!

1970

The first monorail

In 1970, the first monorail in the Netherlands was installed at Slagharen. No, this is not the Pioneer Express 63 you might know. In fact, our first monorail was controlled from a station, and rode around above the park until the 1980s. The difference between the current monorail and the first one in the Netherlands is that nowadays an operator rides along.

1972

All-in entrance fee

A true entrepreneur, Mr Bemboom was always looking for ways to improve the park. In 1972, he had succeeded again, introducing a unique formula where visitors paid one amount for which they could use all attractions. It was 2 guilders 50, which was called the 'all-in entrance fee'. For this, visitors could enter the park for free but had to pay a small amount for all attractions.

1973

The octopus

The El Torito is one of the oldest attractions at Slagharen, but it looked very different at first. This attraction opened in 1973 under the name 'the Octopus'. You stepped into a tropical fish and were pushed from front to back, and left to right by the arms of a huge octopus. In 2015, this attraction was transformed into the El Torito to fit the Wild West theme. The fish were replaced by wild bulls and the octopus was changed to a large stone with cowboy hat.

1974

First waterslide and rollercoaster

We are big fans of water slides! That's why we added our first water slide to the park in the year 1974. This slide you went down with a mat. This has since been replaced by the White Water slide, which you can try out for yourself on your next visit! This year also saw the opening of our first roller coaster at the park, the Wild Mouse!

1979

We have another first for the Netherlands! In 1979, we opened the Looping Star, the very first roller coaster in our country to go over the top. This roller coaster has had several names and closed in 2016 and was eventually replaced by the Gold Rush.

1984

In 1984, many people's dreams came true with the Dream Boat. This fairy-tale attraction was a huge ship flying overhead. This attraction went by several names, including Traumboot and Flying Cloud.

1996

The Zwunka is opened! Later, the name of this flying carpet is changed to Dream Catcher to better fit the park's theme. This attraction has stood in several places in the park, such as behind the Looping Star.

2002

Main Street opened for the first time in 2002! This cosy shopping street is straight out of the Wild West and is the passageway from one side of the park to the other. Here you will find several shops, eateries and a bar.

2008

In honour of our 45th anniversary, the park's name will be changed to Themepark & Resort Slagharen. This is not our first name change, back in 1998 our name was changed to Themepark Slagharen. This was chosen because the park's focus has been more on attractions than ponies for years.

2009

Our faithful mascots Randy & Rosie begin their adventure in the Wild West. These raccoons live in the mill at the park and are brother and sister! Would you like to send Randy & Rosie a letter? Then leave one in the letterbox!

2015

In 2015, a real water spectacle will be added to the park: Aqua Mexicana. The subtropical water park includes three pools, a whirlpool, four slides and six children's slides. This is the perfect place to spend a hot summer day or warm up inside in worse weather.

Heden

Today, Themepark & Resort Slagharen is the place to be for a good adventure. We have plenty to offer with more than 30 attractions, 620 accommodations, and a subtropical swimming pool. Will you come along soon?

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