Our love of thrills and entertainment is seen in the success of businesses that range from small fairs to ginormous amusement parks. The combination of sugary treats, lively performances and rides that loop and turn results in memories that last a lifetime. But where did our affinity for these attractions come from?
The ancestors of theme parks popped up in Europe just before the Renaissance era, which took place from 1300 to 1600. Themed festivals were typically centered around religious holidays and harvests. If you wanted to take a ride, you’d sit in a basket and be spun around a pole in what was the first iteration of the modern carousel. Hand-eye coordination was tested through games that included hurling javelins through rings as well as archery and darts. Crowds gathered to watch knights show off their horsemanship through jousting.
By the mid-1700s, pleasure gardens sprung up in major cities in Europe to entertain the rising middle class. With excess cash to spend and newfound leisure time, citizens were ready to be entertained. News of the fun of pleasure gardens traveled across the ocean and the concept took hold in America. Rides were added to the mix, including the first carousel on the continent, and a demand for more sophisticated rides grew.
In the late 1800s, pleasure gardens gave way to entertainment areas that more closely resemble the thrill-seeking theme parks we know and love today. The amusement park industry boomed throughout the early 1900s. By 1920, there were hundreds of parks across the country. The rise in industrialization and more efficient transportation allowed workers to work for less time, giving them more time to escape into worlds of fun and fantasy.
Comprehension
1) What were the first theme parks like?
2) What are pleasure gardens, and why did they become popular in Europe?
3) What factors contributed to the boom of the amusement park industry in the early 1900s?
Vocabulary
Match the words to the definition:
1) ginormous
2) memories that last a lifetime
3) harvests
4) Hand-eye coordination
5) were added to the mix
6) boomed
a) ability to see and react quickly
b) combination on giant and enormous. Very informal
c) a period of prosperity
d) expression for great memories
e) collecting food from the farm
f) to add something to a group
Grammar Highlights
Putting dependent or subordinate clauses at the beginning of a sentence is okay in both formal and informal writing:
“With excess cash to spend and newfound leisure time, citizens were ready to be entertained.”
*This article was adapted from another article to make it more suitable for English learners. You can read the original article here.