Tayto Park
Location |
Curragha, Ashbourne, County Meath |
---|---|
Owner | Ashbourne Visitor Centre[1] |
Operated by | Ashbourne Visitor Centre |
Opened | November 2010 |
Website | www.taytopark.ie |
Tayto Park is a crisp/chip themed amusement park, located in Kilbrew, near Ashbourne in County Meath. The park was opened in November 2010. Located 30 minutes from Dublin City Centre, Tayto Park hosts a variety of activities suitable for all ages. It is the sixth most popular paid for attraction in Ireland with 750,000 visitors in 2015.[2]
Attractions
General attractions
- Pow Wow Playground: Play area with towers, slides, climbing walls and rope bridges for children under 12.
- Spudhara Playground: Playground with swings and activities for children under 6.
- Dinosaurs Alive: Exhibition of life like animatronic dinosaurs (self-guided walk through)
- Tiny Tater's Patch: Giant spiral hill and mini maze
- Giant Chess Board: A seasonal attraction which features water jets in the ground
- Mini Playground: Great fun for children aged 4 years and under
- Crispy Maze
- Vortex Tunnel: This attraction is a tunnel with swirling lights near the factory tour
- Tayto Factory Tour: Visitors can see how the nation's favourite crisps are made and learn some of Mr Tayto's most guarded secrets (No production on Saturday, Sunday or bank holidays)
- Live Shows: Magic shows
- Face Painting & Arts and crafts
- Wheelchair Swing
- Play and Splash: Whacky water zone
Eagle Sky Adventure Zone
- Cú Chulainn Coaster: Ireland’s only wooden roller coaster, and the only large roller coaster of any kind in the country (as of 2016), opened on 5 June 2015.[3] Ground was broken on the project on 10 August 2014 and construction commenced on 1 September 2014. With a strong focus on mythological Irish history, the rollercoaster has been named after one of the great eternal heroes of Irish history, Cú Chulainn. The figure of the great Irish warrior is emblazoned across the front of the rollercoaster trains.
- The Rotator: The Rotator is a 'Frisbie' style of ride. Riders face outwards on a rotating gondala that swings like a pendulum.
- Air Race: This ride, themed around aeroplanes, spins and rotates simultaneously.
- 5D Cinema: A short film experience featuring air gusts, water jets, leg ticklers, flashing lights, bubbles and smoke blasts.
- Zip Line Extreme: Tayto Park is home to Ireland's longest and fastest zip wire
- Extreme Climbing Wall: 21 metre climbing wall designed to test climbing skills.
- Tayto Twister: 20 metre tubular slide
- Sky Walk: Three levels of obstacles and bridges high above the ground
Eagle's Nest
- Air Jumpers: Bungee system with trampolines for springing over 5 metres high
- Super Hero Training Wall: Climb up to 9 metres on the wall
- Crispy Creek Mining Company: Pan the sand through flowing water to uncover rare stones
- Shot Tower: Strap in, countdown and prepare to shoot 10 metres into the sky
- Pony Rail: Saddle up and gallop across the plains of Tayto Park
- Honey Pot Bears: Join the honey pot bears for a fun adventure
- Steam Train Express: 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge[4] train ride featuring a steam outline/diesel hydraulic locomotive and three coaches from Severn Lamb[5]
The Zoo
- Farmyard Friends: Is an open area, which includes many rare breeds of farm animals such as Jacob, Manx & Soay sheep, Highland cattle, pygmy goats, Vietnamese pot belly pigs and other domestic animals.
- Wild Woods: A wooded area with animals including ocelots, ring-tailed coatis, Amur leopards, fishing cats, corsac foxes, aardwolves and more.
- Feathered Friends: Diverse and beautiful collection of exotic birds from around the world
- Buffalo Ridge: Home to the first herd of American bison in Ireland
- Cat Country: mountain lions, Eurasian lynx and the largest of the big cats, the endangered Amur tigers.
- Down Under: Visit emus and wallabies
Facilities
Tayto Park is wheelchair accessible except for the tea house in the Tree House and the buffalo viewing platform. There is a gift shop and various food options such as the restaurant in the Lodge Building, which also provides a private function room or the Pizza Place.
There is free parking for cars and buses as well as disabled parking close to the entrance.
Transport
Bus Éireann operates the 103 and 105 service, which stops at the park on a daily basis.