The wait is over! Dreamland Margate, the UK’s original pleasure park, will re-open its doors on Friday June 19th 2015. The old fashioned, yet oh-so-fashionable destination, boasts a host of stylishly restored, recreated and retro-fitted rides and amusements from the golden age of British seaside holidays.

Following an extended campaign to bring back to life one of Britain’s most iconic seaside institutions since its closure almost a decade ago, the re-imagined Dreamland Margate will be operated by Sands Heritage Ltd and is the creative vision of award-winning designer, Wayne Hemingway MBE, and his family, Geraldine and Jack at Hemingway Design.

Tickets went on sale to the general public at 10am on Friday 27th March, costing £14.95 (adults) and £12.95 (children) in advance at www.dreamland.co.uk/tickets. Local Thanet residents were able to get tickets from 8am at Dreamland HQ, 50 Marine Terrace CT9 1XJ at a special discounted locals’ rate. The first 500 people in the queue when the doors opened also received a piece of the grade-II listed Scenic Railway – the jewel in Dreamland’s beachfront crown and the UK’s oldest rollercoaster. The Scenic Railway has been painstakingly restored so that the stunning timber coaster will be just like new when it reopens this June.

1930s BW Real Photo of Scenic Railway HR. © Dreamland-Margate

Staying true to the park’s proud British heritage, each of the vintage rides has been lovingly redesigned and themed in the UK, whilst contemporary rides have been treated with a dash of nostalgia, so visitors can enjoy modern rides without losing any of the good old-fashioned fun of the fair. From traditional gallopers and helter skelters to the adrenaline-pumping Drop Tower and Cyclone Twister, Dreamland will house over 17 fabulous rides alongside expansive events spaces including a roller disco. For younger thrill seekers, The Counter Culture Caterpillar Coaster will offer a child-friendly experience as the frantic figure-eight coaster zooms past unusual portraits of celebrities. Madge, Elton, GaGa, John, Paul and Ringo have never looked so strange!

Nestled at the far end of the park is the Dreamland Pleasure Gardens, where you can steal a moment on the lawn, take in a Punch and Judy puppet show, and witness the thrills of the Wall of Death! Mirroring the rides, Dreamland’s amusements will present the evolution of the arcade through history from traditional carnival sideshows and a contemporary roller disco to regular performances on the bandstand and modern circus performances. A number of stalls will serve quality seaside favourites including fish and chips and candyfloss, while a family entertainment area will offer daily activities for the little ones.

Dreamland Paratrooper, 1973, John Hutchinson Collection, The Dreamland Trust Archive. © Dreamland-Margate

The opening of the park is made possible by a multi-million pound investment from local benefactors. Thanet District Council, Sands Heritage Ltd, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the Department for Culture Media and Sport’s Sea Change Programme have worked together to finally bring Dreamland back to Margate’s coastline, and boost the local economy for years to come.

Eddie Kemsley, CEO of Dreamland, says: “We are thrilled to announce the Dreamland opening date to the public; thanks to the hard work and dedication of our team, we are on track for our grand opening on the 19th of June, and hope that as many local Thanet residents as possible will join us to celebrate the momentous occasion. Sands Heritage Ltd is enormously grateful for the support of our partners, Thanet District Council, The Dreamland Trust, Hemingway Design and the local community, who have worked together to make this all possible.”

Follow the progress of Dreamland with updates and pictures at www.dreamland.co.uk/site-watch, on Twitter (@DreamlandMarg), Facebook (dreamlandmargate), and by following #LoveDreamland.

For more information, visit www.dreamland.co.uk.