Erlebnispark Tripsdrill
Encyclopedia
Erlebnispark Tripsdrill is a wildlife and theme park near Cleebronn
in Southern Germany. Covering 77 hectares (190.3 acre) in total, the park offers over 100 attractions, including museums, animal petting and feeding, roller coasters, playgrounds, and a theatre. Opened in 1929, it is Germany's oldest amusement park and is still owned and managed by the same family.
Over the following years attractions were added to the park. In 1957, a zoo opened with approximately 300 animals. A mechanical attraction arrived in 1960 in the form of pedal-driven locomotives. The zoo was transformed into a wildlife park and petting zoo in 1972, which was expanded in 1976 to include over 1,000 animals. The wine museum ‘Vinarium’ contains the largest collection of wood-spindle presses in Germany.
Kurt Fischer handed on the management of the park to his sons Roland, Helmut, and Dieter in 1996, and died on 28 January 2010.
Originality, attention to detail, and a preference for local building firms and materials is an important emphasis at Tripsdrill. The park was one of the first to install the now-ubiquitous "teacups
" ride and its Bathtub Flume Ride is the tallest in Europe.
Its largest installation to date, Mammut, built in 2008, is an entirely wooden roller coaster, the first of its kind in Southern Germany, and themed as a sawmill. Nearly 860 metres (2,821.5 ft) long and costing approximately 6 million euros, the roller coaster was designed by the renowned Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH, a design firm founded by Werner Stengel
, and responsible for structures such as Millennium Force
at Cedar Point
and Kingda Ka
at Six Flags Great Adventure
. In July 2009, extreme in-line skater Dirk Auer travelled the rails of the coaster at speeds of up to 90 kilometres per hour (55.9 mph), using specially modified skates. The stunt took just over 60 seconds and set a new world record.
", the 35 hectares (86.5 acre) of forests and fields of the wildlife park are home to Arctic wolves, mouflons, fallow deer, raccoons, brown bears, and others. There are falconry demonstrations and feeding viewings, several paths, and a playground area.
Cleebronn
Cleebronn is a municipality in the district of Heilbronn in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.- Geography :Cleebronn is situated in the Zabergäu in the south of the district of Heilbronn, directly in the north of the Stromberg mountain with an elevation of 220-260m. The landscape is...
in Southern Germany. Covering 77 hectares (190.3 acre) in total, the park offers over 100 attractions, including museums, animal petting and feeding, roller coasters, playgrounds, and a theatre. Opened in 1929, it is Germany's oldest amusement park and is still owned and managed by the same family.
History
Eugene Fischer built a windmill on the site in 1929 and opened a restaurant there. He called the mill "Old Women's Mill" and included a slide for playing on. After Eugene's death in the Second World War, his son Kurt carried on the restaurant, expanding the catering to a park. The windmill was destroyed by fire in 1946 following a lightning strike, and rebuilt by Kurt in 1950.Over the following years attractions were added to the park. In 1957, a zoo opened with approximately 300 animals. A mechanical attraction arrived in 1960 in the form of pedal-driven locomotives. The zoo was transformed into a wildlife park and petting zoo in 1972, which was expanded in 1976 to include over 1,000 animals. The wine museum ‘Vinarium’ contains the largest collection of wood-spindle presses in Germany.
Kurt Fischer handed on the management of the park to his sons Roland, Helmut, and Dieter in 1996, and died on 28 January 2010.
Current park management and attractions
Approximately 600,000 people visit Tripsdrill each year and the park employs about 150 people. The theme park area opens from late March to early November, but the wildlife park is open all year.Originality, attention to detail, and a preference for local building firms and materials is an important emphasis at Tripsdrill. The park was one of the first to install the now-ubiquitous "teacups
Teacups
Teacups is an amusement ride characterized by cup-style spinning vehicles atop a turntable-like floor.-Operation:Typically, each set of four teacup vehicles has a circular floor or a motor capable of turning 360 degrees. The circular floor or motor sits within a larger, turntable-like floor...
" ride and its Bathtub Flume Ride is the tallest in Europe.
Its largest installation to date, Mammut, built in 2008, is an entirely wooden roller coaster, the first of its kind in Southern Germany, and themed as a sawmill. Nearly 860 metres (2,821.5 ft) long and costing approximately 6 million euros, the roller coaster was designed by the renowned Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH, a design firm founded by Werner Stengel
Werner Stengel
Werner Stengel is a German roller coaster designer and engineer. Stengel is the founder of Stengel Engineering, also known as Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH ....
, and responsible for structures such as Millennium Force
Millennium Force
Millennium Force is a steel roller coaster built by Intamin located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. It is the fourteenth roller coaster built at the park since the Blue Streak opened in 1964. Standing 310 feet tall at its highest point, the coaster overlooks Lake Erie.On a clear...
at Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
and Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka is a roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, USA. It is the world's tallest roller coaster, and was the world's fastest until Formula Rossa opened in November 2010. The train is launched by a hydraulic launch mechanism to in 3.5 seconds. At the end of...
at Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
. In July 2009, extreme in-line skater Dirk Auer travelled the rails of the coaster at speeds of up to 90 kilometres per hour (55.9 mph), using specially modified skates. The stunt took just over 60 seconds and set a new world record.
Wildlife Park
Expanded in 1972 from a petting zoo to 47 hectares (116.1 acre) dedicated to nature and animals, Tripsdrill's wildlife park looks after 130 animals of various species. Most of the animals can be fed and petted by visitors year-round. As well as "wild horsesFeral horse
A feral horse is a free-roaming horse of domesticated ancestry. As such, a feral horse is not a wild animal in the sense of an animal without domesticated ancestors. However, some populations of feral horses are managed as wildlife, and these horses often are popularly called "wild" horses...
", the 35 hectares (86.5 acre) of forests and fields of the wildlife park are home to Arctic wolves, mouflons, fallow deer, raccoons, brown bears, and others. There are falconry demonstrations and feeding viewings, several paths, and a playground area.