Miniature park
Encyclopedia
Most examples are located in landscaped outdoor spaces, but the definition has widened in recent years to encompass large scale miniature landscapes indoors.
History
Bekonscot
Bekonscot in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, is the oldest original model village in the world.It portrays aspects of England mostly dating from the 1930s. Bekonscot has been run by the Church Army since 1978 and donates large amounts of money to charity...
in the UK and Madurodam
Madurodam
Madurodam is a miniature city located in Scheveningen, The Hague, in the Netherlands. It is a model of a Dutch town on a 1:25 scale, composed of typical Dutch buildings and landmarks, as are found at various locations in the country. This major Dutch tourist attraction was built in 1952 and has...
in The Hague.
Variations on a theme
Wimborne Model Town
Wimborne Model Town, situated on the edge of the town of Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England, is one of the largest and most established model towns in England...
.
Continental Europe and Asia have tended to favour the scale of 1:25, whilst North American and UK examples have been based upon 1:12 and other variants.
There has been a move away from the "model village" concept since the mid-late 20th Century towards a "miniature park" concept. Model villages are typically larger-scale, sit in a cohesive miniature landscape and allow viewing and physical interaction with the exhibits, such as publicly-accessed streets and urban areas. Miniature parks however, are primarily concerned with the display of exhibits in their own right, viewed from a distance. Model railways, rivers and roads may provide a continuation between miniature parks exhibits.
Other forms of miniature exhibitions
Some exhibitions are displayed indoors. The most common forms are model railroads and dollhouseDollhouse
A dollhouse is a toy home, made in miniature. For the last century, dollhouses have primarily been the domain of children but their collection and crafting is also a hobby for many adults. The term dollhouse is common in the United States and Canada...
s.
List of miniature parks
Germany
- Legoland DeutschlandLegoland DeutschlandLegoland Deutschland is a Legoland park located in Günzburg in southern Germany, roughly half way from Munich to Stuttgart, which opened in 2002. It is 43.5 hectares in area, and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bavaria...
, GünzburgGünzburgGünzburg is a Große Kreisstadt and capital of the district of Günzburg in Swabia, Bavaria. This district was constituted in 1972 by combining the city of Günzburg—which had not previously been assigned to a Kreis —with the district of Günzburg and the district of Krumbach.Günzburg lies...
, BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany... - Minimundus Bodensee http://www.minimundus-bodensee.de/, Meckenbeuren
- Miniaturenpark Kleiner Harz, WernigerodeWernigerodeWernigerode is a town in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the district of Wernigerode. Its population was 35,500 in 1999....
- Miniatur WunderlandMiniatur WunderlandMiniatur Wunderland is a model railway attraction in Hamburg, Germany and the largest of its kind in the world. , the railway consists of of track in HO scale, divided into seven sections: Harz, the fictitious city of Knuffingen, the Alps and Austria, Hamburg, America, Scandinavia, and Switzerland...
, HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... - Klein-Erzgebirge, Oederan, Sachsen, www.klein-erzgebirge.de
- Miniwelt http://www.miniwelt.de/, Lichtenstein, Saxony
Ireland
- Clonakilty Model Railway Villagehttp://www.modelvillage.ie/index.htm Clonakilty, West Cork
- Model World, WicklowWicklowWicklow) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail...
Italy
- Italia in miniaturaItalia in miniaturaItalia in Miniatura is a leisure and miniature park in Viserba, a part of Rimini .The park displays 273 miniatures of famous Italian and European buildings in scale 1:25 and 1:50. The area is surrounded by Arcobaleno , a monorail. 10,000 plants and 5,000 miniature trees are integrated in the...
http://www.italiainminiatura.com/, RiminiRiminiRimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa... - Minitalia Leolandia Parkhttp://www.minitalia.com/it/home/, Capriate ,Bergamo
- Sardegna in miniaturahttp://www.sardegnainminiatura.it/, TuliTuliTuli is a village in the province of Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe. It is located about 90 km west of Beitbridge on the eastern bank of the Shashe River. The village grew around Fort Tuli which was the first settlement built by the Pioneer Column in July 1890 at the place known as Selous Camp...
Norway
- Lilleputthammerhttp://uk.lilleputthammer.no/index.php, HafjellHafjellHafjell is a village and a ski resort in Norway, in the Øyer municipality in the county of Oppland.Hafjell hosted the alpine skiing technical events at the 1994 Winter Olympics; the speed events were held at Kvitfjell, a regular stop on the World Cup tour for men's speed events in March...
, OpplandOpplandis a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
Spain
- Catalunya en MiniaturaCatalunya en MiniaturaCatalunya en Miniatura is miniature park inaugurated in 1983 in Torrelles de Llobregat, 17 km from Barcelona. With 60.000 square meters, 35.000 of them devoted to the scale models, it is one of the largest miniature parks in the world, and the largest of the 14 miniature building exhibitions...
, Catalunya - Pasión Mudejarhttp://www.pasionmudejar.com/, Olmedo
Switzerland
- Swissminiaturhttp://www.swissminiatur.ch/, MelideMelide, SwitzerlandMelide is a municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The village lies very close to the mountain Monte San Salvatore and is directly on the Lake of Lugano...
, and Swiss Vapeur ParcSwiss Vapeur ParcThe Swiss Vapeur Parc is a miniature park in Le Bouveret, a village on Lac Léman, Switzerland. It was opened on June 6, 1989, by an International Festival of Steam . When the park opened its total surface area was 9000 m² , but the park expanded and as of 2007, the park covers a surface area of...
, ValaisValaisThe Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
Poland
- Park Miniatur Zabytków Dolnego Śląska in Kowary
- Park Miniatur "Świat Marzeń" in Inwałd
Turkey
- MiniaturkMiniatürkMiniatürk is a miniature park situated at the north-eastern shore of Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey. It was opened May 2, 2003. Miniatürk covers a total area of . It is one of the world's largest miniature parks with its model area...
, IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... - Minicityhttp://www.minicity.antalyanet.de/index.php?L=3, AntalyaAntalyaAntalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
, Turkey
United Kingdom
- BekonscotBekonscotBekonscot in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, is the oldest original model village in the world.It portrays aspects of England mostly dating from the 1930s. Bekonscot has been run by the Church Army since 1978 and donates large amounts of money to charity...
, Beaconsfield, BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe.... - Blackpool Model Village http://www.blackpoolmodelvillage.com/
- Anglesey Model Village http://www.angleseymodelvillage.co.uk
- Pendon MuseumPendon MuseumPendon Museum, located in Long Wittenham near Didcot, Oxfordshire, England, displays scale models of typical scenes on the Great Western Railway of the 1920s centred on working scale model railways....
, Pendon, Oxfordshire - Wimborne Model TownWimborne Model TownWimborne Model Town, situated on the edge of the town of Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England, is one of the largest and most established model towns in England...
- TucktoniaTucktoniaTucktonia was a late 1970s theme park located on Stour Road, Christchurch, Dorset, England. It was officially opened on 23 May 1976 by Arthur Askey. It originally occupied of the Tuckton Park Leisure Complex. The park was closed down in 1986, having become rather run-down and neglected...
, DorsetDorsetDorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, closed in 1985 - Legoland WindsorLegoland WindsorLegoland Windsor is a child-oriented theme park in Windsor, Berkshire in England, themed around the Lego toy system. The park opened in 1996 on the former Windsor Safari Park as the second Legoland after Legoland Billund in Denmark. The park is located within close distance of Windsor Castle and...
in WindsorWindsor, BerkshireWindsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family.... - Old New Innhttp://www.theoldnewinn.co.uk/village.htm, Bourton-on-the-WaterBourton-on-the-WaterBourton-on-the-Water is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England that lies on a wide flat vale within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, the CotswoldsCotswoldsThe Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty... - The Model Village, GodshillGodshillGodshill is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight with a population of 1,465 according to the 2001 census. It is located between Newport and Ventnor in the southeast of the Island.-History:...
, Isle of WightIsle of WightThe Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent... - Merrivale Model Villagehttp://www.greatyarmouthmodelvillage.co.uk, Great YarmouthGreat YarmouthGreat Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
- Babbacombe Model VillageBabbacombe Model VillageBabbacombe Model Village is a miniature village and railway located in Babbacombe in Torquay, Devon, England.This outdoor model village was opened in 1963 by Tom Dobbins. Mr Dobbins had previously opened another model village at Southport in 1957. The site covers and includes over 400 models along...
http://www.babbacombemodelvillage.co.uk, BabbacombeBabbacombe"Babbacombe" may also refer to John 'Babbacombe' LeeBabbacombe is a district of Torquay, Devon, England. It is notable for Babbacombe Model Village, and its clifftop green, Babbacombe Downs, from which Oddicombe Beach is accessed via Babbacombe Cliff Railway.There is a miniature village in the area....
, DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with... - Miniatura Parkhttp://www.miniaturapark.co.uk/, CornwallCornwallCornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
- Land of Legend, Polperro, Cornwall
- Usher Miniature Village, http://www.ruskinmuseum.com/usher.htm, Coniston, Cumbria
- Lakeland Miniature Villagehttp://www.lakelandminiaturevillage.com/, Cumbria
- Corfe Castle Model Villagehttp://www.corfecastlemodelvillage.co.uk/, Swanage, Dorset
- Southsea Model Villagehttp://www.portsmouth-guide.co.uk/local/modelvil.htm, SouthseaSouthseaSouthsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
- Southport Model Railway Villagehttp://www.southportmodelrailwayvillage.co.uk/,
- Bondville Model Villagehttp://www.enjoyengland.com/attractions/find-attraction/ProductDetail.aspx?Pid=125109, Bridlington
- Forest Model Village, Gloucestershire
- Haigh HallHaigh HallHaigh Hall is a historic country house in Haigh, Greater Manchester, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building. The hall, built between 1827 and 1840 by James Lindsay, 7th Earl of Balcarres, replaced an ancient manor house and was his family's home...
http://www.wlct.org/Leisure/Haigh/Park.htm, Wigan - Skegness Model Villagehttp://www.skegnessuk.com/att_detail.php?id=313&cid=565&f=Skegness, Skegness
- Wistow Rural Centrehttp://wistow.com/model.asp, Wistow, Leicestershire
- Ramsgate Model Villagehttp://www.bekonscot.com/ramsgate/
- Hastings Model Villagehttp://www.whitstablepier.com/mv/Hastings/index.html
- Eastbourne Redoubt Model Villagehttp://www.whitstablepier.com/mv/Eastbourne/index.html
- Fred Slaymaker's Wonder Villagehttp://www.whitstablepier.com/mv/Wannock/index.html, Polegate
Blenhiem Palace (Woodstock)
Little Italy, Corris, Wales
Vauxhall Model Village, Vauxhall Park, London
Canada
- Cullen Gardens and Miniature VillageCullen Gardens and Miniature VillageCullen Gardens & Miniature Village was a popular tourist attraction in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. Officially opened in May 1980 by founder Len Cullen and his wife, Connie, the Gardens were a major tourist attraction in Durham Region for 25 years...
(closed) - Whitby, OntarioWhitby, OntarioWhitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region... - Woodleigh Replicas (closed) - Burlington, Prince Edward IslandBurlington, Prince Edward IslandBurlington is an unincorporated area located in Prince County in western Prince Edward Island just north-east of Kensington.-External links:*...
United States
- Tiny Town, Morrison, ColoradoMorrison, ColoradoThe historic Town of Morrison is a Home Rule Municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The population was 430 at the 2000 census...
opened in 1921, is the oldest miniature village and railroad in the USA - Roadside AmericaRoadside AmericaRoadside America is an indoor miniature village and railway covering , created by Laurence Gieringer in 1935. It was first displayed to the public in the Rainbow Fire Company's building, and a separate exhibit was opened in Carsonia Park in 1938...
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, opened in 1935 - Storybook Land Canal BoatsStorybook Land Canal BoatsStorybook Land Canal Boats is an attraction located at the Disneyland and Disneyland Park theme parks. Passengers embark on a leisurely-paced outdoor boat ride through a winding canal featuring settings from Disney animated films recreated in miniature...
, Disneyland, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
opened in 1956 - Forbidden GardensForbidden GardensForbidden Gardens was an outdoor museum of Chinese culture and history located at Texas Highway 99 and Franz Road in northern Katy, Greater Houston, Texas, USA...
, Katy, TexasKaty, TexasKaty is a city located in Harris, Fort Bend and Waller Counties in the U.S. state of Texas, within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area...
, opened in 1997 - Legoland CaliforniaLegoland CaliforniaLegoland California is a theme park located in Carlsbad, California, focused on Lego bricks. It opened on March 20, 1999. It is the third Legoland park to open, and the first Legoland outside of Europe...
, Carlsbad, CaliforniaCarlsbad, California-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Carlsbad had a population of 105,328. The population density was 2,693.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Carlsbad was 87,205 White, 1,379 African American, 514 Native American, 7,460 Asian, 198 Pacific Islander, 4,189 from other...
, opened in 1999 - Miniature Railroad & VillageMiniature Railroad & VillageThe Miniature Railroad & Village is one of the largest and most detailed model train layouts in the United States. It painstakingly shows how Western Pennsylvania was from 1880 to 1930...
, Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States... - Ave Maria GrottoAve Maria GrottoAve Maria Grotto, in Cullman, Alabama, is a landscaped, park in an old quarry on the grounds of St. Bernard Abbey, providing a garden setting for 125 miniature reproductions of some of the most famous religious structures of the world...
Cullman, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, opened in 1933 - Panorama of the City of New York at the Queens Museum of ArtQueens Museum of ArtThe Queens Museum of Art is an art museum and educational center located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in the borough of Queens in New York City, United States.-Overview:...
Australia
- Cockington Green Gardenshttp://www.cockingtongreen.com.au, CanberraCanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
- Tudor model village http://www.funtours.com.au/melbourne/tudorvillage.shtml - Fitzroy Gardens, MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
Japan
- Tobu World SquareTobu World Squareis a theme park in Kinugawa Onsen, Nikkō, Tochigi, Japan. The theme park contains over a hundred 1:25 scale models of famous buildings, including UNESCO-designated World Cultural and Heritage Sites, complete with 140,000 1:25 miniature people....
http://www.tobuws.co.jp/default_en.html, Kinugawa Onsen, Nikkō, TochigiNikko, Tochigiis a city in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Approximately 140 km north of Tokyo and 35 km west of Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi Prefecture, it is a popular destination for Japanese and international tourists...
China
- Splendid China, ShenzhenShenzhenShenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
- Window of the WorldWindow of the WorldThe Window of the World is a theme park located in the western part of the city of Shenzhen in the People's Republic of China. It has about 130 reproductions of some of the most famous tourist attractions in the world squeezed into 48 hectares...
- World Parkhttp://www.kinabaloo.com/wp.html, BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
- Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition HallShanghai Urban Planning Exhibition HallThe Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center is located on People's Square, Shanghai, China, adjacent to the municipal government building....
Africa
- Santarama Miniland http://www.miniland.co.za/ in JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... - Durban Mini Town, South Africa
Israel
- Mini IsraelMini IsraelMini Israel is a miniature park located near Latrun, Israel in the Ayalon Valley. Opened in November 2002, the site contains miniature replicas of hundreds of buildings and landmarks in Israel...
http://www.mini-israel.co.il/home_en.html - Jerusalem’s Model in the Late 2nd Temple Period, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
Turkey
- MiniaturkMiniatürkMiniatürk is a miniature park situated at the north-eastern shore of Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey. It was opened May 2, 2003. Miniatürk covers a total area of . It is one of the world's largest miniature parks with its model area...
, IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... - Minicityhttp://www.minicity.antalyanet.de/index.php?L=3, AntalyaAntalyaAntalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
, Turkey
See also
- Model VillageModel villageA model village is a type of mostly self-contained community, in most cases built from the late eighteenth century onwards by industrialists to house their workers...
- Doll house
- Model railway
- Model (physical)Model (physical)A physical model is a smaller or larger physical copy of an object...
- Scale modelScale modelA scale model is a physical model, a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Very often the scale model is used as a guide to making the object in...
- Gauge 1
External links
- The Gauge One Model Railway Association
- The Miniature Plant Files Database at All Things Miniature