Friday 25 July 2008
attractions and days out
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is one of Britain's most famous theme parks. It is based north of the village of Alton in Staffordshire, on the site of an old mansion by the same name.
Alton Towers was opened as a theme park in 1980. Today it is notable for its extreme rides, including Nemesis, and Oblivion, the world's first vertical drop roller coaster.
Another breath-taking ride is the Rita - Queen of Speed, which can take riders to 100km/h in approximately 2.5 seconds. It was opened on 1 April 2005.
Guests can stay at one of two hotels on the site. When Cariba Creek, a water park, was first built, only hotel residents could visit. However, non-residents can now also use the water park with payment of an admission fee.
