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A miniature park is a display of miniature buildings and models, usually as a recreational and tourist attraction open to the public. A miniature park may contain a model of a single city or town, often called a miniature city or model village, or it can contain a number of different sets of models.


History

There is evidence to suggest the existence of private model villages and miniature parks since the 19th century, but it was only in the 1930s to 1950s that the genre became tourist attractions. Early examples include Bekonscot in the UK and Madurodam in The Hague.


Variations on a theme

Most model villages and parks are built to a consistent
scale Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number ...
; varying from 1:76 as used by the intricately detailed
Pendon Pendon Museum, located in Long Wittenham near Didcot, Oxfordshire, England, is a museum that displays scale models, in particular a large scene representing parts of the Vale of White Horse in the 1920s and 1930s. The scene, under constructio ...
in England up to the 1:9 scale of
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. It depicts the town of Wimborne as it was at the time the model was originally mad ...
. There has been a move away from the model village concept since the mid- to 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.


List of notable miniature parks


Europe


Austria

* Minimundus, Klagenfurt


Belgium

*
Mini-Europe Mini-Europe is a miniature park located in ''Bruparck'', at the foot of the Atomium, in Brussels, Belgium. Mini-Europe has reproductions of monuments in the European Union and other countries within the continent of Europe on display, at a scal ...
, Brussels


Denmark

* Legoland Billund, Billund (the original Legoland) Many danish towns also have extensive miniature towns from historic periods (normally 1900s). Some of the most significant include: * , Fredericia (circa 1849) * , Køge (circa 1865) * , Varde (circa 1866) * , Kolding (circa 1860-1870)


France

* France Miniature,
Élancourt Élancourt () is a commune in the Yvelines department, and the Île-de-France region, north central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, 30.6 km (19.0 mi) from the center of Paris, in the " new town" of Saint-Quentin- ...
*
Mini World Lyon Mini World Lyon is an animated miniature park of in the leisure center of Carré de Soie in Vaulx-en-Velin, a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon, in France. This park has been open since June 30, 2016.
*
Storybook Land Canal Boats Storybook Land Canal Boats is an attraction located at the Disneyland and Disneyland Park (Paris) theme parks. Passengers embark on a leisurely paced outdoor boat ride through a winding canal featuring settings from Disney animated films recreat ...
,
Disneyland Park (Paris) Disneyland Park, originally Euro Disneyland Park, is a theme park found at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France. The park opened on 12 April 1992 as the first of the two parks built at the resort. Designed and built by Walt Disney Ima ...


Germany

* Legoland Deutschland, Günzburg, Bavaria * Miniatur Wunderland, Hamburg (indoor)


Italy

*
Italia in miniatura Italia in Miniatura (Italy in miniature) is a leisure and miniature park in Viserba, a part of Rimini (Italy). The park displays 273 miniatures of famous Italian and European buildings in scale 1:25 and 1:50. The area is surrounded by ''Arcobalen ...
, Rimini


Netherlands

* Madurodam, The Hague


Portugal

* Portugal dos Pequenitos, Coimbra


Russia

*
Grand Maket Rossiya Grand Maket Rossiya (russian: Гранд Макет Россия) is a private museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is a model layout designed on a scale of 1:87 (HO scale) and covers an area of . In this area, collective images of regions of th ...
, Saint Petersburg (indoor)


Slovakia

*
Park miniatúr Park miniatúr is a miniature park in Podolie, Slovakia. It displays 32 miniature models of architecture from Slovakia, built at a ratio of 1:25 and 1:50. The park was established on 25 October 2003. In the final form of park, there will be 80 mi ...
, Podolie


Spain

*
Catalunya en Miniatura Catalunya en Miniatura (, in English "Catalonia in miniature") is miniature park inaugurated in 1983 in Torrelles de Llobregat, 17 km from Barcelona. The park is 60,000 square meters, 35,000 of them devoted to the scale models, it is one of ...
, Catalunya


Switzerland

*
Swiss Vapeur Parc The Swiss Vapeur Parc is a miniature park in Le Bouveret, a village on Lac Léman , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location ...
, Valais


Ukraine

*
Kyiv in Miniature Kyiv in Miniature ( uk, Київ в мініатюрі) is a park of miniatures, situated in Kyiv in the area of Hydropark. There are exposed models of Kyiv architectural sightseeings, in the scale of 1:33. The park's area is . It was opened on ...


United Kingdom

*
Babbacombe Model Village Babbacombe Model Village is a miniature village and railway located in Babbacombe in Torquay, Devon. The model village was opened in 1963 by Tom & Ruth Dobbins, who had previously opened another model village at Southport in 1957. Miniature ...
,
Babbacombe Babbacombe is a district of Torquay, Devon, England. It is notable for Babbacombe Model Village, the Babbacombe Theatre and its clifftop green, Babbacombe Downs, from which Oddicombe Beach is accessed via Babbacombe Cliff Railway. Frequent bu ...
, Devon * Bekonscot, Beaconsfield,
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...
* Bourton-on-the-Water model village, Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire *
Haigh Hall Miniature Railway Haigh Hall Miniature Railway (HHMR) is a gauge miniature railway, situated in the grounds of Haigh Country Park in Haigh, Greater Manchester, England. The railway officially re-opened on 20 April 2014, but it had run trains under a new operato ...
, Wigan * Legoland Windsor in Windsor *
Pendon Museum Pendon Museum, located in Long Wittenham near Didcot, Oxfordshire, England, is a museum that displays scale models, in particular a large scene representing parts of the Vale of White Horse in the 1920s and 1930s. The scene, under construction ...
, Pendon, Oxfordshire *
Southport Model Railway Village Southport Model Railway Village is a tourist attraction located in Southport, England. It is a model village with a focus on trains and railways. History In 1995, Southport residents Ray and Jean Jones were granted permission by Sefton MBC t ...
* Tucktonia, Dorset, closed in 1985 *
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. It depicts the town of Wimborne as it was at the time the model was originally mad ...


Americas


Canada

* Canadia Niagara Falls, Ontario, opened in 1966 - closed * Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village, Whitby, Ontario, opened in 1980 - closed in the mid-2000s * Little Canada, Toronto, Ontario, opened in 2021 *
Woodleigh Replicas Woodleigh Replicas was a park of miniatures situated in the rural community of Burlington outside Kensington, Prince Edward Island Kensington is a Canadian town located in Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is northeast of the city ...
, Burlington, Prince Edward Island, closed *
Tivoli Miniature World Tivoli Miniature World was a theme park devoted to displaying 1/50 scale miniature fiberglass replicas of over 75 famous buildings from around the world. It was originally located in Jordan, Ontario before relocating to Niagara Falls, Ontario in t ...
, Jordan, Ontario, closed in the 1990s


Chile

* ,
Santiago, Chile Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital (political), capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated Regions of Chile, region, t ...


United States

* Tiny Town, Morrison, Colorado, opened in 1921 * Tiny Town, Springfield, Missouri, opened in 1925 * Miniature Railroad & Village, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania opened 1920s *
Ave Maria Grotto Ave 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. It was adde ...
, Cullman, Alabama, opened in 1933 * Roadside America, Pennsylvania, opened in 1935 *
Storybook Land Canal Boats Storybook Land Canal Boats is an attraction located at the Disneyland and Disneyland Park (Paris) theme parks. Passengers embark on a leisurely paced outdoor boat ride through a winding canal featuring settings from Disney animated films recreat ...
, Disneyland, California opened in 1956 *
Palestine Park Palestine Park is a scale model of the Holy Land, including cities, hills, rivers, and seas, in approximately correct geographical relation on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York. Palestine Park is laid out along the ...
, Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York *
Splendid China (Florida) Splendid China was a theme park in Four Corners, Florida. It was opened in 1993 but closed on December 31, 2003. It was a sister park to the Splendid China in Shenzhen, China, and cost $100 million to build. It was a miniature park with m ...
, opened in 1993, closed 2003 * Holy Land Experience,
Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
, the park has a scale model of Jerusalem, Israel *
Forbidden Gardens Forbidden Gardens ( ) was an outdoor museum of China, Chinese culture and history located on Texas Highway 99 and Franz Road in northern Katy, Texas, Katy, Greater Houston, Texas, United States. The museum was funded and opened by businessman Ira ...
, Katy, Texas, opened in 1997, closed 2011 * Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Palm Desert, California, opened in 1971 * San Diego Model Railroad Museum, San Diego, California, opened in 1981 *
Legoland California Legoland California Resort is a theme park, miniature park, and aquarium located in Carlsbad, California, based on the Lego toy brand. Opening on March 20, 1999, it was the third Legoland park to open and the first outside of Europe. The park i ...
,
Carlsbad, California Carlsbad is a coastal city in the North County region of San Diego County, California, United States. The city is south of downtown Los Angeles and north of downtown San Diego. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 114,746. ...
, opened in 1999 * Legoland Florida Winter Haven, opened 2011


Asia/Pacific Region


Australia

*
Cockington Green Gardens Cockington Green Gardens is a park of miniatures, situated in Nicholls, Australian Capital Territory. Doug and Brenda Sarah had the idea to create a miniature village in 1972, and Cockington Green was opened on 3 November 1979. The business is ...
,
Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...


China

*
Splendid China Splendid China Folk Village (Chinese: 锦绣中华 民俗 村, pinyin: Jǐnxiù Zhōnghuá Mínsú Cūn) is a theme park including two areas (Splendid China Miniature Park & China Folk Culture Village) located in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, ...
, Shenzhen * Window of the World, Shenzhen * Beijing World Park *
Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center () is located on People's Square, Shanghai, adjacent to the municipal government building. The Exhibition Center is a six-story building, with two basement levels, which displays Shanghai's urban plan ...
(indoor) * Grand World Scenic Park, outskirts of Guangzhou, closed


Indonesia

* Taman Mini Indonesia Indah,
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...


Japan

* Tobu World Square, Kinugawa Onsen, Nikkō, Tochigi * Legoland Japan,
Nagoya, Aichi is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...


Malaysia

*
Islamic Heritage Park The Islamic Heritage Park ( ms, Taman Tamadun Islam) is a famous attraction in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia. This park is located at the island of Wan Man. History The Islamic Heritage Park was opened on 2 February 2008. Famous attract ...
, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu * Legoland Malaysia, Iskandar Malaysia, Johor *
Tropical Village Tropical Village is a miniature amusement theme park in Ayer Hitam, Batu Pahat District, Johor, Malaysia. The replicas of the structures are built within this theme park that allow visitors to have another memorable experience. The park is ...
,
Ayer Hitam Ayer Hitam, nicknamed ''Bandar Seramik'' ('Ceramic Town'), is a town in Batu Pahat District, Johor, Malaysia. Located just at the junction of Federal Route and Federal Route , it is known for its many outlets selling pottery and other crafts ...
, Johor


Thailand

*
Mini Siam Mini Siam is a famous miniature park attraction in Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand. This park is located 143 km from Bangkok on Sukhumvit Road. Mini Siam had been started to research the project in 1985, and had been constructed in 1986 with mo ...
,
Pattaya Pattaya ( th, พัทยา, , ) is a city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok, within, but not part of, Bang Lamung district in the province of Chonburi province, Chonburi. Pattaya City ( ...
, Chonburi * Dusit Thani, Phaya Thai, Bangkok, closed


Middle East


Israel

* Jerusalem’s Model in the Late 2nd Temple Period,
Israel Museum The Israel Museum ( he, מוזיאון ישראל, ''Muze'on Yisrael'') is an art and archaeological museum in Jerusalem. It was established in 1965 as Israel's largest and foremost cultural institution, and one of the world’s leading encyclopa ...
, Israel *
Mini Israel The Mini is a small, two-door, four-seat car, developed as ADO15, and produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors, from 1959 through 2000. Minus a brief hiatus, original Minis were built for four decades and sold during ...
, Latrun, Israel


Turkey

* Miniatürk, Istanbul


References


External links


International Association of Miniature Parks
Almost all members are in Europe.


The Gauge One Model Railway Association

The Miniature Plant Files Database
at All Things Miniature {{Amusement-park-stub