Attraction Tracker

Alton Towers Resort

Known as Alton Abbey from 1811 until 1827; Alton Towers from 1980 until 2010.

History

Earlier history 18 entries · 100 BC – 2005
  1. 100 BC
    Site clearance begins Iron Age fort built on Bunbury Hill

    The earliest known use of the ground the estate occupies.

  2. 0700
    Site clearance begins Ceolred of Mercia builds a fortress on the hill
  3. 0716
    Incident King Ine of Wessex besieges the site

    The battle was so bloody the spot became known as Slain Hollow - later the estate's oriental water garden.

  4. 1406
    Ownership change Sir John Talbot acquires the estate by marriage

    He became Earl of Shrewsbury in 1442; the family held the estate for five centuries.

  5. 1811
    Construction begins The 15th Earl begins rebuilding the lodge as a Gothic house

    Alverton Lodge was rebuilt and renamed Alton Abbey.

  6. 1814
    Opening day Work begins on the gardens

    A Dutch garden, rock garden, 13,000+ trees, the Pagoda Fountain, the Swiss Cottage and a copy of the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates.

  7. 1857
    Incident The contents of the house are auctioned

    After a contested inheritance, the entire contents were sold in a 29-day, 4,000-lot sale.

  8. 1860
    Opening day The grounds open to the public

    The 18th Earl opened the grounds at set times to fund repairs. Rail excursions to Alton Towers station brought paying crowds.

  9. 1890
    Major investment announced Summer fetes draw 30,000 people

    Fireworks, balloons, clowns and torture-instrument exhibitions under the 20th Earl.

  10. 1918
    Ownership change Most of the estate is auctioned off

    The Earl died in 1921.

  11. 3 May 1924
    Opening day Alton Towers Ltd reopens the grounds and house

    Local businessmen formed the company and reopened the estate as a visitor attraction.

  12. 1939
    Closure announced Requisitioned by the War Office

    Used as an officer cadet training unit; the grounds were closed to the public.

  13. 1951
    Demolished The house is stripped and gutted

    The lead roof was sold and the interiors demolished, reducing Alton Towers to the stone ruin it is today. This is often wrongly blamed on the army.

  14. 4 April 1980
    Opening day Alton Towers opens as a theme park

    Pay-one-price admission, with the Corkscrew, the Pirate Ship, Cine 2000, the Big Top, the Rupert Bear Magic Show, the Parrot Show and the Wildlife Museum, across three new zones.

  15. 1984
    Listed / protected status The house ruins are Grade II* listed
  16. 1990
    Ownership change John Broome sells to The Tussauds Group

    Broome sold after his Battersea Power Station project collapsed financially. Tussauds brought professional theming and in-house design.

  17. 10 April 1996
    Opening day Alton Towers Hotel opens

    The resort's first accommodation.

  18. 2005
    Ownership change Dubai International Capital buys Tussauds

    For £800m.

  1. 2007
    Ownership change Merlin acquires the Tussauds Group
  2. May 2007
    Ownership change Blackstone buys Tussauds and merges it into Merlin

    For US$1.9bn.

  3. 17 July 2007
    Ownership change Sale-and-leaseback of the property

    Merlin sold to Nick Leslau's Prestbury and took a renewable 35-year lease. Ownership later passed to LXi REIT and then LondonMetric.

  4. 2008
    Renamed Renamed Alton Towers Resort

    To signal the multi-day destination model.

  5. 24 May 2014
    Opening day CBeebies Land opens

    The park's decisive move towards families.

  6. September 2016
    Prosecution / HSE action Merlin fined £5m over the Smiler crash

    The court cited a "catalogue of errors".

  7. 4 July 2020
    Season opens COVID-19 shortens the season

    A capacity-limited season ran from 4 July to 5 November.

  8. 18 July 2026
    Major investment announced Minecraft summer event announced

    Alongside a pirate February half-term and Twilight at the Towers evening openings.

Events

What is here

Rides 20

Experiences 2

Exhibits 1

Eating and drinking 2

Shops 1

Staying over 5

Facilities 1

Everything else 2

Areas

What used to be here

Rides 20

Experiences 2

Exhibits 1

Facilities 1

4 mazes and other event attractions are listed under Events instead — an event ending for the year is not the same as an attraction being removed.

Sources

  1. Alton Towers Resort — Complete History & Timeline (compiled) — Whole-venue history.
ven00001 34 opens · 24 gone · 13 areas