Theresa Tennyson-Trang dropped a landmark into my hands recently, with a suggestion Caitlyn and I might like to pay a visit to the Unknown Theme Park. So – we did!
Established in 2006, by Ade Franklin, the park is now managed by Miyi Nishi, and is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. And were I to sum it up and just a handful of words, I’d describe it as one , and it is quite simply one of those gems of Second Life which needs to be experienced rather than just read about.
Located on Heterocera, the park sits between Route 1 and the sea, offering everything a visitor might expect from a theme park – main rides, side shows, activities like 10-pin bowling or skating, all of which have been gathered from creators across SL and brought together for family friendly fun. It’s a place in which you can quickly lose track of time – as Caitlyn and I found out when we discovered our visit had stretched over two hours – and we still had more to try!
“[We Have] 37,000 square metres packed with more than 50 activities,” Miyi says of the park. “Come on by and have some fun or do some fishing or skydiving, or relax at our beach or tree house! All rides are free with a money back guarantee if not satisfied!”
The landing point is located right in the centre of the park, surrounded by several of the larger rides. Some of these, like the tower drop, roller coaster and Ferris Wheel, are precisely the kind of ride you’d expect in any theme park in the physical world. But as this is SL, there are also one or two which blow a raspberry at gravity, opting instead to offer patrons the kind of ride physical world theme park designers can only dream about – such as Free Fall by Obione Klaar and the G-Force Spinner by Mr. Mad (MadLad Clip).
Alongside these, there are “smaller” attractions – bumper cars and boats, the old pirate ship swing, and so on, to be enjoyed. There also the side shows and attractions such as 10-pin bowling and roller skating as well as the skydiving Miyi mentioned. There’s even a miniature railways running around and through the park, offering visitors an easy way to discover all the park has to offer as the little train chugs its way around the track. Movie buffs might want to try the theatre across the water from the main park.
Filled with ambient sounds, offering a marvellous mix of old and new spanning a decade, and presenting many, many opportunities for fun and enjoyment, whether on your own or with a friend or two, The Unknown Theme Park is very much worth a visit. Should you do so, please consider making a donation towards the park’s continued presence in Second Life.
Now, if you’ll excuse us, Caitlyn and I are heading back to the Space Roller for another ride!
SLurl Details
- The Unknown Theme Park (Rated: Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 