Discovering Gröna Lund, Sweden's Oldest Amusement Park

Let me take you back, pals, to June 2001: my 12th birthday, which I had decided would be taking place at Dreamland, Margate. The smell of candyfloss hung in the air, rollercoasters rattled along rickety tracks, chaotic screams wafted over music, and cartoonish letters flashed in neon merriment at the entrances to each winding queue. I’m pretty sure that this is where my love of kitschy old theme parks truly began. It branched out over time, to include seaside piers, games arcades and eventually novelty casino hotels in Las Vegas. So when we arrived in Stockholm and saw the silhouette of Gröna Lund across the water, it was only a matter of time before I headed over there to experience it myself.

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Rides vs vibes

My boyfriend was in it for the rides; I was in it for the vibes. And it did not disappoint, on either front. As Sweden’s oldest amusement park, (it was founded in 1883), Gröna Lund has the exact retro aesthetic that I was hoping for. There are only a couple of seriously old rides that are still in use: the carousel has been running since the park opened, but all of the rollercoasters and rides for true thrill-seekers are much newer. (So don’t worry; you’re in safe hands here.)

It had been a while since I’d been for a rattle on a rollercoaster, and I had a blast on every ride we went on, but in all honesty my favourite ride was the Lustiga Huset- i.e. the Funhouse. This badboy is an original from the 1920s, and it truly was jolly good fun. Moving staircases, halls of mirrors, an alarmingly disorientating tunnel and an adult-sized exit slide, were to name but a few of the features of this old-school attraction.

Gröna Lund’s location in Djurgården, an island right in the heart of Stockholm, means that there’s no real possibility for the park to expand outwards, but I reckon its petite size is part of its charm. You could spend an entire day here, or just an afternoon if it all becomes a bit of a sensory overload. And then of course, there are the concerts: Gröna Lund has two stages where live acts perform- and sometimes they’re pretty big names. The park has hosted a whole range of artists from Dua Lipa, Tove Lo and My Chemical Romance to Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley and ABBA.

Tickets for Gröna Lund

There are two types of ticket for Gröna Lund:

The Entrance Ticket is solely for entry to the park, and on concert days access is allowed up until 6pm. More of a ticket for the vibe-seekers, if you will.

The Ticket to Ride is a full ticket which allows entry to every ride in the park, plus to any concerts that might be happening on the day you visit, and also includes two Jet Passes (basically fast track tickets to two rides.)

For children up to 3 years old, and anyone over 65 years old, entry to Gröna Lund is free.

Check ticket prices and opening times here.

A day at Gröna Lund: the photos

For those of you, dear pals, who are just curious about this vintage vibe that I keep harping on about: have some photographic evidence from inside the park. It rained (spot the people running at the speed of lightening outside Jetline), it shone, and we ate warm sugary donuts aplenty.

There’s nothing quite like flashing lightbulbs and the smell of warm sugar to take you back in time, is there? My 12 year old self would have loved it, and my 32 year old self possibly loved it even more.