Alton Towers is a theme park and resort built around a ruined stately home in Alton, Staffordshire, England. Once the seat of the Earls of Shrewsbury, the estate’s gardens opened to day-trippers in the early 1900s, but it wasn’t until 1980 that the grounds were developed into the full theme park visitors know today, under the direction of businessman John Broome.
Alton Towers has grown into the UK’s largest theme park, spread across a sprawling resort that also includes a waterpark, several themed hotels, and conference facilities. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments under a long-term lease, while the site itself is owned by property group LondonMetric. It’s best known for pushing coaster engineering to its limits, from the world’s first dive coaster to a ride once billed as having more inversions than any other on Earth.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Alton, Staffordshire, England
- Operator: Merlin Entertainments (under lease)
- Site owner: LondonMetric Property (999-year leasehold)
- Opened: April 4, 1980
- Resort size: About 910 acres
- Annual visitors: About 2.5 million (2024)
- Signature attraction: The Smiler
A Coaster Collection Built on Firsts
Alton Towers has built its reputation on record-setting rides rather than sheer ride count alone. Oblivion, opened in 1998, was the world’s first dive coaster, dropping riders down a near-vertical drop into a tunnel. Galactica began life as Air in 2002 as the first B&M flying coaster, and Th13teen introduced a vertical freefall drop when it opened in 2010. The Smiler, opened in 2013, was built with 14 inversions, more than any coaster in the world at the time.
The park has also invested in its wooden coaster lineup. Wicker Man, manufactured by Great Coasters International, opened in March 2018 as the UK’s first new wooden coaster in over two decades, and remains notable for the flame effects inside its namesake wicker structure. Nemesis, an inverted coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard that debuted in 1994, was substantially reworked and reopened as Nemesis Reborn in 2024.
From Stately Home to Resort
The Towers itself, now a roofless ruin at the center of the park, was the ancestral home of the Earls of Shrewsbury before falling into disrepair after the family sold the estate in the early 20th century. The Tussauds Group bought the site in 1990 and expanded it considerably before Merlin Entertainments took over operations in 2007. Today the underlying land and buildings belong to LondonMetric Property, which holds a 999-year lease acquired through its 2024 takeover of LXi REIT, with Merlin running the resort as the long-term tenant.
The resort spans roughly 910 acres, encompassing the theme park, the separate Alton Towers Waterpark, and multiple on-site hotels. It consistently ranks as the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom, drawing around 2.5 million guests in 2024 alone.
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Roller Coasters at Alton Towers
Every Alton Towers coaster ThrillZing has covered — stats, ride experience and history for each:
Alton Towers FAQs
When did Alton Towers open as a theme park?
The estate’s gardens were opened to the public in the early 1900s, but Alton Towers opened as a theme park on April 4, 1980, under owner John Broome.
Who owns Alton Towers?
Alton Towers is run by Merlin Entertainments, but Merlin does not own the site outright. The land and buildings are owned by LondonMetric Property under a 999-year lease, with Merlin operating the resort as the long-term tenant.
What is Alton Towers’ most famous ride?
The Smiler is often considered its signature attraction, having opened in 2013 with 14 inversions, but the park is also known for Oblivion, Nemesis Reborn, Galactica, and the wooden coaster Wicker Man.
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Photo: Tyw7 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.