Our story

Joyland was originally opened in 1949 by the Cole family as a children's theme park with rides like the 'Snails' and 'Tubs' which by popular demand are still in existence today alongside new and exciting rides.

Home of the famous snail ride which was designed and built by Horace Cole at the family engineering company H. Cole and Co. on Steam Mill Lane in Great Yarmouth. The original track layout together with the first 5 snails was installed in 1948 and opened during the summer of 1949. The track has been altered 4 times since then and there are now 9 snails in total. 8 of the snails are made of metal and the last one produced in 1988 is made in GRP from a mould of the number 8 snail. They are all different colours and are normally repainted every 2 summers. The BBC did a short news item on the snails when the ride had been operating for 50 years. Many celebrities have ridden the snails over the years when they appeared in the summer shows in the town and brought their family to Joyland.

Jim Davidson, Joe Pasquale, The Chuckle Brothers, Basil Brush, Roy Chubby Brown, David Essex, Michael Barrymore, Elkie Brooks, Morecombe and Wise, Noel Edmonds and Steve Wright are a few of the entertainers that we can recall. Also there have been many sports personalities such as Gary Lineker, Paul Gasgcoine, Frank Bruno, Bobby Moore, Eddie the Eagle Edwards and Neil razor Ruudock.

The Snails are still the most popular ride in Joyland and we are now seeing 4th and sometimes 5th generations of families returning to ride on the Snails. Other rides include the Tubs, Jet cars. Pirate Ship, Spook Express, Skydiver, Balloon Wheel, Major Orbit and Neptune’s Kingdom. There is also an amusement arcade at the back of the park with a redemption prize counter.