Miniature park

A miniature park is an open space that displays miniature buildings and models, and is usually open to the public. A miniature park may contain a model of a single city or town, often called a miniature city or model village, or it can contain a number of different sets of models. They have been developed as recreational and tourist attractions, with possible roots in Japanese miniature gardens.

Most examples are located in landscaped outdoor spaces, but the definition has widened in recent years to encompass large-scale miniature landscapes indoors.

History

There is evidence to suggest the existence of private model villages and miniature parks since the 19th century, but it was only in the 1930s to 1950s that the genre became tourist attractions. Early examples include Bekonscot in the UK and Madurodam in The Hague.

Variations on a theme

Most model villages and parks are built to a consistent scale; varying from 1:76 as used by the intricately detailed Pendon in England up to the 1:9 scale of Wimborne Model Town.

Continental Europe and Asia have tended to favour the scale of 1:25, whilst North American and UK examples have been based upon 1:12 and other variants.

PIPKA There has been a move away from the "model village" concept since the mid- to late 20th century towards a "miniature park" concept. Model villages are typically larger-scale, sit in a cohesive miniature landscape and allow viewing and physical interaction with the exhibits, such as publicly accessed streets and urban areas. Miniature parks however, are primarily concerned with the display of exhibits in their own right, viewed from a distance. Model railways, rivers and roads may provide a continuation between miniature parks exhibits.

Other forms of miniature exhibitions

Some exhibitions are displayed indoors. The most common forms are model railroads and dollhouses.

List of miniature parks

Europe

Austria

• Minimundus, Klagenfurt

Belgium

• Mini-Europe

Czech Republic

• Miniuni, Ostrava

Denmark

• Legoland Billund in Billund (the original Legoland)
• Kjøge Mini-By in Køge
• Varde Miniby in Varde

France

• France Miniature, Élancourt
• Mini chateaux park, Amboise

Germany

• Legoland Deutschland, Günzburg, Bavaria
• Minimundus Bodensee,^[1] Meckenbeuren
• Miniaturenpark Kleiner Harz, Wernigerode
• Miniatur Wunderland, Hamburg
• Klein-Erzgebirge,^[2] Oederan, Saxony
• Miniwelt,^[3] Lichtenstein, Saxony

Hungary

• Mini Magyarország Budapest

Ireland

• Clonakilty Model Railway Village^[4] Clonakilty, West Cork
• Model World, Wicklow

Italy

• Italia in miniatura,^[5] Rimini
• Minitalia Leolandia Park,^[6] Capriate ,Bergamo
• Sardegna in miniatura,^[7] Tuili

Netherlands

• Madurodam, The Hague
• Miniworld Rotterdam, Rotterdam
• Mini Mundi, Middelburg

Norway

• Lilleputthammer,^[8] Hafjell, Oppland

Poland

• Park Miniatur Zabytków Dolnego Śląska in Kowary
• Nadmorski Park Miniatur i Kolejek w Dziwnowie
• Park Miniatur Latarni Morskich in Niechorze
• Park Miniatur "Świat Marzeń" in Inwałd

Portugal

• Portugal dos Pequenitos in Coimbra

Slovakia

• Park miniatúr,^[9] Podolie

Spain

• Catalunya en Miniatura, Catalunya
• Pasión Mudejar,^[10] Olmedo

Sweden

• Miniland,^[11] Halmstad

Switzerland

• Swissminiatur,^[12] Melide, and Swiss Vapeur Parc, Valais

Turkey

• Miniaturk, Istanbul
• Minicity,^[13] Antalya

Ukraine

• Kyiv in Miniature

United Kingdom

• Bekonscot, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
• Blackpool Model Village ^[14]
• Bourton-on-the-Water Model Village, Gloucestershire
• Anglesey Model Village ^[15]
• Godshill Model Village ^[16]Godshill, Isle of Wight
• Pendon Museum, Pendon, Oxfordshire
• Wimborne Model Town
• Tucktonia, Dorset, closed in 1985
• Legoland Windsor in Windsor
• Godshill Model Village,^[16] Godshill, Isle of Wight
• Merrivale Model Village,^[17] Great Yarmouth
• Babbacombe Model Village,^[18] Babbacombe, Devon
• Miniatura Park,^[19] Cornwall
• Land of Legend, Polperro, Cornwall
• Usher Miniature Village,^[20] Coniston, Cumbria
• Lakeland Miniature Village,^[21] Cumbria
• Corfe Castle Model Village,^[22] Swanage, Dorset
• Southsea Model Village,^[23] Southsea
• Southport Model Railway Village,^[24]
• Bondville Model Village,^[25] Bridlington
• Forest Model Village, Gloucestershire
• Haigh Hall,^[26] Wigan
• Skegness Model Village,^[27] Skegness
• Wistow Rural Centre,^[28] Wistow, Leicestershire
• Ramsgate Model Village^[29]
• Hastings Model Village^[30]
• Eastbourne Redoubt Model Village ^[31]
• Fred Slaymaker's Wonder Village,^[32] Polegate
• Blenheim Palace (Woodstock)
• Little Italy, Corris, Wales
• Vauxhall Model Village, Vauxhall Park, London

North America

Canada

• Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village (closed) - Whitby, Ontario
• Woodleigh Replicas (closed) - Burlington, Prince Edward Island
• Iron Horse Park - Airdrie, Alberta Operated by the Alberta model engineering society ^[33]

Mexico

• Teotihuacan Diorama, San Juan Teotihuacan, located within the museum is a scale model of the pyramid complex and the city during the peak of its influence in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica
• Discover Mexico Park.^[34] Diorama with miniature replicas (1:25 scale) of Mexico´s wonders and monuments. Located in Cozumel Island.

United States

.

• Tiny Town in Morrison, Colorado opened in 1921, is an amusement park.
• Tiny Town in Springfield, Missouri, opened in 1925, is the first miniature park village.
• Miniature Railroad & Village, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania opened 1920s
• Ave Maria Grotto Cullman, Alabama, opened in 1933
• Roadside America, Pennsylvania, opened in 1935
• Storybook Land Canal Boats, Disneyland, California opened in 1956
• Panorama of the City of New York at the Queens Museum of Art opened during 1964 World Fair
• Splendid China (Florida) opened in 1993, closed 2003
• Holy Land Experience, Orlando, Florida, the park has a scale model of Jerusalem, Israel.
• Forbidden Gardens, Katy, Texas, opened in 1997, closed 2011
• Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Palm Desert, California, has a large model town and railroad layout opened in 1971
• San Diego Model Railroad Museum, San Diego, California, opened in 1981
• Legoland California, Carlsbad, California, opened in 1999
• Legoland Florida Winter Haven, opened 2011, former site of Cypress Gardens first theme park in FL.
• Miniature train and village at the Germany Pavilion in Epcot at Disney World.

Asia/Pacific Region

Australia

• Cockington Green Gardens,^[35] Canberra
• Tudor model village ^[36] - Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne

Indonesia

• Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Jakarta

Japan

• Tobu World Square,^[37] Kinugawa Onsen, Nikkō, Tochigi

South Korea

• Aiins World (아인스월드) , Gyeonggi-do, Seoul
• Jeju Soingook Theme Park (소인국 테마파크) , Jeju Province

Malaysia

• Islamic Heritage Park, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu
• Legoland Malaysia, Iskandar Malaysia, Johor
• Tropical Village, Ayer Hitam, Johor
• Taman Buaya Melaka, Ayer Keroh, Malacca

Myanmar

• National Races Village,^[38] Yangon

Taiwan

• Window on China^[39]

Thailand

• Mini Siam, Pattaya, Chonburi

China

• Splendid China, Shenzhen
• Window of the World
• Beijing World Park ^[40]
• Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall

South Africa

• Santarama Miniland ^[41] in Johannesburg, South Africa
• Durban Mini Town, South Africa

South America

• Mini Mundo,^[42] Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Middle East

- Tehran Miniature garden

Israel

• Mini Israel^[43]
• Jerusalem’s Model in the Late 2nd Temple Period, Israel

References

External links

• International Association of Miniature Parks: Almost all members are in Europe.
• Agilitynut feature
• The Gauge One Model Railway Association
• The Miniature Plant Files Database at All Things Miniature