Trans Wonderland (also known as the Trans Amusement Park) is an

amusement Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or animal actively maintains the experience, and is associated with enjoyment, happiness, laughter and pleasure. It is an emotion with po ...

and

theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its ...

, Nigeria.

History

The Trans Wonderland project was initiated in 1987 by the incumbent military Governor at the time: colonel

Adetunji Olurin Adetunji Idowu Ishola Olurin mni ( yo, Adétúnjí Ìdòwú Ìṣọ̀lá Olúrìn; 3 December 1944 – 20 August 2021) was a Nigerian one-star general in the national army, who served as the military Governor of Oyo State and Field Commander o ...

, while construction of the park began in August 1988,following the financial support from the subsequent Governor, Colonel Sasaenia Adedeji Oresanya. The park opened to the public on November 29, 1989.

Attractions

Trans Wonderland is sometimes referred to as Nigeria's

Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...

. The park covers a total area of 67 acres. Attractions include

roller coasters A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...

, electronic bumper cars, panoramic wheels,

ferris wheels A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsules ...

, merry-go-round horses, space station, flying chain chairs, dragon boats, funky basket circles and many others. Today, however the park is a shadow of its former self because many of these attractions have fallen into disrepair and they are no longer in good working condition due to maintenance issues. In spite of this, the park is still a popular entertainment venue in Ibadan.

In popular culture

The theme park is the eponymous title of the 2012 travel book by

Noo Saro-Wiwa Noo Saro-Wiwa is a British-Nigerian author, noted for her travel writing. She is the daughter of Nigerian activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. Education Noo Saro-Wiwa was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and grew up in Ewell, Surrey in England. She attend ...

, ''

Looking for Transwonderland ''Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria'' is a 2012 non-fiction memoir and travelogue by Noo Saro-Wiwa. In it Saro-Wiwa travels across Nigeria, re-discovering the country of her birth. The book has been compared to those of many other ...

''.

References

{{reflist Amusement parks in Nigeria Tourist attractions in Ibadan 1988 establishments in Nigeria Buildings and structures in Ibadan