Luna Park Sydney

Over the last 75 years Sydney's Luna Park has been closed and reopened more times than a brothel's front door. The stories of the beleaguered park have included the dreadful Ghost Train Fire in 1979 that killed six children and an adult, or the Big Dipper crash earlier that year where a steel rod came loose and caused two carriages to collide. These were the stories that were whispered at sleepovers and passed down to Sydney children as part of their city's folklore.

Today, the park is very much a vintage attraction. Martin Sharp's iconic clown face at the entrance, the rickety wooden rides, and vaudeville decor gives the park a strong sense of nostalgia. The park is open late of Friday and Saturday nights when it's jam-packed with families. It has the twofold attraction of being an enclosed space where you can let your progeny run rampant safely, plus some of the most beautiful views of the harbour you will ever come across. If you are not a fan of spinning rides we recommend you get a single ride pass and use it on the Ferris Wheel, where the bobbing lights of the city and the fresh sea air makes for quite a romantic jaunt. Otherwise, load up on sugar and fried foods and see how many times you can go in the Rotor before you throw up on your shoes.

An unlimited ride pass for people over 130cm tall will cost you a maximum $45 and it gets cheaper depending on time and restrictions and whether or not you are chaperoning a much smaller human. There are also historical tours of the Park that run on weekdays from 10am: $17.50 gets you get a tour, a single ride on either the Ferris Wheel or Carousel, and re-entry to Coney Island afterwards.

Luna Park is a great option if you have a variety of ages and tastes to cater for. If a great night out means going on every ride four times and screaming yourself hoarse then you are in for a win. If your tastes are more modest and you just want to soak up the history of a classic amusement park, you can do that too.