helter skelter

A helter skelter, or helter-skelter lighthouse, is an amusement ride resembling a lighthouse with a spiral shaped slide built around the tower. Typically, fairgoers climb up a flight of stairs inside the tower and slide down the spiral on the outside using a coir mat. The ride is most prevalent in amusement parks and fairgrounds in the United Kingdom. History The first known appearance of the helter skelter was at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in 1906, which survived for thirty years until 1935. However, the ride's development began around the turn of the 20th century, when a helter skelter was built on Great Yarmouth's new Britannia Pier. The helter skelter was also present at Dreamland in Margate, Kent. This amusement park was similar in appearance to Blackpool Pleasure Beach during its opening in 1920, which was marked by the opening of the Scenic Railway as a key attraction. In the 1920s, visitors at Dreamland would have experienced both more modern and permanent rides such as the House of Nonsense and the Tumble Bug, as well as traditional rides like the Helter Skelter.