In the early 1980’s, before the economic recession and crisis, there were built many new amusement parks in Sweden. Only in 1984 five such places were built around the country. A few years later they built even more, including ‘Tanum Sommarland’ (Tanum Summerland) in Bohuslän. Here the children ran around happy using slides, climbing frames and doing other water activities. The kiosk was selling food that one enjoyed in the sun or sitting at small wooden tables with roof.

Now everything is left desolate and abandoned. The water slide is empty and the pool table next to the kiosk has clearly seen better years.

The innermost, largest climbing stand is in such bad condition that I did not dare to go up in it. A garbage bin is enclosed with tall grass. It is a sad sight and my thought goes back to a time when children were laughing and there were happy days.

Welcome to Tanum Sommarland

Reception house where people bought tickets and parked their cars on the grass fields

Inside reception

Climbing structure in the back

Some sort of asphalt track

The pool table next to the kiosk

Alien bin

Water slide in the woods

Doesn’t look too tempting perhaps.

On top of the slide looking down

Dirty water

In the early 90’s the positive trend turned and Sweden struggled financially. High inflation and high-interest rates meant that many went bankrupt. The competition between the amusement parks increased and cheaper foreign travel, computer games, and cable TV contributed to a battle for filling people’s spare time. Someone had to lose like ‘Tanum Sommarland’.

The kiosk where people bought food

A wheel that is part of a water installation

When an event company (Mega Event) in the early 2000’s decided to add a music and extreme sports festival on the same day as the ‘Hultsfred festival’, it ended in a huge bankruptcy and they were owed 5 million kr.

Mega Event leftovers

Some years later the area was bought by a Norwegian company with plans to turn it into another recreational facility. They wanted to build an apartment hotel, spa, and amusement park. But that initiative also went bankrupt.

Slide

In 2007 a large rave party was held on the grounds with 2000 young people. It ended with 30-40 policemen stormed the area and many were arrested for use and possession of drugs.
It is obviously not easy to conduct business here. That’s why the park is decayed and abandoned, waiting for someone with a new smart business idea to try out.

Derelict playground

Some sort of slide on a hill overgrown with trees and bushes

The water installation