UK attraction confirms two days of FREE entry to celebrate 75th anniversary
DRAYTON Manor has revealed two days of free entry to celebrate 75 years of the park.
The Staffordshire theme park first opened its doors in 1950 and has gone back to its original token pricing system next week to mark the occasion.
On 24 and 25 April 2025, Drayton Manor will offer free entry to the park and zoo.
Visitors will then use pay-as-you-go tokens or an unlimited wristband to enjoy the 50 rides and attractions around the park.
Each ride can be enjoyed for between one and five tokens, which are available to buy in packs of five or 10 online in advance or you can buy them during the day around the park.
Tokens cost between £2 and £10 – which vary depending on the rides.
You can also get a wristband which will give guests unlimited access to everything inside Drayton Manor.
That’s not all, Drayton Manor is planning even more for the celebrations which stretch across the summer from a diamond egg hunt, to firework extravaganzas which is on the first weekend of each month.
Drayton Manor’s newly opened anniversary museum, located in the Falls Theatre, is free for guests until the end of the summer season.
Inside are rare artifacts, vintage memorabilia, and iconic moments from the park’s incredible history, which celebrate Drayton Manor through the decades.
Victoria Lynn, managing director at Drayton Manor Resort, said: “Our 75th anniversary celebrations are in full swing, and as part of that, we want to give families the chance to discover Drayton Manor for less.”
“We’ve been named the UK’s best value attraction for the last three years running, so it’s really important to us to put this weekend on and let people know that everyone is welcome at Drayton Manor.
She continued: “Whether you choose to join us at the park with a picnic or browse the rides, arcade, museum, and zoo for free, or go for it with a full wristband, there’s plenty of fun to be had at Drayton Manor throughout the weekend and beyond.
“Throughout the year, we’ll continue the celebrations with monthly Fireworks Extravaganzas, live music, and a huge variety of fantastic themed family entertainment every month, so there’s plenty for guests to enjoy whenever they visit.”
All guests are required to book a free ticket online in advance to manage entry and capacity. Walk-up entry is not guaranteed.
Tickets to reserve your spot will go live on 21 April at 9AM.
Wristbands are priced at £30 per person if bought in advance, or £35 per person if bought on the day.
Drayton Manor hosts around 1.5 million visitors each year and is the fourth-largest amusement park in the UK by land area at 280 acres.
The on-site zoo is home to more than 500 animals, including Red pandas, Eurasian lynx, Sumatran tigers and a variety of monkeys and gibbons.
Before becoming a theme park, the land belonged to the Peel family.
Drayton Manor mansion was built in 1835 but had been reduced to ruins by 1926, with only the clock tower surviving at the park entrance.
After this, it was turned into a training venue for The British Army during World War II but in 1950, was turned into an amusement park.
The largest ride at Drayton Manor Theme Park is The Wave, a large coaster with a top speed of 52 mph.
Previously, Apocalypse was Drayton Manor’s tallest ride, and its huge tower was visible for miles which closed in 2022.