Tibidabo Amusement Park was acquired by Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (B:SM) on 19 March 2002, thereby coming under public ownership
Over these twenty years, Tibidabo has become firmly established as a reference point for family leisure, seeking a balance between the value of its heritage and the introduction of new elements
The park will be commemorating twenty years of public management by Barcelona City Council in November, making the most of its 121st anniversary at the same time
Two decades of the Tibidabo Amusement Park being under public management. Today, 19 March, marks twenty years since Barcelona City Council became the owner of the park, tasking its management to Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (B:SM) and keeping the legal form of a limited company (PATSA).
Joan Clos, the Mayor at the time, signed the agreement and took possession of the keys to Tibidabo with the goal of opening it back up to the Barcelona public, with the words: “Barcelona is the owner of a site which is very special for its citizens”.
During its 120-year history, Tibidabo has become an iconic landmark in the city, a point of reference for family recreation and leisure. Over the course of twenty years of public management, the park has steadily modernised its facilities and made new additions. It has also added shows and activities for families and children of all ages, the goal being to improve what it offers and the level of satisfaction among the 12 million plus visitors who have been there, always in line with its four strategic areas: experiences, solidarity, education and sustainability.
Regarding experiences, the TibiClub pass was launched for visitors in 2004, helping Tibidabo reach out to all families in Barcelona. Over these twenty years, the TibiClub has had over 300,000 member families, who have been able to enjoy the park with special pricing to suit their needs, and the park has received over ten million visitors.
In addition, the park regained its panoramic area in 2007, offering an open-access space for people to stroll in, while in 2015 the park mascots were introduced to represent Tibidabo’s essence and values among children and families.
In the sphere of rides and attractions, notable aspects include the innovation involved in renewing the Virtual Express, the first ride in Catalonia to use VR glasses, and the renovation of the Castell dels Contes to offer an innovative and different experience linked to classic children’s stories. Over these twenty years, the Hotel Krüeger has also become an unmissable attraction for visitors, thanks to its character and its trademark terror scenes.
The park’s iconic rides and attractions have also been renewed, and PATSA is working to keep them in good condition, considering them cultural and emotional heritage. The iconic Avió ride dates back to 1928 and was completely renovated according to the original plane which made the first journey between Madrid and Barcelona in 1927.
Later, in 2015, the tunnels of the Embruixabruixes ride were renovated to improve the infrastructure, while in 2021 the Talaia celebrated its one hundredth birthday thanks to its fine maintenance and good condition.
Another strategic area for Tibidabo is solidarity. The park is committed to society and works on its social side year after year. Over the last twenty years the park has hosted more than 300 solidarity events, with over 150,000 participants. These events have been organised alongside various entities, such as UNICEF (this year marking the tenth year of this alliance), the NGO Pallapupas, the AFANOC, the Fundación Migranodearena, APRENEM and many more, helping to give visibility to their social projects.
In the sphere of education, the park aims to be a source for teaching which backs learning through fun and the creation of various STEAM projects. In this last working area, educational activities have been launched in areas such as the environment, technology and science, attracting over 50,000 students, as well as Fisidabo, a project in collaboration with the UPC and which has drawn in over 2,000 students, turning the park into a physics laboratory. Tibidabo has also added a Lego Education space to foster learning through family play, plus the Sala de Robòtica, where children can get to grips with programming through creative and fun activities.
Sustainability is another strategic area for the park, which is located in the natural space of the Collserola Natural Park and is respectful towards its surroundings. In line with sustainability, June 2021 brought the inauguration of the new funicular railway, the Cuca de Llum. This ambitious project meant an important change in mobility for the park and responds to the goal of cutting CO2 emissions at the top of the mountain and boosting collective rather than private transport.
The Tibidabo Amusement Park often provides the scene for audio-visual productions and photo sessions for film, television or advertising. Notable figures at the park over the last twenty years include the film director Woody Allen, when shooting the film Vicky Christina Barcelona, where the characters, including Penélope Cruz, appear in Tibidabo in different scenes in the film.
The park will be commemorating twenty years of public management by Barcelona City Council in November, making the most of its 121st anniversary at the same time.
