Miniature park

Park Mini-Europe in Brussels, Belgium
Model of a Provençal village in France Miniature, Élancourt, France

A miniature park is a display of miniature buildings and models, usually as a recreational and tourist attraction open to the public. A miniature park may contain a model of a single city or town, often called a miniature city or model village, or it can contain a number of different sets of models.

History

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Bekonscot, in England, was one of the first model villages to become a tourist attraction

There is evidence to suggest the existence of private model villages and miniature parks since the 19th century, but it was only in the 1930s to 1950s that the genre became tourist attractions.[citation needed] Early examples include Bekonscot and Bourton-on-the-Water[1] in the UK and Madurodam in The Hague.[citation needed]

Variations on a theme

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Most model villages and parks are built to a consistent scale; varying from 1:76 as used by the intricately detailed Pendon in England up to the 1:9 scale of Wimborne Model Town.

There has been a move away from the model village concept since the mid- to late 20th century towards a miniature park concept.[citation needed] Model villages are typically larger-scale, sit in a cohesive miniature landscape and allow viewing and physical interaction with the exhibits, such as publicly accessed streets and urban areas. Miniature parks however, are primarily concerned with the display of exhibits in their own right, viewed from a distance. Model railways, rivers and roads may provide a continuation between miniature parks exhibits.

List of notable miniature parks

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Europe

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Minimundus

Austria

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Mini-Europe

Belgium

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Denmark

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Many Danish towns also have extensive miniature towns from historic periods (normally 1900s). Some of the most significant include:

France Miniature

France

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Germany

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Italia in miniatura

Italy

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Madurodam

Netherlands

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Portugal

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Russia

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Slovakia

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Spain

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Switzerland

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Kyiv in Miniature

Ukraine

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An overview of the Babbacombe Model Village

United Kingdom

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Americas

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Former Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village, Whitby, Ontario

Brazil

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Canada

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Archetypal replica of a German village at the Germany Pavilion in Epcot, Disney World

Chile

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United States

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Asia/Pacific Region

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Window of the World, Shenzhen

Australia

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China

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Jambi Pavilion in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

Indonesia

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Replica of St Peter's Basilica in Tobu World Square, Japan

Japan

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Malaysia

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Thailand

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Middle East

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Israel

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Hagia Sophia at Miniatürk

Turkey

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References

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  1. ^ a b Davies, Caroline (18 April 2013). "Bourton-on-the-Water model village gets Grade II listed status". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
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