History
Construction on the park first began in 1968.[6] Initially, plans existed to build the park in Anseong, but that city ultimately declined to host it.[7] It eventually opened to the public on April 18, 1976 under the name "Yongin Farmland" .[8][9][10] At the time of its opening, admission fees were 600 won for adults and 300 won for children.[8] For its first year in operation, it received 880,000 visitors.[6]
The park initially had an area of 1500 ha, and was mostly themed around nature. It had around 200 species of animals and an orchard with fruit trees.[8] The park was also agriculturally productive, and shipped products abroad.[6] Visitors were able to go on "safaris" to see exotic animals, such as lions, tigers, and giraffes.[8] The park was the first in East Asia to offer a safari experience with free ranging lions.[10] Until the 1990s, an acrobatics show featuring boars was a popular attraction in the park. The park also had a rose garden with 3,500 roses of 122 species.[8][6]
The park initially offered 9 rides: the "Jet Coaster", a carousel, a sports car ride, boat rides, a chair swing ride, and spinning teacups.[10] Around the 1980s, the number of rides was significantly expanded. Additions included a flume ride (1981), Space Ferris Wheel (1982), Viking (1983), Flying Dragon Train (1986), and Fantasy Express (1988).[6][9] A facility for sledding now called[10] "Snow Buster" also opened in January 1988;[6][9] it was the first of its kind in South Korea.[8][6]
They introduced several more safari options, including a tiger safari (1980), a bear safari (1990), and a herbivore safari (2010).[6] In June 1986, they began running a Rose Festival, which one JoongAng Ilbo reporter claims was the first flower festival in South Korea. The park also began a tulip garden, which began hosting its own festivals in April 1992.[8]
For its 20th anniversary in 1996, the park changed its name to "Everland".[3][8] That July, it also opened its water park Caribbean Bay: the first such water park in South Korea.[8][6] Caribbean Bay reached 1 million visitors 13 months after opening.[3]
In 2001, it had 9.1 million visitors, making it the sixth most visited theme park in the world.[9]
In 2008, it opened South Korea's first wooden roller coaster, T Express. The ride has since remained popular.[8]
For the 45th anniversary of the park in 2021, it opened a Natural Farm Homage Garden as a tribute to the park's beginnings. It also had a number of events and exhibits that evoked the technology of the time, as well as the history of the park.[8][3]
By 2024, the park had around 270 million visitors total throughout its history.[6]
