Paultons Park reveals £12 million expansion for 2026 opening — plus, the family theme park’s first indoor dark ride, Ghostly Manor, is now open
By News Release | May 30, 2025
Award-winning Paultons Park in Hampshire, has today simultaneously opened its£3.5 million dark ride, Ghostly Manor, and announced its plans for a new £12 million themed world. Valgard – Realm of the Vikings is Paultons Park’s largest investment to date and is aimed at families with older children and teenagers.
The new Viking-themed world, which opens in spring 2026, features Paultons Park’s first inverting rollercoaster. Drakon is set to become the park’s most thrilling ride with a vertical lift hill and two twists taking riders upside down.
Valgard also features a brand-new Vild Swing that swirls riders 12 metres in the air. Paultons Park is the first theme park in the UK to install the thrilling swing by ART Engineering.
In addition to the two brand-new thrill rides, Valgard sees the retheming of Cobra, a famous favourite ride at Paultons Park, into a bobsled adventure. The ride will be renamed Raven to complement the Viking village experience.
Valgard also features a themed high-capacity restaurant and new playground for younger visitors to enjoy. While it didn’t reveal details, Paultons Park also confirmed that another major thrill ride is to be added to Valgard in 2027, teasing a water-related experience.
James Mancey, deputy managing director at Paultons Park, said: “We are thrilled to share our plans for our largest and boldest investment to date, and on the day that we welcomed guests into our brand-new Ghostly Manor.
“As an independent, family-owned theme park, we’re incredibly proud of the investments we make to deliver the very best guest experience. We’ve opened two brand-new rides in the last two years and with the build of Valgard firmly underway, we’re excited to open a further three, bigger-and-better-than-ever-before rides, between now and summer 2027.
“Valgard promises an immersive, atmospheric, and action-packed experience for families and has been specifically designed to grow with our fans. The introduction of inversions and a vertical lift hill on Drakon certainly up the adrenaline levels at Paultons Park, but staying true to our roots, we haven’t forgotten about the little ones and there is something for all of the family in our new Viking village.”
Families at Paultons Park today (Saturday 17 May) were among the first to try its brand-new dark ride, Ghostly Manor. The new indoor ride, which offers five minutes of game play and additional pre-show thrills adds to the park’s already impressive lineup of over 70 rides and attractions.
Ghostly Manor features exciting and interactive gameplay suitable for guests from aged five and above – guests can ride unaccompanied from eight years old. From the moment riders enter the queue line they are transported into a family-friendly supernatural world, with many eerie apparitions and haunted artefacts to discover as they journey through the home of paranormal investigator, Dr Kinley.
Upon boarding the four-seater ride carriages, guests are armed with their own Phantom Phaser, a device to capture and contain mischievous ghosts and misbehaving spirits. Innovative haptic interactive technology and LED lights on the handheld Phaser further immerse guests as they explore the haunted house through eight themed and digital scenes. At the end of the adventure, each rider is presented with their ghost-catching score, revealing who has the best ghost hunting skills.
James added: “We have worked with the very best technical and theming experts in the attractions business to create Ghostly Manor. Our teams and partners have done a remarkable job at creating our very own haunted house, brimming with entertaining paranormal activity. Ghostly Manor really does look like it’s always been part of Paultons Park, and I’m sure it’s going to be an enormous hit with our guests!”
Paultons Park prides itself on being a destination for all the family. The addition of Valgard – Realm of the Vikings sees the attraction boast a collection of over 80 rides and attractions across its six themed worlds. Valgard joins Midwestern America themed Tornado Springs famous for its thrilling Cyclonator ride and free-spinning Storm Chaser coaster, and the park’s dinosaur themed world, Lost Kingdom.
Paultons Park – the home of UK exclusive Peppa Pig World – remains one of Britain’s top attractions, having been named the UK’s best value theme park in 2023 and having taken home several awards at the 2024 UK Theme Park Awards. In addition to an extensive family offering, Paultons Park offers free parking, free entry for children under 1 metre, and some of the lowest ride queue times in the UK.
