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Bobbejaanland is a amusement park in Lichtaart, Belgium. The park was founded by Bobbejaan Schoepen, a Flemish singer, guitarist, and entertainer who enjoyed international success in the fifties and early sixties. In 1959, he bought a 30 hectare marsh, had it drained and built a 1,000 capacity venue that opened in December 1961 as Bobbejaanland. This developed into an amusement park and remained in his possession until he sold it in 2004.
From the 1990s, three of his five children worked for the park. It added a high windmill that provides the region with energy, and an adjoining museum of alternative energy generation.
In the early 2000s, the founder was diagnosed with cancer and he sold Bobbejaanland to the Spanish Parques Reunidos group in April 2004.
In 1979, Bobbejaanland opened the Looping Star roller coaster (Schwarzkopf GmbH). Although the ride had a security bar placed over the hip, it was more the centrifugal force which held the passengers in the vehicle when it looped the loop. Looping Star Bobbejaanland Video Looping Star Bobbejaanland The coaster was dismantled in 2003.
Bobbejaanland also has Vekoma Illusion: a fully enclosed tubular steel roller coaster manufactured by Vekoma, with world's largest train where two passengers can sit bobsled style per car. In 2016, the attraction was equipped with Samsung Gear VR. In the morning, the original ride was active. In the afternoon, passengers had the option to wear the virtual glasses and the ride was about an escape from the erupting volcano "Mount Mara". Due to this concept only one passenger per car could wear the glasses. Physical limitations prohibited children to wear the glasses as they didn't fit on their head.
Because Bobbejaan Schoepen was primarily a folk and country singer, the park is still partly themed as a western village (for example the El Rio White Water Rapids and the El Paso Dark ride). In the Star Theater, Las Vegas style shows are performed. Bobbejaan bought Zorro's horse from stuntman Casey Tibbs, but the animal was accidentally electrocuted by an exposed cable. He also acquired an ornate white Pontiac Nudie Mobiles decorated with American coins.
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