The park was originally opened in 1969 as Kulturpark Planterwald, an amusement park for then Soviet Berlin. After passing to private hands, it closed in 2001, leaving behind many of the vintage rides to sit unused for years.
The park itself is magical in its ruin. On its grounds, agiant Tyrannosaurus Rex rests on its side while a pack of triceratops walk through the overgrown terrain, with graffiti tags on their bodies. The Swan Ride, which visitors once paddled through the pond in, is now grounded, but the swans remain in formation. Tea Cups, roller coasters and even a giant ferris wheel are still on site, gently vandalized, with signs of nature taking over and growing in and around the machinery. The grounds also have a ghost train, a haunted house, an amphitheater and a pirate ship.
Beginning in June, a three week Creative Camp will invite Berlin-born artists, architects and creators to use the park as a studio, and work together to create site-specific works. Upon completion, lectures and workshops will be held for students of all ages, followed by the public opening. After the art exhibition, proposals to transform the privately-owned grounds of Kulturpark into a public park for Berlin will be considered, hopefully resulting in public space in the coming years. Kulturpark just launched their Kickstarter campaign to enable the magic to happen in Berlin this summer!
+ Kulturpark
+ Kulturpark Kickstarter
