In the years before Alton Towers became known as an amusement park, one of the major attractions for younger audiences was the Adventureland Playground, which sprawled across much of the area that is now the Dark Forest. The many slides, climbing frames and swings gave children of all ages something to enjoy whilst parents explored both the house and gardens as part of a much more relaxing experience, compared to today's busy theme park.
In 1980, the playground received a rather different neighbour when the Corkscrew was built into the woodlands next door and over the following years other Talbot Centre attractions slowly spread into the area, such as the Rupert Bear Magic Show, gradually reducing the size of the playground.
During the early 80s the playground did continue to receive new equipment, but by the end of 1983 the playground's location next to the Corkscrew was taking up valuable space which was needed for new thrill rides to support Alton Towers' flagship roller coaster. Therefore, the play equipment was removed at the end of the season to make way for Festival Park and the arrival of attractions such as the Enterprise and Wave Swinger.
The Adventureland Playground lived on, however, at least in name, with a new version of the playground added alongside the Black Hole in Fantasy World in 1984. The much smaller playground, featuring all new equipment, continued to entertain younger guests in its new home until its closure in 1993.