Park Mini-Europe in Brussels, Belgium
Model of a Provençal village in France Miniature, Élancourt, France

A miniature park is a display of miniature buildings and models, usually as a recreational and tourist attraction open to the public. A miniature park may contain a model of a single city or town, often called a miniature city or model village, or it can contain a number of different sets of models.

History

Bekonscot, in England, was one of the first model villages to become a tourist attraction

There is evidence to suggest the existence of private model villages and miniature parks since the 19th century, but it was only in the 1930s to 1950s that the genre became tourist attractions. Early examples include Bekonscot and Bourton-on-the-Water[1] in the UK and Madurodam in The Hague.

Variations on a theme

Most model villages and parks are built to a consistent scale; varying from 1:76 as used by the intricately detailed Pendon in England up to the 1:9 scale of Wimborne Model Town.

There has been a move away from the model village concept since the mid- to late 20th century towards a miniature park concept. Model villages are typically larger-scale, sit in a cohesive miniature landscape and allow viewing and physical interaction with the exhibits, such as publicly accessed streets and urban areas. Miniature parks however, are primarily concerned with the display of exhibits in their own right, viewed from a distance. Model railways, rivers and roads may provide a continuation between miniature parks exhibits.

List of notable miniature parks

Europe

Minimundus

Austria

Mini-Europe

Belgium

Denmark

Many Danish towns also have extensive miniature towns from historic periods (normally 1900s). Some of the most significant include:

  • Den Historiske Miniby, Fredericia (circa 1849)
  • Kjøge Mini-By, Køge (circa 1865)
  • Minibyen i Varde, Varde (circa 1866)
  • Kolding Miniby, Kolding (circa 1860-1870)
France Miniature

France

Germany

Italia in miniatura

Italy

Madurodam

Netherlands

Portugal

Russia

Slovakia

Spain

Switzerland

Kyiv in Miniature

Ukraine

An overview of the Babbacombe Model Village

United Kingdom

Americas

Former Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village, Whitby, Ontario

Brazil

Canada

Archetypal replica of a German village at the Germany Pavilion in Epcot, Disney World

Chile

United States

Asia/Pacific Region

Window of the World, Shenzhen

Australia

China

Jambi Pavilion in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

Indonesia

Replica of St Peter's Basilica in Tobu World Square, Japan

Japan

Malaysia

Thailand

Middle East

Israel

Hagia Sophia at Miniatürk

Turkey

References

  1. 1 2 Davies, Caroline. "Bourton-on-the-Water model village gets Grade II listed status". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 15 January 2021.


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