According to the current owner, Miyi (Miyi Nishi), the exact beginning of The Unknown Theme Park is not
documented, and its founder, Ade Franklin, left Second Life a while back. What is known is that the theme park started with a
club, The Unknown Club, which has been at the same location since November 26, 2005. Located along Route 1 in the sims of Moneta and Rivula in the north of Heterocera, the theme park comprises 37000 sqm packed with more than 50 colorful and exciting rides and activities. Miyi remarked that when visiting, "ear plugs and high-class lag protection suits are recommended."
Miyi recalled meeting Ade for the first time, commenting, "we always had a
lot of fun at his always-changing park. When my SL family fell apart, Ade
took us kids into his family. Imagine a dream come true: living in the
middle of an always-open theme park as a kid, where all the rides are
free! From that day on all the rides had to be 'Miyi approved'. If me
could operate them, they were good for the customers. Me became Theme
Park Guide." As the years went on, and Ade spent less and less time in SL, Miyi took on more responsibility for the park, buying the parcels of park land which were not already group-owned, and replacing broken rides. "With a last visit of Ade," she said, "and the big
help of a neighbor resident, plus Linden support, the park could be
transfered and saved. Now me runs it until Ade comes back. It is so much
fun to work at and on the park!"
Additionally, after many years of
inactivity, The Unknown Club (pictured below) now is active again with regular
events, the next ones being "30 Greatest Hard Rock Songs" on August
10th and
"Lynyrd Skynyrd & ZZ Top" on August 24. There is a group joiner in
the club and several others throughout the theme park for those wishing to keep informed of such happenings.
The Unknown Theme Park is in the middle of a year-long 10th Anniversary celebration - quite an accomplishment in our ever-changing world! Stop on by to enjoy the sights and sounds of a classic theme park, and try out the many rides, which include a tour train, underground bumper cars, a maze, a bouncy castle (pictured below), several roller coasters, and a giant ferris wheel. Play some classic arcade games in the mini
arcade or play chess on a giant chess board. The land extends down to the inner waters of the Atoll, so visitors can also enjoy fishing or inner tubing. A balloon tour near the club provides some history of the park as you ride. Remarks Miyi, "All rides are free, with a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. ;) The Unknown Theme Park is here for fun and for you to have fun. And it is here to stay. :)"
On the westside of Bay City, on the shores of the Davis gulf, sits Hairy Hippo Fun Land. This amusement park, built in 2012, spans two entire sims, Oaks Bluffs and Weston — three if you add in the aquarium on the northwest corner of the park. And so let's start there, at the gates to the aquarium. Enter through the gates, go down a short walk, then venture into the watery tunnel in front of you (pictured below). Through the glass walls of the tunnel you may be able to spot a mermole or two, those curious creatures native to Mainland SL, including the waters surrounding Bay City.
After you exit the tunnel, walk straight up the hill to the aquarium. You'll spy an old steampunk submarine on display and a small, round building. Inside the building are several unusual sea creatures on exhibit, all of which you can feed. There is one other building on the grounds, and in between the two are wooden platforms from which you can look down into various holding ponds. If you prefer, a second glass tunnel at the bottom of the hill lets you observe the aquarium's inhabitants more closely.
Once you're finished exploring the aquarium, go back down the hill to find a path that leads to the Lollercoaster. Click on the sign to call a car, and don't forget to go into mouselook for a realistic ride!
At the main entrance to the amusement park, you will see two of the park's namesake hippos, plus a bright pink sign announcing "The Hippo Food Challenge." Click on the sign, and you'll receive a HUD and instructions to "Explore Hairy Hippo Fun Land, snacking on anything and everything that crosses your path! Enjoy the scariest rides with a full belly! Try not to get sick too often!" Apparently those who survive this challenge win a prize, but I have to confess that I didn't attempt it. I did, however, play some of the many carnival games located around the park, and won a stuffed mole! (See picture below.)
The park contains several fun rides besides the Lollercoaster, including a bouncy castle, a ferris wheel, a merry go round, bumper cars, a parachute jump and a teacup ride. There is a small penny arcade with fortune telling machines and two very cool mutoscopes: "The Box" and "Le Train". Visitors can enjoy 7Seas fishing with custom prizes from any of the piers, or grab a free balloon from the booths that line Rte. 66. Along the shore of the Davis Gulf there are inner tubes you can float in, and maybe you'll even spot Jonah the whale in the water!
So what's with the hippos, anyway? Apparently, hippos are the unofficial mascot of Second Life, and can be found in many places all over the Grid. There is a giant underwater hippo statue in the Mare Secundus, a much smaller statue in the Second Life Historical Museum, and there is even a hippo easter egg in SL browsers (press CTRL, ALT, SHIFT then hit the H key). Apparently, to see a group of hippopotamuses in your dream suggests that you need to escape from the daily grind and relax. (Shouldn't that be "hippopotami"?) So escape your daily grind, bring along a friend or two, and relax at Hairy Hippo Fun Land!
When was the last time you visited an amusement park? Wouldn't it be fun to ride the rides, eat some cotton candy, and maybe win your girl a prize at the arcade? Well, on the other side of Jeogeot from the Space Base, off the northwestern coast, is a tiny island which serves at a gateway to the Pyri FunFair. The island itself contains nothing but a lighthouse, a few sparse palm trees, and an old boathouse on a dock. Walk to the end of the dock, where a sign gives visitors recommended WL settings and instructions on how to rez a boat. Get in, and you are on your way to the fair!
Arriving on the opposite shore, your boat will deposit you on a much more decrepit dock than the one where you started. Avoid falling through the holes in the dock and try not to step on the scurrying critters, then head up the rocky path into the mountains. The path is steep and winding, lit by lanterns, disembodied eyes, and the occasional ghost or two. One starts to get the impression that this is not your typical amusement park. The strange tree positioned by the Funfair gate (photo below) just adds to that impression. But, we can smell the popcorn and hear the sounds of a carnival, so in through the gate we go!
The fair itself appears mostly abandoned, but there are games that look rather inviting. Click on any of the booths for multiple prizes, including cotton candy, carnival hats and t-shirts, a variety of different bears, and even a wearable Naughty Mole bear (complete with crop! - see photo, left, below). You can also sit at the fortune teller's booth and get your fortune. Here's mine:
Madame Fortune whispers: Your fortune is...
Madame Fortune whispers: You will not lose any inventory today.
After receiving your fortune, walk over to the ticket booth to secure your ticket to the Tunnel of Love. You'll have to step out of the way of a few rats to get there, but they're mostly harmless. (Let me tell you a secret about these LDPW rats, which can be found all over the Mainland — you can sit on them and ride them! Try it sometime.) Make sure to wear your ticket, take a seat, and into the Tunnel you go.
The ride ends unexpectedly, and deposits you in a cavern below the fair. Scattered throughout this main cavern you can find maps, books which contain clues to treasure, and supply containers which will give you things like hand-held lanterns, water, and even an aptly-named "Large Explorer's Hat" (photo above, right). Branching off of the main cavern you'll find a number of other rooms and a network of caverns below you (several levels worth!), but beware — although many things you click on will give you clues, supplies or treasure, an equal number will cause you to "die" and be ported home. You might encounter spiders, worms that feed on lost inventory, poisonous mushrooms, or pools of lava. But if you are brave and lucky, you might also find ancient treasure, the elusive creature known as the Shyoo-roth, and eventually, the Prim of Life (photo below).
As adventures go, I died way too often during this one for my own liking, but your mileage may vary. In his disclaimer from the original announcement of the Funfair's opening, head mole Michael Linden stated, "The
management holds no responsibility for any faulty rides, and residents
partake in all activities at their own risk. Height restrictions may
apply, and some rides are not for the faint hearted!"
So enter at your own risk, buckle up, head into the Tunnel of Love, and enjoy the adventures which hide below the Pyri Funfair.
"Which path to take?
Will you find rewards or strife?
My friend, you're getting closer to the Great Prim of Life!"
