Spreepark: Discover Dragons and Dinosaurs in Berlin

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  Plastic dinosaurs lie in the former amusement park "Spreepark" in the Plänterwald in Berlin. The Spreepark's Ferris wheel can be seen in the background.

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  Roller coaster tracks on the site of the former Spreepark amusement park lead into a tunnel in the shape of the mouth of a colorful cat of prey.

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  The Ferris wheel on the site of the former GDR amusement park in Plänterwald. The Spreepark became overgrown and is now to be revitalized. (Aerial view with drone)

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  The yellow cars of the wild water ride are parked in the station. They saw their last paying visitor many years ago.

For years, the rides at the former GDR amusement park Spreepark sat idle. Now, the lost place is being rebuilt with a new concept.

The yellow carriages of the white water ride are parked in the station - as if the passengers have just got off. But the last time they saw a paying visitor was tow and a half decades ago. The layer of dirt on the floor is correspondingly thick, the window of the ticket booth is smashed and the water is green with algae. The wild water ride is one of nine remaining rides in Berlin's Spreepark. Like all of the others, it has been left to rot since November 2001 - and has long since become an attraction for tourists.

Spreepark - the only permanent amusement park in the GDR

The Spreepark was inaugurated on October 4, 1969 on the 20th birthday of the GDR. The "VEB Kulturpark" was the only permanent amusement park in the GDR. After reunification, the park fell under the jurisdiction of the Berlin Senate of Culture, which wanted to build a "Western-style amusement park" there and was looking for an operator. The contract was awarded to Pia Witte's Spreepark GmbH.

Not much of the GDR attractions remained after the new beginning. Apart from the landmark - the Ferris wheel - only the entrance buildings and the toilets remain. Witte invested around 40 million Deutschmarks in the first few years: Boat swing, family roller coaster, looping ride. The former concrete square on which the amusement park stood gave way to lakes and green spaces.

Spreepark out of operation since 2001

After the conversions, however, the Plänterwald became a landscape conservation area. In one fell swoop, for example, the parking lots were no longer allowed to be used. Visitor numbers continued to fall. In 2001, Pia Witte drew a line in the sand and ceased operations. Spreepark GmbH went bankrupt. New investors were not found for a long time. On January 1, 2016, the state-owned Grün Berlin GmbH took over the Berlin Spreepark in Plänterwald.

Site is not open to the public

Visitors are not allowed on the site. But not everyone sticks to this rule. Some burglars have done a great job: One night, an entire bumper car disappeared.

Something is happening: New plans for the Spreepark

After years of stagnation on the huge site in Treptow, Senator for the Environment Regine Günther presented the plans for the former amusement park in May 2018. The state-owned Grün Berlin GmbH, which took over the 23-hectare site on the Spree in early 2016, was also present.

In summer 2019, public themed workshops were launched in which citizens were involved in the development of the Spreepark. However, practical work was also carried out in 2019: The first construction project was the renovation of the neighboring Eierhäuschen, which will form the entrance to the Spreepark in the future.

The Giant Ferris Wheel will be preserved for Berliners. Built in 1989, the wheel can be renovated and will spin again in the future. Since January 2021, the gondolas of the ailing ride had been dismantled and its condition checked - now it is clear that the wheel has a future.

Eierhäuschen reopened

In February 2024, the Eierhäuschen (Egg House) in the Spreepark was able to reopen. It took four years to restore the building, which is over 100 years old. Now guests can once again spend pleasant hours in the historic restaurant. A large beer garden has also been reopened, just as it was 100 years ago. The Eierhäuschen is not only home to a restaurant, but also an art room with a free exhibition area.

Spreepark guided tours

The Spreepark welcome team offers guided tours of the construction site.

• Address:
  Kiehnwerderallee 1-3
  12437 Berlin
  City map
• Phone: [phone]
• Guided tours: Various themed tours are offered on the grounds of the Spreepark.