Founded in 1970 by John Southern, the park was one of Cornwall's top visitor attractions,[citation needed] consisting of two miniature railway networks complemented by large play areas and recreational grounds, both indoors and outdoors, an award-winning art gallery and woodland walks.

The administrators were called in and the site, complete with many of the original buildings and landscapes still in existence were put up for sale by sealed bid auction.

The main attractions in the park were the 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) gauge miniature railway networks that were based on two very different American railroad routes, the Rio Grande Cumbres Pass line and the Sherman Hill route of the Union Pacific Railroad; passengers were whisked through tunnels, over bridges and trestles and into canyons.

The Union Pacific route was opened in 1979, due to the success of the Rio Grande system, and added another miniature railway network to travel on.

June 2007 saw the announcement that the remaining Rio Grande route would not reopen for the 2008 season, and would be replaced by a shorter simplified line.