It was to have its grand opening on 1 May 1986, in time for the May Day celebrations,[1][2] but these plans were cancelled on 26 April, when the Chernobyl disaster occurred a few kilometers away.

[3][4][5] These reports claim that the park was hurriedly opened to distract Pripyat residents from the unfolding disaster nearby.

Located north-west to the Palace of Culture in the center of Pripyat, the park had five attractions: The successor to the original company is still manufacturing the Ferris wheel, paratrooper and bumper cars to largely unaltered designs as of 2017.

The park plays significant roles too in Markiyan Kamysh's novel about illegal Chernobyl trips, A Stroll to the Zone.

The ferris wheel made news in September 2017 when Polish tourists turned it mechanically for the first time since 1986, later returning it to its original position.