Diggerland USA Lets Kids Play on Real Construction Equipment

Once when I was a kid, my parents had a truckload of dirt dumped onto our driveway.  Their intent, and the eventual result, was that the dirt was to be used to level the low spots in our lawn.  However, the immediate response to that glorious pile of dirt was that for a few weeks it became the greatest kid hangout on our block.  The neighborhood kids brought over their toy cars and trucks (both Matchbox and Tonka), and together we built the most amazing “city” complete with roads, tunnels, and bridges.

Now lucky kids and their parents will be able to drive and to dig with actual construction equipment at the first construction-themed amusement park to open in the United States.  Diggerland USA is scheduled to open on Saturday, June 14 in the township of West Berlin, New Jersey, just a short drive from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  According to their website, the 14-acre park will feature “23 on-site attractions, most of which are comprised of modified JCB heavy construction equipment. The rides have been engineered to allow parents and children to safely dig, drive and ride familiar, real-sized construction equipment.”

The owners and managers of Diggerland USA already own and run a nearby waterpark, Sahara Sam’s Oasis, which opened in 2009.  Ilya Girlya, CEO of Sahara Sam’s and Diggerland USA, said:

“My family has a very personal connection to the project, just as we did with Sahara Sam’s five years ago.  Construction has been in my family for many years so it was a natural fit for us to build a construction theme park.”

According to the park’s website, “The Girlya family owns and operates SAMBE General Contracting which is overseeing the construction of Diggerland USA.”

The park is modeled after four Diggerland amusement parks which are already open in the United Kingdom.  Chris Peters, Director of PR and Marketing, had this to say about how quickly the American park was built:

“Six months ago we returned from the United Kingdom and concurred that this was a project that would be a huge success.  The pace at which this park has come together is unheard of.  It’s been a remarkable experience working with this team, our partners in the UK, and a 5-star global equipment manufacturer like JCB.”

I look forward to visiting Diggerland USA one day, and I hope that soon more theme parks like it will be built across the country.

Diggerland USA photos courtesy DiggerlandUSA.com.