Adventure Island started out in 1918 as Sunken Gardens, a sea-side garden that in the 1920s installed a few children's rides. It is known to have been originally owned and run by a Mr Maxwell, who also injected capital into and became one of the first co-directors of the EKCO Company in Southend. In 1976, the land to the west of the pier was purchased by the Miller family. They developed the amusement park on the site from the rudimentary original and the entire site was redeveloped extensively. In 1995 the park was vastly expanded when the land to the east of the pier was purchased to form part of the park. It is one of the biggest investments the park has ever made. The ride cost in the region of £3 million and is located on the former
Raging River Log Flume site. The
Sky Drop and
Vortex rides were relocated to new positions in the park to make way. The ride is about in height and has a 97 degree drop, a vertical
lift hill, a
vertical loop, a
zero-g roll and tight turns. In September 2020, Adventure Island temporarily closed, following advice from
Essex Police after a
traveller encampment was set up in the nearby Kursaal car park. In an update on the company's
Facebook page, Adventure Island told visitors that they had been "advised to close early due to traveller invasion!" and that it was "best to be safe than sorry!". The language used in the post was criticised by Traveller Rights organisations as reinforcing
negative stereotypes about Traveller communities. The post was later deleted, and the company apologised for any offence caused. In 2021, the park hosted the first Pride event to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, that hosted local drag queens performing. They also hosted their first annual Islandfest that celebrates local talented artists and musicians by showcasing their talents. Their yearly events include Fairytale weekend, Superhero weekend, a Halloween themed week during October half term, Christmas Wonderland, and Islandfest. On 17 July 2023, Adventure Island decided not to host future Pride events after a controversial performance by drag queen
Crystal. The drag queen expressed disappointment, accusing corporations of exploiting Pride for profit. Crystal defended the act, involving an angle grinder, stating it was similar to performances on shows like Britain's Got Talent or by pop stars like Lady Gaga. However, theme park owner Philip Miller cited confusion over acceptable content and emphasized the park's family-friendly focus. Miller apologized for any offense caused and announced the park's decision not to participate in future Pride celebrations. In 2024 and 2025, the park was named the "Best value theme park" in the United Kingdom by VIP Grinders. ==Controversy==