Mexico’s Día de Muertos theme park opened its doors on Friday, right in time for the Latin American holiday.
Calaverandia, an amusement park in Guadalajara that’s centered on Day of the Dead, launched last year to massive success. But this time around, the park’s representatives say there’s even more to be excited about.
With more than 30 attractions, the colorful theme park includes immersive tours through the underworld, exhibitions of altars and decorated skulls, cultural games, live music and shows, a neon lights area, ball pits and several photo opportunities.
Expansions have been made to the park’s main event, El Inframundo, which takes attendees through the Aztec netherworld of Mictlán, as well as its interactive cemetery, which now includes fun activities for children.
Aside from the rides, there’s also going to be a performance of Alma, a 4-D show that tells the history of Día de Muertos. A mariachi band has also been tapped to play songs every hour by the park’s main altar, with tribute performances for famous late Mexican artists, like Juan Gabriel and José José.
“We’re very proud that Calaverandia was a success last year,” the park’s creative director Marcos Jiménez told Mexico News Daily. “We have big plans for growth.”
Last year, the fun, which takes place at the Ávila Camacho Park, drew in about 3,000 visitors a day. In total, 40,000 people had the opportunity to enjoy Calaverandia. This year, organizers are expecting that number to rise, with an estimation of 4,000 daily attendees. To accommodate the growing visitors, the park expanded its hours.
With its enormous success, there are talks about taking the park global, including possible sites in Los Angeles as soon as 2021 as well as in Chicago and Madrid.
For now, Calaverandia will run at its Guadalajara location until Monday, November 18.