From its giant Ferris wheel to signature roller coaster ride, Star City Manila to many, will remain as one of the most fun places to be .
Star City Manila has been a playground for people from all walks of life. For only 500PHP you can ride all you want and the lines are not that long.
Star City is a family-oriented amusement park. The rides and action rate in the mid-range… If you want a slower pace to try SM By The Bay or for more thrills spend a day at the Enchanted Kingdom. For something in Manila that still has plenty of action while remaining family orientated, Star City is a good choice.
It has a variety of attractions within its 35,000 square meter complex including kiddie rides, a playground, Winter Fun land, Dino Island, Star Theatre, miniature train rides, a go-kart track, and four roller coasters. The Snow World, with freezing temperatures, has carved ice slides for kids, carved ice statues, ice castles, and igloos while the Dino Island contains a small museum with prehistoric artifacts.
A huge fire hit the popular amusement park in October 2019. This dampened the mood of many Metro Manila residents as they usher in the ‘ber’ months. The blaze, which lasted for nearly 14 hours, destroyed 20 indoor rides and other attractions while outdoor rides were spared.
Damage left by the fire was pegged at ₱1 billion. With Star City being closed for rehabilitation, most are left wondering if there are alternatives that their families can visit this Christmas season.
And then Covid 19 happened and the rest is history.
Back to the beginning
Star City was established in 1991 as an offshoot of the annual Toys and Gift Fair, a Christmas trade exhibition by the Philippine Center for International Trade and Exhibit (PhilCite) which was first organized in 1976. Under Fred Elizalde, the fair evolved into an amusement park later named Star City. The former PhilCite building upon which the park was based was pulled down in the late 1990s to make way for the park’s indoor rides.
In 2012, it opened the Giant Star Wheel to the public, which they claimed to be the highest Ferris wheel in the country before the Sky Eye in Tagaytay challenged it.
It stood 62.5 meters tall, a height equivalent to a 20-22-story building. It also had 32 air-conditioned gondolas, each with a capacity of 6 persons.
Star City also claimed the Star Flyer as the country’s only inverted roller coaster.
It also took pride in its Snow World, which was said to offer the longest ice slide in the country. Cebu matched this attraction when it opened its indoor theme park, Snow World Cebu, in 2018.
Based on a list of rides on its official website, it operated 31 rides and attractions.
Located in the city of Pasay in Metro Manila, Star City is one of the biggest, most popular all-weather, air-conditioned amusement parks in the Philippines. Sprawling over a whopping 380,000 sq. ft., the park is thronged by 1.5 million people annually.
The park caters to both the young and the old with its collection of indoor and outdoor fun games and activities. In addition to that, there are coin-operated machine games, Snow Land, Lazer Blaster and Walk on Water, etc. The park is a wonderful escapade from the monotonous routine of life and it is visited by tourists and locals alike.
Past incidents
This is not the first time that the amusement park faced a major challenge. Several past incidents had cast doubt on its claim that it was a “happy place to be.”
In September 2006, a 13-year-old girl fell from the Wild River ride, now called the Jungle Splash. This led to a proposal to create an Amusement Park Safety Board that seeks to regulate operations of theme parks and carnivals in the country.
In February 2009, a 39-year-old man from Binangonan, Rizal fell from the 65-foot Starflyer.
In July 2018, a man fell from the top of the Giant Star Wheel Ride. According to police reports, the panel in the gondola where the victim probably jumped was dismantled.
More reading – Manila Baywalk
Location: CCP Complex, Sotto Corner Jalandoni Street, 1300 Roxas Blvd, Pasay, Philippines.
Highlights:
– Egyptian Spinning Coaster
– Toy Chest
– Art Alive Museum
– Adventure Zone
– Star Dome
– Snow World
– Tornado.
