Location | Southend-on-Sea, Essex, United Kingdom |
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Coordinates | 51°31′59″N 0°43′29″E / 51.5331°N 0.7247°E |
Status | Operating |
Opened | 1901 |
The Kursaal (/ˈkɜːrzəl/[1]) is a former amusement park and a Grade II listed building[2] in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. The building, originally known as the Kursaal Palace was opened in 1901 as part of one of the world's first purpose-built amusement parks.[3] The venue is noted for the main building with distinctive dome, designed by George Campbell Sherrin, which featured on a Royal Mail special stamp in 2011.[4] The amusement park was home to Southend United F.C. between 1919 and 1934.[5] The majority of the park was closed in 1973, with the rest of the site closing in 1986. The building remained derelict until it was redeveloped in the late 1990s, opening again in 1998. Since 2020, the building again remains empty except for a small Tesco convenience store.