Wonderla to open Rs 611 crore amusement park in Chennai on December 2

Wonderla Holidays Ltd will open its amusement park in Chennai on December 2, marking the company’s entry into Tamil Nadu and extending its network to five cities.

The Rs 611 crore project spans 64.3 acres on Old Mahabalipuram Road, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin set to inaugurate the park a day earlier.

B&M roller coaster

The park will launch with 43 rides across thrill, family and water categories and is designed to handle about 6,500 visitors a day.

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Tickets start at Rs 1,489, with reduced rates for online bookings and college students. The company said the site incorporates heat-mitigation elements, including shaded corridors, stone-based structures and indigenous landscaping.

A key attraction is the Tanjora roller coaster supplied by Switzerland’s Bolliger & Mabillard.

Executive Chairman Arun K Chittilappilly said the ride represents a significant new investment for the company. “The B&M roller coaster itself costs Rs70-80 crore,” he said, adding that the model is not present at any other Wonderla park. He said air-conditioned restaurants and viewing spaces were added to accommodate local weather conditions.

1,000 full-time employees

Chittilappilly said the project was delayed by land acquisition, regulatory processes and the pandemic. “These are large projects. Land acquisition takes time, and there are multiple government approvals. COVID also caused delays,” he said.

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Wonderla has hired about 1,000 full-time employees for the Chennai facility and expects indirect employment to rise once operations scale. The company is in talks with the Metropolitan Transport Corporation to run 90-100 bus services from various parts of the city, including air-conditioned options.

Chief Operating Officer Dheeran Choudhary said the company applies a standardised operations and safety framework developed over 25 years. “It is a large set of processes from ride selection and installation to training and emergency response,” he said. “Ambulance services and response teams are in place at all times.”

The park includes air-conditioned dining venues, a 1,500-seat multipurpose hall, an open-air event space, first-aid centres and childcare facilities. “The safety and hygiene standards we follow are unique to us,” Chittilappilly said.

Rainwater harvesting park

The site also includes a 3.75 crore-litre rainwater harvesting tank, plans for a 1,000 kW solar installation in a later phase, and additional green-cover development.

The company is assessing further expansion in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and selected tier-2 cities. “We want to be in all large metros,” Chittilappilly said. “We will announce projects once we have confirmation from state governments.”

With the Chennai opening, Wonderla operates parks in Kochi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar and Chennai, along with hospitality properties in Bengaluru. The company has recorded more than 46 million visitors since its launch in 2000.