Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
3 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
4 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
5 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Switzerland Interlaken Jungfrau Park

Jungfrau Park

A Swiss amusement park entirely dedicated to the theory of ancient astronauts.

Interlaken, Switzerland

Added By
Tony Dunnell
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Jungfrau Park.   Noel Reynolds/cc by 2.0
Jungfrau Park.   Noel Reynolds/cc by 2.0
The Panorama Kugel at the center of Jungfrau Park.   Rama/cc by-sa 2.0 fr
Jungfrau Park in 2003, when it was still called Mystery Park.   Krischan74/cc by 2.5
A model in Jungfrau Park of a monolith from Baalbek surrounded by cranes to illustrate its huge weight.   Krischan74/cc by 2.5
Jungfrau Park in Interlaken.   Andrew Bossi/cc by-sa 2.5
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The town of Interlaken in the Bernese Highlands of the Swiss Alps is a popular destination known for its fresh air and picturesque mountains and lakes. And, since 2003, it has been home to an amusement park designed by the alien-obsessed Swiss author Erich von Däniken.

Von Däniken came up with the idea for an amusement park back in 1997. It would be a place where his theories of ancient astronauts and paleo-contact could be appreciated and given the full respect they deserve, all in a fun and family-friendly atmosphere. And a few years later, an investment group actually agreed this was a good idea. The firm invested 43 million Swiss francs into the project, and Erich von Däniken’s Mystery Park was opened to the public in 2003.

The park consisted of eight pavilions dedicated to various von Däniken hypotheses, with each pavilion designed to resemble its theme. Among them were the Nazca Pavilion (alien runways), the MegaStones Pavilion (aliens built Stonehenge), the Orient Pavillion (aliens built the Great Pyramid) and other pavilions focusing on ancient alien contact, the Mayas, and the Vimana and flying palaces. Basically, it was all aliens.

Then there was a central pavilion called the Panorama Kugel, which was topped by a 135-foot sphere. The observation deck inside the Kugel provided views across the park, and contained exhibits of von Däniken's works.

The new park got off to a fairly good start, attracting almost 200,000 people in its first 100 days. But it didn’t take long before Mystery Park ran into a few problems. Firstly, some people thought it was an educational aberration that should never have existed in the first place. One of the more notable criticisms came from the Lausanne architecture and engineering professor Anton Wasserfallen, who called the park a "scientific Chernobyl.”

Such criticism meant little if the park made money, but that too became a problem. By the winter of 2004, mounting criticism was being directed at the park and its governmental backers, simply because financial expectations were not being met. The projected 500,000 guests per year were failing to show up, and in 2005 only 200,000 visited Mystery Park.

The dire financial situation reached a climax in November 2006, when park operations were suspended indefinitely. But that wasn’t the end of Mystery Park. In 2009, the park was bought out by New Inspiration Inc., who renamed it Jungfrau Park.

Von Däniken’s amusement park dream was still alive, albeit somewhat curtailed. Since its reopening, Jungfrau Park now only opens on a seasonal basis, and the financial situation has never reached particularly rosy levels. Still, if immersing yourself in spurious ancient alien theories sounds like a day well spent in Switzerland, you know where to go.

Related Tags

Aliens Space Amusement Parks Strange Science Oddities Mystery Theme Parks

Know Before You Go

Jungfrau Park is located in the village of Matten bei Interlaken, about 28 miles southeast of Bern. By car, take Highway A8 and exit at Interlaken Ost, N. 26. If you go by train, get off at the Interlaken Ost terminal, from where you can take bus 103 to the park. In 2019, Jungfrau Park is open from May 4th to October 20th. Adult tickets cost 40 Swiss francs ($40 US) and 22 Swiss francs ($22) for kids.

Community Contributors

Added By

Tony Dunnell

Published

May 27, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.livenet.ch/neuigkeiten/vermischtes/112736-euphorischer_erich_von_daeniken.html
  • http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/closure-of-mystery-park-is-no-enigma/5576928
  • http://www.jungfraupark.ch/en/
Jungfrau Park
100 Obere Bönigstrasse
Interlaken
Switzerland
46.681929, 7.877979
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

St. Beatus Cave

Beatenberg, Switzerland

miles away

Trümmelbach Falls

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

miles away

Schilthorn Piz Gloria

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Switzerland

Switzerland

Europe

Places 171
Stories 21

Nearby Places

St. Beatus Cave

Beatenberg, Switzerland

miles away

Trümmelbach Falls

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

miles away

Schilthorn Piz Gloria

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Switzerland

Switzerland

Europe

Places 171
Stories 21

Related Places

  • pictures from 2013

    Sodegaura, Japan

    Tokyo German Village

    This theme park is not in Tokyo, not especially German, and certainly not a village.

  • Jingles the carousel horse.

    Anaheim, California

    Jingles

    The lead horse on a Disneyland merry-go-round that is older than the park itself.

  • Alien Research Center

    Hiko, Nevada

    Alien Research Center

    The self-proclaimed gateway to the Extraterrestrial Highway.

  • Anakie, Australia

    Fairy Park

    This slightly spooky yet nostalgic theme park claims to be the first of its kind in Australia.

  • Pixie Woods entrance.

    Stockton, California

    Pixie Woods

    This hidden amusement park is a magical escape for kids and kids-at-heart.

  • The stele.

    Cáceres, Spain

    The 'Astronaut' of Casar

    A strange anthropomorphic stele with a mysterious inscription that has never been deciphered.

  • Landing site.

    Capel Saint Andrew, England

    Rendlesham Forest UFO Landing

    The scene of the United Kingdom's most famous UFO incident, dubbed the "British Roswell."

  • Washuzan Highland.

    Kurashiki-shi, Japan

    Washuzan Highland

    A dilapidated amusement park with a million-dollar view.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.