O
perating equipment on the jobsite might not
seem like a day at the park to most land-
scapers and their crews. But for West Berlin,
New Jersey, residents and visitors, it can be.
Spanning 14 acres, Diggerland USA is a con-
struction-themed adventure park where children
and adults alike can ride and operate heavy ma-
chinery. It opened June 14 and is located behind
Sahara Sam's Oasis, an indoor and outdoor water
park with the same owners.
"Kids and adults are all mesmerized by construc-
tion equipment," says Ilya Girlya, CEO and owner
of Diggerland USA (diggerlandusa.com) and Sahara
Sam's Oasis (saharasams.com). "We play with them
as kids, we watch them when they drive by and
we dream of being able to drive one. That's what
makes it so exciting for everyone, including us."
The park has 23 attractions such as the Spin
Dizzy, a JCB JS220 excavator that lifts and spins
riders, and Sky Shuttle, a modifi ed JCB telehandler
that takes guests 50 feet in the area for a pan-
oramic view of the park. The Dig-A-Round, a fun
twist on a carousel, incorporates a modifi ed JCB
8065 excavator where riders sit in the buckets.
"When we were young, we loved to play grown-
ups – Diggerland USA brings that nostalgia to life,"
says Sharon Rushen, marketing manager for both
parks. "While many of us played with construction
4 To t a l L a n d s c a p e C a r e . c o m J U LY 2 014
Diggerland USA puts
children and adults
behind the controls at
country's fi rst construction theme park
Equipment
Joyride
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