The amusement park built on a destroyed island

Countries & Cities · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: La Ronde isn't just a park; it's a landscape of deliberate destruction. To create its space, a granite island was blasted away, leaving a crater that became a lake. From world's fair ruins to a haunted history of strikes and tragedies, it is a masterpiece of man-made geography.

La Ronde, located on the northern tip of Saint Helen's Island in Montreal, is a study in artificial geography. The park sits on a man-made extension created to surround the remains of the former Ronde Island. To make room for the expansion, the original granite island was destroyed by blasting. The resulting crater was transformed into Dolphin Lake, which now serves as a central feature of the park's layout.

The park's origins are tied to Expo 67, the 1967 world's fair. It was originally a 54-hectare entertainment complex featuring theaters and midway attractions that stayed open until 2:30 a.m. while the rest of the fair closed at 10:30 p.m. While the City of Montreal operated the site for 34 years, it was sold to Six Flags in 2001 for $20 million USD. Since then, Six Flags invested approximately $90 million in major attractions like Le Vampire and Le Goliath.

The site carries a complex legacy of both achievement and tragedy. It has been the site of several fatal accidents at Dolphin Lake, including the 1973 drowning of two police officers and a 1979 boat capsizing. It also houses a somber history: the park's former Alcan Aquarium closed in 1991 after a 41-day worker strike led to the deaths of three dolphins. Today, it remains Quebec's largest amusement park, featuring 37 rides as of 2025, including Le Monstre, the world's highest double-tracked wooden roller coaster.

Ownership is shifting again. In March 2026, it was announced that EPR Properties would acquire the park from Six Flags as part of a $331 million multi-park deal. La Ronde Operations assumed control of the site's activities on 14 May 2026.

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