Parque Mayer, Lisbon
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 Interactive map of Parque Mayer | |
| Location | Lisbon, Portugal |
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| Coordinates | 38°43′08″N 9°08′47″W / 38.71889°N 9.14639°W |
| Opened | July 1922 |
| Owner | Lisbon City Council |
Parque Mayer is a theatrical and entertainment district in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. Originally created as a summer amusement park, it at one time had four theatres, although one was demolished in 2015 and another has not been used since 1992. Successive proposals have been made for upgrading the area, but none has yet come to fruition.[1][2]
Parque Mayer was developed in gardens once attached to the Palacete Mayer (now the Spanish Embassy). It is situated between Lisbon's Botanical Gardens and the west side of the Avenida da Liberdade, an important boulevard that heads out of the old centre of Lisbon in a northwesterly direction. The land and an earlier palace are likely to have belonged to a religious order that was abolished by the Marquis of Pombal who was effectively the ruler of Portugal between 1750 and 1777. He sold the property to the Marquise of Alorna and after passing through several hands it was purchased by Adolfo Lima Mayer (1838 - 1918) who demolished the former palace of the Marquise and constructed the Palacete Mayer and its gardens. The palace was designed by Nicola Bigaglia (1841–1908). In 1902 it became the first winner of the Valmor prize, awarded to the best new building in Lisbon of the year.[1][2]
An amusement park
With the death of Lima Mayer in 1918, the building was sold by his heirs, being purchased by Artur Brandão. The palace was initially used as recreational and gambling nightclub but in 1930 was sold to the Spanish Government. In 1921, the gardens were sold to Luís Galhardo, a journalist and theatrical impresario who dreamed of creating an entertainment area similar to the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen or Coney Island in New York City. As a first step he formed the Avenida Parque Company (Sociedade Avenida Parque), which initially offered activities of the type found in village fairs in Portugal, including wrestling and boxing matches, merry-go-rounds, and shooting galleries. Later, restaurants, a skating rink, a circus, dodgem cars and an open-air cinema were added.[1][2]
