Gay World Amusement Park
View of the National Stadium from the empty plot of land where Gay World Amusement Park was once situated
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| Location | Geylang, Singapore |
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| Opened | 1937 |
| Closed | 2000 |
| Previous names | Happy World |
| Area | 3.2 hectares |
Located between Geylang Road and Grove Road (now Mountbatten Road), Gay World was one of the famous trio of "World" amusement parks in Singapore. Together with the other two "Worlds", Great World Amusement Park (1930s–1978) at Kim Seng Road and New World Amusement Park (1923–1987) at Jalan Besar, Gay World Park was hustling and bustling with nightlife during the 1930s to 1960s. These amusement parks were especially popular among Singaporeans as it was the locals only form of entertainment, before television or shopping malls were introduced. Gay World Park was an all-in-one complex, where visitors were offered a wide range of entertainment, from movies to shopping and games. However, as its popularity began to dip in the 1970s, Gay World Park was eventually demolished in 2000 to make way for residential estates. This officially marked the end of Gay World Park and its journey in the entertainment industry.
Gay World was set up in 1936 by George Lee Geok Eng of George Lee Motors at a cost of $350,000. This amusement park was originally known to be Happy World when it first started operations in April 1937. It was later renamed Gay World Park in 1966 when Eng Wah Organization officially took over ownership of the park. Even though the other two amusement parks were already well-established before the introduction of Happy World and had mechanical rides such as ferris wheels as attractors, Happy World still managed to attract crowds as it offered a unique fusion of Eastern and Western entertainment concepts. From traditional Javanese dances (called ronggeng), to movies, cultural shows, cabaret performances and sports matches, Happy World offered affordable entertainment for many Singaporeans.
On May 6, 1937, Happy World celebrated its opening with a grand affair, with over 1000 guests drinking over 100 gallons of champagne. Tea was served to the guests in the cabaret as well as to 100 tables set up inside the main entrance gates at the park. Only several stalls, the cabaret and the Happy Cinema had completed construction at this time. Guests were given a performance at the cabaret by Ms Maudrene Yap prior to the opening of the dance floor to guests.
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