The venue began as gardens for “genteel” people to stroll in but amusement park rides were added from the 1870s onwards and grew in such numbers that by the early twentieth century, the site was advertised as the "showground of the world”. Firework displays began in 1852 and a Christmas Fair from 1922. The King’s Hall opened in 1910 and hosted such diverse events as the Halle Orchestra, rock groups, circuses and professional wrestling. The zoo, which was begun by the founder of the gardens, John Jennison, was at one time the third largest in the country.