High Chaparral

High Chaparral is a theme park with the Wild West as the main attraction. The park is located in the Gnosjö region of Småland, between Gnosjö, Anderstorp and Värnamo. At High Chaparral, visitors are part of the adventure, and a lot of exciting experiences await them, in a real Wild West scenario, with bison, train wagons, stagecoaches, Indians and cowboys and gold panning.

The park was built by Bengt Erlandsson, also known as Big Bengt. He grew up in a village that was marked by the emigration to the United States that took place in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1956, Bengt visited the United States for four months, and in the early 1960s he started building a fort that looked very much like the ones he had seen in the States. In 1966, the newly established park opened its doors to the public and was given the same name as the popular TV series, High Chaparral, which had just been shown on television. Since then, the park, set in 50 acres of land with some 265 buildings, has been a popular tourist destination, especially for families with children.

The park is open from the end of May to the end of August and on certain public holidays. Be sure to check the opening hours on the park's website if you plan to visit High Chaparral on your driving holiday in Småland.