Helter Skelter Hire

The helter skelter is a fixed fairground tower with a slide that spirals around the outside. Riders climb the stairs inside the structure, collect a mat at the top and come down the spiral to the bottom. It has been part of British fairs for well over a century and it is a rigid, built structure: this entry describes a proper traditional helter skelter, not an inflatable.

What to expect

It is a gentle ride with a big presence. Children tend to go round more than once, adults ride it for the nostalgia, and the tower itself becomes a focal point that people navigate by. Designs vary. There are traditional round towers with painted panels and a pointed roof, square-plan designs, and lighthouse-style helter skelters that look particularly good by the sea or at an evening event with the lights on.

Planning your hire

Height is the main consideration: the tower needs level ground, clear space around the run-off at the bottom of the slide, and nothing above it. It is built on site from its transport, so access for the vehicle and room to assemble are needed. The size of the tower, how it is staffed and who can ride depend on the helter skelter supplied and are confirmed with your proposal.

A helter skelter sits naturally in a traditional line-up with gallopers, swing boats and a big wheel, and it also works well on its own at a wedding or a village event where one striking attraction is enough.