Dutch theme park Efteling is putting the finishing touches on its newest ride, Hooghmoed, a free-fall attraction located alongside the existing Baron 1898 gold mine experience. Construction is nearing completion, with scaffolding largely removed and the attraction’s three elevator towers and 14.5-meter chimney now fully visible on the park grounds.

According to Max Reims, Coordinator of Integral Design, the attraction is themed around a baron’s gold smelter, where gold discovered in the neighboring Baron 1898 mine is melted down. The towering chimney bears the attraction’s name and is visible from a distance. Shaft wheels — similar in design to those at Baron 1898 but featuring a fire motif rather than a pickaxe and shovel — have been installed atop the 12-meter elevator towers using a large crane. A decorative control lever, still being finished in Efteling’s in-house workshop, the Gildehuys, will serve as the operator’s mechanism for launching riders.

A standout feature of the attraction is an animatronic chimney sweep that periodically rises from the top of the chimney and surveys the surroundings before descending. Animatronics specialist Raymund van Riel noted that engineering the figure to move realistically within the full height of the chimney presented considerable technical challenges.

Ride testing began several weeks ago using dummies, with human testers expected to begin trials in late April. In an unusual move for the park, Efteling is also inviting children between the ages of three and nine to apply as official attraction testers alongside Dutch television presenter Jordy Kok on April 26.

Hooghmoed is open to visitors 90 centimeters and taller, with riders under 130 centimeters required to be accompanied by someone over 16. Each ride lasts approximately one and a half minutes and incorporates sound effects and fog. The attraction officially opens to the public on May 1, 2026.

Cover image courtesy of: Efteling