Heritage conservation in a theme park culture: positioning material change in the practice of Efteling

Purpose This research addresses emerging questions concerning heritage conservation in contemporary theme parks by positioning the role of material change within their cultural practices. Design/methodology/approach The research adopts an explorative single-case study approach focused on Efteling in the Netherlands, drawing on participatory observations within the park’s management in 2024. Ongoing projects were assessed through observations and conversational interviews with project members, illustrating varying degrees of material change that challenge conventional conservation practices. Additionally, dialogue with heritage authorities informed a culture-specific conservation strategy. Findings Efteling can be regarded as an active cultural landscape, significant in the postwar emergence of escapist mass tourism, continuing to serve this purpose today. As theme parks construct staged environments, material authenticity holds limited relevance, while sustained appeal through change is essential to their viability. Consequently, this case-based research indicates that conservation approaches rooted in material authenticity may be insufficient as a primary organizing principle to preserve the cultural value of an operational theme park; alternatively, the living heritage approach offers a viable perspective, prioritizing cultural continuity over material preservation. Originality/value This research introduces theme park culture as an underexplored topic within heritage research. By articulating the mechanisms that enable the sustainable safeguarding of its cultural values, the study primarily clarifies how theme park heritage can be understood and approached as a subject of preservation. Secondarily, it extends the scope of the living heritage approach by demonstrating its relevance in dialogue with a commercially driven context.