These gardens cover a large part of the land occupied for 32 years by the old Montjuïc Amusement Park. Between 1930 and 1936, another amusement park had already existed on the upper part of these grounds: the Maricel. Before the construction of the Montjuïc Amusement Park, between 1898 and 1965, this area of the mountain had a military use: the location of the detachment of the Álvarez Castro battery for the defence of the coast, which was built by the Ministry of War during the Cuban War. In 1964, the Barcelona City Council requested the land from the army, and in 1965 the military installations were demolished. The creation of the amusement park (1966) reached its peak during the 1980s, with more than thirty rides and an open-air amphitheatre where concerts were held every summer with very famous singers and groups of the time. In the late 1990s, the park began its decline and the municipal concession for the use of the land ended. Proposals for a new concession were unsuccessful, and in 1998 the Montjuïc Amusement Park closed its doors. In 2000, Barcelona City Council decided to build the current public gardens, which made it possible to rearrange and renovate a large part of the upper part of Montjuïc mountain. The Joan Brossa gardens are an excellent example of the landscape and environmental recovery of a space through the consolidation of the existing vegetation and the enhancement of a natural and wild aspect. Halfway between a forest park and a city garden, the Joan Brossa gardens take characteristics from both, especially those of a forest. Their location has made the Joan Brossa Gardens the connecting element between several gardens in the Parc de Montjuïc. On the other hand, the playful, children's and recreational character of the former amusement park is still present in these gardens. There are three play areas in which elements for all ages have been installed, some of them very original. Music is also a very important recreational aspect. On the path that crosses the park there are ‘musical pillows’ that emit sounds when stepped on, and an area with zip lines and drilling games.