Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people. An amusement park is more elaborate than a simple city park or playground, usually providing attractions meant to cater specifically to certain age groups, as well as some that are aimed towards all ages.

Amusement parks evolved in Europe from fairs and pleasure gardens which were created for people's recreation. The oldest amusement park in the world (opened 1583) is Bakken, at Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen, Denmark. In the United States, world's fairs and expositions were another influence on development of the amusement park industry.

Most amusement parks have a fixed location, as compared to traveling funfairs and carnivals. These temporary types of amusement parks are usually present for a few days or weeks per year, such as funfairs in the United Kingdom, and carnivals (temporarily set up in a vacant lot or parking lots) and fairs (temporarily operated in a fair ground) in the United States. The temporary nature of these fairs helps to convey the feeling that people are in a different place or time.

The Last Ride is a western novel by Thomas Eidson, first published in 1995. It is the sequel to St. Agnes' Stand (1994) and is followed by All God's Children (1998).

The plot concerns an aging shaman who tries to reconcile with his estranged daughter in New Mexico. When his granddaughter is kidnapped by renegade Apaches, the two must work together to get her back.

A film adaptation of the novel entitled The Missing was released in 2003. The film was directed by Ron Howard and stars Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett.

Reissued as The Missing after the 2003 film adaptation: