BillyBird Park Hemelrijk, which shortened its name to just BillyBird Hemelrijk in 2024, traces its history back to 1986 when the husband and wife team of Ton and Gerrie Derks purchased a small beach by a lake. A few years later, they bought more land around the lake. In 1993, they added an outdoor playground and placed a few small rides inside an old chicken barn. BillyBird Hemelrijk has continued to expand with more playground equipment, outdoor rides, indoor play areas, and water activities. Another water park by a lake, BillyBird Drakenrijk in Beesel, opened in 2013. BillyBird Het Run in Drunen opened as a small water park in 2019. The chain is named after the BillyBird mascot, a "sociable and cheerful bird that likes to fly and explore."