25 Forgotten Amusement Parks That Are Now In Ruins Or Gone

Once filled with joy and laughter, these amusement parks now sit in eerie silence—their roller coasters frozen mid-scream and the giant wheel slowly decaying. Nature has crept in, reclaiming once-thriving attractions with rust and ivy. But what caused their downfall? Let’s take you on a ride.

Six Flags New Orleans, USA

Hurricane Katrina drowned this once-thriving park in 2005, leaving rides like the Mega Zeph roller coaster to rust. Decay and graffiti now coat the ruins, creating a haunting playground for urban explorers. Despite years of redevelopment talks, the park remains a silent monument to nature’s power.

Takakanonuma Greenland, Japan

Hidden in mist-covered mountains, this park mysteriously shut down twice—first in 1973 and then permanently in 1999. Rusted roller coasters peek through the fog to create a ghostly scene from a horror movie. Locals whisper rumors of unexplained disappearances, which add to its eerie charm.

Spreepark, Berlin, Germany

Once East Germany’s only amusement park, Spreepark closed in 2002 due to financial mismanagement. A decaying Ferris wheel creaks in the wind, and toppled dinosaur statues litter the grounds. Occasionally, unauthorized visitors sneak in, drawn to its surreal, post-apocalyptic charm.

Mimaland, Selangor, Malaysia

A dense jungle now swallows the abandoned slides and pools of Mimaland, Malaysia’s first theme park. Ghost hunters claim to hear whispers of laughter echoing through the trees at night. Once a vibrant attraction, a fatal accident in 1994 sealed its fate.

Nara Dreamland, Japan

What happens when a dream fades? Urban explorers once roamed the ghostly streets of Nara Dreamland, a Disneyland knockoff that thrived after its 1961 opening. However, its popularity waned, leading to its closure in 2006. The decayed castles and silent rides lingered—until demolition in 2016 erased its fairy tale forever.

Blobbyland, Somerset, England

Blobbyland, inspired by the eccentric 90s TV character Mr. Blobby, was doomed from the start. Its pink, polka-dotted structures crumbled into a surreal nightmare before being demolished around 2014. Once a short-lived attraction, it became one of England’s strangest abandoned sites before vanishing entirely.

Loudoun Castle, Scotland

Loudoun Castle’s empty fields and forgotten rides paint a stark picture against the backdrop of its crumbling ruins. Once dubbed the “Disneyland of Scotland,” the park met its demise in 2010 after a fatal accident. The remnants of laughter and joy have now faded.

Umoja Children’s Park, Zanzibar, Tanzania

In Zanzibar, Umoja Children’s Park was once a lively escape for families, echoing with laughter and playful chatter. Its vibrant murals have faded into ghosts of the past while the swings creak idly in the wind. This joyful retreat has become a rust-covered relic of forgotten days, swallowed by time.

Pripyat Amusement Park, Ukraine

This park, set to open on May 1, 1986, never welcomed visitors. Just days before its grand debut, the Chornobyl disaster forced an evacuation. The iconic Ferris wheel, untouched by time but weathered by radiation, is a chilling reminder of a vanished city.

Niigata Russian Village, Japan

Wonderland Amusement Park, Beijing, China

In the 1990s, construction on Wonderland halted due to financial collapse, leaving China’s largest theme park unfinished. Half-built medieval castles stood abandoned for years, a ghostly reminder of abandoned ambitions. Though it never welcomed visitors, the park remained a ghostly monument until its demolition in 2013.

Frontier Town, New York, USA

Frontier Town entertained visitors with cowboy shootouts from 1952 to 1998. It captured the Wild West craze. Its wooden saloons and jails, now weathered by time, offer a ghostly glimpse into a bygone era of American entertainment by standing eerily silent in contrast to their once-bustling past.

Joyland Amusement Park, Kansas, USA

Joyland was Kansas’ pride from 1949 to 2004, home to a wooden roller coaster and a famous Wurlitzer organ. However, decay and vandalism have since taken over and left behind merely a playground of shattered dreams with rusting rides.

Fantasy World, Lemery, Philippines

This castle-filled Wonderland was supposed to be Disneyland’s biggest rival—until the money ran dry before the gates even opened. Now, its eerie yet enchanting towers lure curious visitors by offering a bittersweet peek at what might have been.

Discovery Island, Florida, USA

Once a wildlife attraction at Walt Disney World, Discovery Island was abandoned in 1999. Overgrown pathways wind through empty animal enclosures, creating an eerie jungle hidden within the happiest place on Earth. Though off-limits, its ghostly remains continue to spark mystery among urban explorers.

Lake Shawnee Amusement Park, West Virginia, USA

Some places are just born haunted. Built on a Native American burial ground, this park saw multiple accidents before closing in 1966. It briefly reopened in 1987 but shut down for good in 1988. Presently, rusted swings sway on their own. Is it just the wind?

Chippewa Lake Park, Ohio, USA

A century of laughter faded to silence when this park closed in 1978. Nature crept in, and now vines roll around old roller coasters like a jungle reclaiming its prey. The ghostly ballroom still stands as if waiting for dancers who never return. Would you dare step inside?

Okpo Land, South Korea

Nothing says “bad idea,” like a park with a death trap for a mascot. Okpo Land’s duck ride derailed in 1999, killing a passenger, and the owners disappeared overnight. Financial troubles, possibly linked to the tragic accident, sealed its fate and led to its demolition in 2011.

Wonderland Eurasia, Ankara, Turkey

They called it Turkey’s answer to Disneyland, but financial chaos turned this mega-park into a ghost town within a year. Roller coasters rust before they ever thrill a crowd. Now, it’s a playground for pigeons, not people. An abandoned park that never even had a chance? That’s just cruel.

Archaeolink Prehistory Park, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Financial ruin crushed the dream of time travel. Visitors once explored ancient history brought vividly to life, but dwindling interest left the park to wither. Its Stone Age huts and crumbling exhibits dissolve into the Scottish hills. This was either history reclaiming its own or just another marketing misstep.

Magic Mountain, Gold Coast, Australia

Perched on a coastal hill, Magic Mountain once thrilled families with wild rides and bizarre mascots. But when more significant parks opened, this one faded fast. The mountain still stands, but only in name. Its once-magical realm has vanished beneath luxury apartments. Some call it progress; others call it erasure.

Amazons Aquatic Adventureland, Jindalee, Australia

A paradise of slides and wave pools turned ghostly overnight. A drowning forced its sudden closure, and the land was repurposed. Yet some claim to hear phantom splashes echoing through the night as if the water itself remembers what it once was.

Disney’s River Country, Florida, USA

Disney’s first water park had an eerie farewell. Closed in 2001, it was left to rot—its pools stagnant, its slides fading under Florida’s relentless sun. Rumors of deadly bacteria and hidden dangers only added to its mystique. Why demolish a park when you can let it become a legend?

Dadipark, Belgium

Thrill-seeking kids once ruled this park, but after a tragic accident left a boy without an arm, the rides screeched to a halt. Rusting jungle gyms and decayed attractions create an eerie, post-apocalyptic playground. Some adventurers sneak in chasing nostalgia, others, perhaps, hoping to meet a ghost or two.

Gondwanaland, Brisbane, Australia

Fading murals of T-Rexes and long-abandoned trails remind visitors of a time when this place had promise. This prehistoric-themed park, born from Expo ’88, aimed to bring dinosaurs back to life, but instead, they became extinct. Maybe some dreams, like dinosaurs, are meant to stay in the past.