2023-04-18 19:31:11
1. Six Flags in New Orleans, USA
It was one of the attractions in the US state of Louisiana – until hurricane Katrina hit and destroyed everything in 2005. The amusement park, then called Jazzland, only opened in 2000. The investor had it cost 135 million US dollars.
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The park, which has been called Six Flags Amusement Park since 2002, was actually supposed to be expanded to include a water park, but the natural disaster thwarted the plans: the water in the park was up to three meters high due to the hurricane. The attractions were so badly damaged that the investor did not allow the park to be rebuilt.
Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005 and flooded Six Flags Amusement Park.
© What: imago images/UPI Photo
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2. Okpo Land in Geoje, South Korea
A roller coaster, a carousel, a few smaller rides, that’s what made Okpo Park on the South Korean island of Geoje. Until 1999 – then the park was closed. Since then, the rides have been standing around and decaying, some of the rubbish is still lying where it was left when it was closed suddenly.
The reason for the closure: in 1990 and 1999, a little girl was fatally injured by a ride. In both cases it was the same carousel. While the operator simply moved on following the first death and did not comment on the incident, the park eventually closed following the death of the second child.
3. Spreepark in Berlin-Koepenick, Germany
It was once the only amusement park in the GDR – and who knows, maybe there will be a renaissance soon? The Spreepark in the Treptow-Köpenick district of Berlin was opened in 1969 as the Plänterwald culture park and had up to 1.7 million visitors a year.
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But following reunification everything changed, the park was remodeled according to the western model, but the visitors stayed away. The operator went bankrupt in 2002, and the site has been derelict ever since. The amusement park has become one of the most exciting Lost Places in Berlin. In 2014, however, the state of Berlin bought the facility and wants to make it usable once more.
The former amusement park Spreewald in Berlin has been closed since 2002.
© Source: imago images/Jürgen Heinrich
4. Prypjat amusement park in Prypjat, Ukraine
A fully equipped amusement park that has been open for a few hours is Pripyat Amusement Park in Ukraine. On May 1st, 1986, as part of the May Day celebrations, the amusement park was to open its doors for the first time.
But it never got that far, because on April 26, 1986 the unimaginable happened: A nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, just a few kilometers away, exploded. The day following, it was decided to open the park to distract people – but following just a few hours, operations were stopped and Pripyat was evacuated.
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Until the war once morest Ukraine, Chernobyl was a popular tourist destination. There are numerous photos on social media of the place that has become a symbol of the nuclear catastrophe.
5. Wonderland in Peking, China
It was to be the largest amusement park in Asia – Wonderland was built on 40 hectares on the outskirts of Beijing in China. The prestige project began in the early 1990s, inspired by the major Disney parks around the world. But at some point the investor Reignwood Group ran out of money – and there was a dispute over land prices with the local farmers.
Construction stopped in 1998 – Wonderland was almost finished by then. Most of the buildings were demolished once more in 2013, only the unfinished castle remained. The area has been deserted and neglected since then, signs warn of toxins on the site.
Wonderland was supposed to be the largest amusement park in Asia, but due to disputes between investors, the half-finished park never opened.
© Quelle: imago images/China Foto Press
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It is unclear whether it will ever be usable once more. In recent years, however, homeless people have repeatedly stayed in the buildings that are still standing.
6. Geauga Lake Amusement Park in Aurora, USA
Geauga Lake in Ohio was as old as only a few amusement parks: the park on the lake of the same name opened as an amusement park as early as 1889. For 120 years, families have had fun here, riding roller coasters, enjoying carousels and fun booths.
But in the late 1990s things weren’t going so well for the park. The new operator Six Flags installed four new roller coasters, but the visitors stayed away. In 2005, the Wildwater Kingdom water park was opened on the same site. But just two years later, investors gave up: On September 16, 2007, the Geauga Lake Amusement Park, which has had four different names over the years, closed.
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The new Wildwater Kingdom, with three pools and 15 water slides, didn’t fare much better. Less than ten years later, on September 5th, 2016, the gates closed here too. In the future, apartments, restaurants and retail shops are to be built on the park site.
7. Encore Garden in Taichung, Taiwan
Once upon a time there was a very popular and famous amusement park – but then nature came and destroyed it. Encore Garden in Taichung, Taiwan was not only famous for its carousels, playgrounds and theater, but also had some technical attractions for the time, such as a cinema on top of a water curtain that acted as a screen.
But in September 1999 the earth trembled in Taiwan – around 2,400 people lost their lives. And Encore Garden was destroyed. The operators partially rebuilt the park under difficult conditions and partially reopened it – but it was no longer possible to continue the glorious times. In 2008 it was over, the investor ran out of money and the visitors stayed away anyway.
Although the grounds are still private and entry is therefore not permitted, Encore Garden has become a popular photo spot over the years. There were even tours for a few years, but that has since been discontinued.
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8. Cementland nahe St. Louis, USA
In Cementland, a sculptor’s big dreams met a sad end. Bob Cassilly wanted to achieve an amusement park on the four-acre site of a former cement plant on Riverview Drive in St. Louis that celebrated cement production in St. Louis – including whimsical stone and cement sculptures.
Before long he had turned the old factory into a kind of castle, with an inner courtyard of sculpted creations. However, on September 26, 2011, Cassily died on the premises. At first it seemed as if his bulldozer had fallen down a hill with him. But in 2016, another autopsy report revealed he was probably beaten to death.
Cementland has continued to deteriorate ever since. A fire in 2014 also caused the roof of the factory to collapse. Due to the danger of collapse, the site is closed to the public.
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9. Dreamland in Nara, Japan
Nara Dreamland in Japan was modeled following Disneyland in California: lots of pink, lots of pink, lots of castles. It was opened in 1962, back then even in collaboration with the Disneyland creative team. But during the construction work, a dispute arose and Nara Dreamland had to come up with its own animals and mascots.
The park was hugely popular with locals and visitors alike until Disneyland Tokyo opened in 1983, but interest waned tremendously following that. When Universal Studios opened in Osaka just 40 kilometers away in 2001, Dreamland finally came to an end. On August 31, 2006, the park was closed.
In the meantime, the park has been completely demolished in order to build apartment blocks there. But videos on the web continue to remind us of the former Lost Place.
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10. Land of Oz in Beech Mountain, USA
Now it’s getting really spooky: The Land of Oz in North Carolina still has a soul. 40 years following it was closed, the park has suddenly reopened a few days a year – and brings Dorothy back to life.
In 1970, the park was created following the film “The Wizard of Oz” and was known for the fairytale characters, a castle and its own yellow cobblestone path. But then the owner died in 1975 and a fire broke out. The rumor that an employee set the fire persists to this day.
The park reopened, but the visitors stayed away – financial problems led to the closure in 1980. In the past year, however, parts of the park have been reopened on a few select days, along with Dorothy individual attractions can be seen once more. Also for 2022 there are some dates in September.
Travel reporter
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