The Creepiest Abandoned Amusement Parks In The World

Some say they're eerie, while others find them hauntingly beautiful. There's no denying, though, that abandoned amusement parks are a source of endless fascination. Located all over the world, these vacant lots now serve as grim graveyards for the grounds that once rung with laughter. Children shrieked with joy and rollercoasters soared overheard, with the scents of cotton candy, popcorn, and funnel cake all wafting through the air. Today, they're more like horror movie sets — just have a look at how well nature and nostalgia collide at this abandoned amusement park in Indiana.

In varied states of disrepair, these remains of once lively theme parks serve as simultaneous points of awe and sadness for the curious. Urban explorers are compelled to visit for a closer look at the dilapidated attractions, from the vine-covered rides to the buildings coated in moss. Some parks still feature relatively recognizable structures covered in bits of grime, while others are completely decayed. While intriguing from a point of fascination, there's actually quite a bit to explore in these abandoned parks.

This could explain the draw — and the countless videos and blog posts dedicated to the wide world of abandoned places all over the world. The fear factor is real, whether you're hoping to visit the creepiest abandoned amusement parks in America or planning to venture to Europe for a look at what remains of their spine-tingling parks. Here are some of most chilling in the world.

Concealed in the eerie Appalachians is an abandoned amusement park that has for years drawn everyone from ghost hunters to television crews for a closer look. His mouth agape, a devilish clown painted on a large board ominously greets visitors. Many have wondered whether its mysterious beginnings portended what eventually became of Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in Rock, West Virginia. Built during the 1920s on the site of a Native American burial ground, the park is notorious for many reasons.

Several children are said to have lost their lives in accidents, including a young girl killed on a swing. Reportedly, her ghost lingers at the abandoned park to this day, and she's been "spotted" wearing a pink dress. Some even claim they've heard faint giggles in the midst of the remains. Her swing creeks ominously at times, even when there's no wind. The spirit of a boy who tragically drowned in the lake is also said to haunt the grounds. Others have reported seeing shadows, hearing disembodied whispers, and experiencing drafts that simply defy explanation.

The park's remnants include a rusting Ferris wheel, a long-decayed ticket booth, and the swing set, long since broken down. All of these add to the generally unsettled sensation visitors feel when they pass through the entry gates. Although the park officially closed down in 1966, today it's a very popular destination for brave adventurers and paranormal enthusiasts who wish to experience the haunting aura for themselves.

Long before Tokyo Disneyland was even an idea, Nara Dreamland brought the concept of the joyous theme park to life. Opened in 1961, this ambitious park was a truly innovative concept at the time, designed with the intention of bringing the lively American theme park to the Kansai region (its appearance even mirrored Disneyland). With its fairytale castle, monorail, and many attractions, the park quickly became a family-favorite destination. However, that dream started to fade by the late 20^th century as newer parks — namely Tokyo Disneyland — started luring crowds. By the early 2000s, its future seemed set in stone when Nara Dreamland's gates closed for good.

What remained was simultaneously creepy and fascinating. Overgrown vegetation was everywhere, wrapping around the aged rides and covering the grounds, while lingering ticket booths were covered in rust. The park's cheery murals, once awash in vibrant colors, fell victim to graffiti vandalism. Many rides seemed almost frozen in place, as if abandoned mid-motion and left to rot. Maybe the most haunting sites of all were the assorted remnants of dust- and rust-covered clowns, witches, and other assorted mascots. Some could possibly even convince themselves that they could still hear laughter in the open air.

Despite this desolation, Nara Dreamland was enormously popular before it was torn down in 2016. It was a virtual paradise for urban explorers and photographers eager to get a taste of that ghostly atmosphere for themselves.

With Mount Fuji looming in the distance, it would be difficult to miss Gulliver's Kingdom. Opened in 1997, the park was inspired by Jonathan Swift's classic novel, Gulliver's Travels, and featured a massive, 147-foot-long statue of Gulliver himself, bound to the ground by the Lilliputians. Despite this creative design and imaginative concept, though, the park in all of its storybook charm could not overcome the unfortunate reputation of its location in Kawaguchi-machi, Japan.

While it certainly attracted families, all the splendor of the park couldn't compete with its proximity to both the so-called "suicide forest" of Aokigahara and a nearby facility known for its production of sarin gas. These associations largely overshadowed the park's charm, significantly affecting its popularity and leading to lower-than-expected visitor numbers. By 2001, just four years after it opened, the park's gates shuttered — and all that remained were those surreal attractions frozen in time.

Those remnants remain a draw for curiosity seekers even today. Towering Gulliver now appears worse for wear, decidedly weathered due to the ravages of time — yet continues to draw attention as a ghoulish centerpiece of sorts. All around him are disintegrating remnants and overgrown pathways, all of which lend the park a distinctly otherworldly vibe. Even the walls bear graffiti, adding to its incredibly dilapidated appearance.

Once lively and vibrant when it opened in 1993, Pleasure Island in Cleethorpes, England, was a park split into six distinct sections. Each offered unique attractions and shows designed to delight families and thrill-seekers alike — and for years, the park was a go-to destination that drew crowds for its diversity and atmosphere. However, visitors steadily declined over the years, leading to its eventual closure in 2017.

Today the derelict park is but a shadow of its former self. The grounds were long cleared of its rides — and many of them have found new homes in other amusement parks around the world. Devoid of that original charm that once set it apart, the vast grounds are now eerily silent. The decaying remains of its buildings are overtaken with blends of mold and brush. Turrets of a once-grand castle are now discolored by moss. Overgrown grasses lend the area an even more haunting appearance.

Explorers who have ventured onto the grounds in the aftermath of the park's closure shared haunting images and videos, featuring everything from broken down structures to the remnants of cash registers and coolers inside eating establishments. A giant stuffed head lay on its side in one of the offices. Old signage for everything from cotton candy to donuts sits haphazardly against the walls. The effect is jarring given its past — but Cleethorpes may know a new future soon, as a proposal has been submitted to transform the property into a holiday retreat.

Once known as Ghost Town in the Sky at Ghost Mountain Park, this Wild West-themed park opened in 1961 in North Carolina. Situated in the Great Smoky Mountains of Maggie Valley, this park once boomed with crowds and energy. It was famous for its authentic replica buildings, its staged gunfights that looked straight out of an old western movie, and its thrilling rides that offered impressive views of the mountains. Visitors could take chairlifts or board an incline railway to reach the elevated attraction.

For all its meticulously recreated detail to bringing cowboy culture to life, time wasn't on the park's side. Financial issues left the beloved park in a state of decay and it eventually shuttered in 2002. Today, it's a shadow of its former self — with rollercoasters and other rides rusted over and sitting idle, bright colors dulled by decades of exposure to the elements. The colorful saloons and storefronts, once bustling with everything from mock duels to live music, are crumbling and weathered.

Today, visiting Ghost Town in the Sky is a bit like traveling to a ghost town (like this eerie and historic state park in California). The abandoned site is eerily silent, and there's a sense that it's been frozen in time. The tattered remnants of the park's glory days — including faded signs advertising shows — contribute to that haunted feeling. The once-lively family vacation destination is now a reminder that even the legendary Wild West couldn't compete with Father Time.

Once upon a time, Wonderland Theme Park was a truly magical idea. It was meant to be a vast rival to Disneyland, both in scale and charm. When construction started in the 1990s in Chenzhuang Village north of Beijing, it was with every intention of creating a fairytale kingdom complete with castles, rides, and shops. However, funding issues and disputes over the land brought the ambitious project to a sudden halt, leaving in its wake a slew of skeletal structures that never had the chance to come to life.

Urban explorers who visit Wonderland Theme Park today are met with that haunting sight. The centerpiece is an unfinished castle rising above the landscape, complete with weathered spires and an aged appearance. Around the castle are the remnants of half-built attractions, cracked concrete pathways awash in weeds, and frames of buildings that never had the opportunity to host guests. The juxtaposition between the two — this vision of total abandonment coupled with the knowledge that it was meant to replicate Disneyland — makes this abandoned park a popular spot to visit.

Today, the remains of the castle preside hauntingly over fields of crops, while a vacant parking lot offers a view of another never-used castle, complete with colorful turrets and towers. Adventurers have walked the grounds, revealing eerie photographs of grassy paths that never saw a hint of foot traffic. This park is a clear example of fruits of intense labor never coming to fruition.

There's almost no other park in the world that feels more frozen in time than the completely broken down Pripyat Amusement Park in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It was originally scheduled to open in early May of 1986 as an uplifting retreat for those who lived in bustling Pripyat, which housed those who worked at the nearby Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Instead, the gates were hurriedly opened just days after the Chernobyl disaster, which occurred on April 26 of that year. The idea was that, by opening the park sooner, it would serve as a distraction from the crisis. However, the entire city was evacuated soon thereafter — and the park now stands as a disturbing monument of a moment frozen in time.

Due to decades of exposure to both radiation and the elements, the attractions dotted throughout the park are in utter states of disrepair. The park's most iconic feature, a bright yellow Ferris wheel, still looms over the grounds in an oddly poignant — if haunting — way. Rust-covered bumper cars almost appear frozen mid-motion, while the skeletal forms of swings and small carousels provide a haunting glimpse into what the builders had originally planned for the park.

Today, the grounds are part of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Visitors are drawn there to get a close-up glimpse of its somewhat post-apocalyptic appearance or to embark on foot to explore the crumbling remains.

Nothing could have prepared the residents of New Orleans for the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. Among the attractions affected was the Six Flags New Orleans theme park. A part of the popular American chain, it was a lively, traditional park filled with rollercoasters, water rides, and themed attractions that celebrated the city. But the hurricane devastated the city in 2005, leaving the park submerged under floodwater for weeks and leading to irreversible damage. Though those waters did eventually recede, the park never reopened.

Visitors who wish to sneak a peek today are in for a surreal sight. There are remnants of the park in all their glory, from motionless, silent rollercoasters on rusted steel frames to overgrown weeds that have long since carpeted the pathways. Faded signs and broken rides are the norm — and even the entrance marquee still bears a sign to this day stating that the park is "closed for storm." It's a bit of a creepy reminder that no one could have predicted the park's gates would never open again.

It may be desolate, but Six Flags New Orleans has actually become something of an iconic location in the urban explorer world. Even the team behind Jurassic World were suitably impressed by what they found, using the haunting location to shoot scenes for the movie. There are plans in motion to potentially transform the site into a mixed-use development, but for now people continue to visit its remains.

Cidade Albanoel is anything but jolly. The theme park designed in honor of Christmas is now merely a shadow of what it could have been. Located in Itaguaí, Brazil, it was fueled by a vision of a local politician who dreamed of opened a year-round holiday wonderland. His vision was cut short, sadly, when he was killed in a car accident during the construction phase. The project was left incomplete, and the park quickly fell into a state of complete disrepair — with no hopes of bringing to life the festive dream.

All that remains are structures that look like they belong on the set of a holiday horror movie. Among the most infamous is an enormous, decaying statue of Santa Claus, his mouth wide open and his face covered in dirt and weathered paint. More menacing than merry, the sleighs and reindeer statues that surround Santa are just as eerie. Much of the ground is covered in vegetation, and the park's once cheerful colors are now lackluster due to sun exposure and the ravages of time. The rest of the park is dotted with partially completed rides, lending it an even greater sense of isolation.

Despite this overall creepiness, the park draws many curious explorers who wish to see this vision of Christmas in all its faded glory. For those who appreciate the macabre, there's an odd allure about the vision of dozens of aged, dilapidated Santas dotting the grounds of an out-of-the-way-theme park.

Once the oldest amusement park in Europe, Dadipark in Moorslede was a popular family attraction for more than 50 years. Its gates opened in the 1950s as a playground for those visiting the nearby basilica, eventually growing into a park with more widespread appeal. It was simple and charming, lacking the conventional flash of theme parks and instead embracing a more wholesome quality. By the late 1990s, however, people began to lose interest in the park, and it began to lose visitors to larger, more modern parks. In 2002, a child was injured on a jet boat ride, a tragic accident that deeply impacted Dadipark's reputation.

Today, the grounds are nothing more than a haunting snapshot of their former heyday. Once popular attractions, like dilapidated water slides and rusting bumper cars, are now cloaked in vines and awash in graffiti. Old signs bear faded letters and weathered paint, directing visitors toward rides and attractions that no longer even exist. Even remnants like park tickets remain, adding to the creepiness of the atmosphere.

Naturally, it's quite a draw for urban explorers who are fascinated by the park's melancholy vibe. From its crumbling infrastructure to its overgrown grounds, it's a dramatic contrast to a park that was once a true local landmark.

Onn Beech Mountain in North Carolina, a theme park dedicated to the famed story still remains decades after closing. It's the antithesis to the whimsical Wizard of Oz-themed park in Chicago. During the 1970s, it was a wonderland complete with a vibrant Yellow Brick Road, an Emerald City, fun-filled stage shows, and fully costumed characters that delighted visitors. Unfortunately, the Emerald City attraction caught on fire in 1975, destroying everything from sound systems to offices to the gift shop. Several important costumes, like Dorothy's famous dress, were also stolen.

That wasn't enough to stop Oz's popularity — it was rebuilt in months and drew many visitors. Time was its greatest enemy, as the park's quality and lack of refurbishments declined over the years. This led to the park's eventual closure after the 1980 season. Everything from exposure to the elements to vandalism had a deteriorating impact on the park's remains over the years, leaving it in a haunting state of dramatic disrepair. The Yellow Brick Road crumbled, buildings rusted over, and vegetation grew out of control.

There was a sense of nostalgia for those who previously worked at the park, though, and over time interest in reviving the park in some fashion was ignited. That spurred the formation of the Autumn at Oz Festival, an annual event held on multiple days throughout the season. Visitors can mingle with the cast, skip their way down the road, and enjoy every moment of the magic.