4 Once-Thriving Midwest Amusement Parks That Are Now Abandoned Beauties

Amusement parks are places full of excitement and joy. However, many of these places don't last forever, and there is something nostalgic about seeing the ruins of an old amusement park. These four former Midwest amusement parks — Chippewa Lake Park in Medina County, Ohio, Prehistoric Forest in Onsted, Michigan, Rose Island Amusement Park in Charlestown, Indiana, and Mother Gooseland in Canton, Ohio — are abandoned beauties that offer a glimpse into the region's recreational past.

Note that not all of these sites are open to visitors. While Rose Island's ruins can be explored via a trail in Charlestown State Park, access to other locations may be restricted or unavailable. Anyone considering a visit should check current conditions and access rules in advance and use caution, as abandoned structures and attractions may be unstable or unsafe.

Chippewa Lake Park in Medina County, Ohio, opened as an amusement park in 1878, and it later closed in 1978 due to low attendance and competition. It had a Ferris wheel, numerous rides, ballroom dancing, a roller coaster, and swings. There are still pieces of old attractions, including part of a roller coaster track. The site is currently being redeveloped, with a trail to the Ferris wheel coming (though this area is currently closed), and an open trail that will eventually extend to the park's old Tumble Bug ride, according to a press release from Medina County Park District. A museum is opening in summer 2026, supported by the Chippewa Lake Historical Society.

In 1963, the Michigan roadside amusement park attraction, Prehistoric Forest, opened in Onsted. It had statues of dinosaurs, cavemen, mammoths, a volcano, and even a water slide. Most sources report the attraction closed by the early 2000s, and there was talk about it reopening a few years back, though nothing happened. An Instagram post from May 2025 shows the caveman statue still standing. While recent reviews on Google Maps note visitors can't access the property, the brontosaurus by the entrance is still easy to spot.

While some ruins of once-thriving amusement parks are off-limits to urban explorers, Charlestown, Indiana's old Rose Island Amusement Park has become an attraction on Trail No. 7 in Charlestown State Park. Open in the 1920s and 1930s, this was a pleasure resort with swimming, a dance hall, and a mini-zoo. However, the Great Depression and a massive flood in 1937 closed it all down. These days, you can explore the ruins with interpretive signs to explain the history and the remains of the abandoned amusement park attractions that once delighted guests.

Mother Gooseland in Canton, Ohio, opened in 1956, featuring fairytale characters for kids to enjoy. It closed in the 1980s, with some features being auctioned off. It sat abandoned until a revitalization project in 2013, and the entire area is now called City Field Park. One of the few remaining original structures is the giant Willy the Whale, now part of Willy's Dog Park. There is also a mural celebrating the history of Mother Gooseland. Finally, if seeing these ruins has piqued your interest in abandoned spots, here are several more closed amusement parks that have thrill seekers nostalgic for the past, and some once-thriving abandoned Ohio towns to explore.