Abandoned Amusement Parks: Eerie Ghost Towns Left to Decay

1. Pripyat Amusement Park, Ukraine
Located in the abandoned city of Pripyat, Ukraine, this amusement park was scheduled to open on May 1st, 1986 – just days after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred. The entire city was evacuated and left to decay while nature reclaimed its territory. Today, the rusted Ferris wheel stands as a haunting reminder of what once was.

2. Marineland Dolphin Adventure, Florida
This former marine animal park in Florida has been abandoned for over a decade and has become overrun with vegetation. The empty tanks where dolphins once performed tricks are now filled with rainwater and algae.

3. Jungle Habitat Safari Park, New Jersey
This safari park opened in 1972 but closed down just ten years later due to financial struggles. Now it’s an eerie ghost town full of crumbling buildings and overgrown paths that lead nowhere.

4. Bokor Hill Station, Cambodia
Originally built by French colonists in the early 1900s as a resort destination for wealthy Europeans seeking refuge from the heat and humidity of Phnom Penh summers; this hill station became abandoned during WWII when Japanese forces invaded Cambodia.

5. Chippewa Lake Amusement Park, Ohio
Built-in 1878 as a family retreat center on Chippewa Lake; this amusement park operated until its closure in 1978 due to declining attendance numbers before being sold off piece-by-piece or left to crumble into disrepair because nobody wanted it anymore.

6. Eastern State Penitentiary Zoo, Pennsylvania
Eastern State Penitentiary had its own zoo that was home to exotic animals such as tigers and bears until its closure in the mid-20th century when overcrowding forced prisoners out into other facilities around PA state lines.

7. Six Flags Jazzland Amusement Park, Louisiana
The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina shut down operations at this once-thriving amusement park in New Orleans, and it has been left abandoned ever since. The empty roller coasters and water slides are now taken over by vines and weeds.

8. Gulliver’s Kingdom, Japan
Built-in 1997 as a theme park based on the classic novel “Gulliver’s Travels,” this Japanese attraction closed its doors just four years later due to low attendance numbers. Now it is an eerie ghost town with rusted rides and abandoned buildings slowly being consumed by nature.