Five Amusement Parks that are No Longer Amusing

There’s something fascinating about large structures that have been completely abandoned. But abandoned amusement parks are especially creepy. The fact that such a bustling, busy place full of excitement and fun is now a desolate, quiet graveyard combined with rusted kiddie images and clowns… yeah, that’s pretty much a recipe for a horror story. Although these amusement parks are no longer in operation, they’re still a source of… well, interest, if not amusement, exactly.

The Enchanted Forest, Hope Valley, RI

This Enchanted Forest apparently wasn’t enchanting enough. It opened in 1971 and had a fairy tale theme, including Humpty Dumpty, the shoe house that belonged to the Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, and the House that Jack Built. It used to have a big petting zoo, too, along with your typical theme park rides like bumper cars and a merry-go-round. It closed in 2005 and, although for sale, seems to still be sitting empty. Picture from News Channel 10 via the Enchanted Forest Preservation Society

Chippewa Lake Park, Chippewa Lake, Ohio

Chippewa Lake Park is exactly what you would expect an abandoned amusement park to look like – old, wooden skeletons of structures with trees and overgrowth and nature taking ownership of the land again. It was in operation for 100 years – from 1878 to 1978. The first modern roller coaster was installed in the 1920s and was called the Big Dipper; you can still see the remnants of the old gal (old fella?) today.

Dogpatch, USA

In 1968, this theme park based on the Li’l Abner comic strip opened up on Highway 7 in Arkansas. It was a huge hit at first – in fact, a sister ski resort called Marble Falls was opened in 1972. By 1979, Dogpatch had more expenses than income and they were being sued by at least two people who had been injured at the park. The owner of the park announced that negotiations were going on to sell the park to a private group who wanted to convert the land into a biblical amusement park, but that ended up falling through. Nevertheless, a new owner stepped in and made some park improvements, including new rides, corporate sponsorships and superhero appearances. This wasn’t enough to save the park – after a few seasons of resurgence, the park again began to lose money. It didn’t help that Li’l Abner had gone out of print by this time – kids didn’t know who Li’l Abner was. They tried dropping the Li’l Abner theme so they wouldn’t have to pay money for licensing the characters, but, once again, this tactic failed. The park closed for good in 1993. Picture from Arkansas Traveler's fascinating Dogpatch page

Enchanted Forest, Maryland

Fans of the movie Cry-Baby will recognize this park – part of the Johnny Depp flick was filmed there. It opened just a month after Disneyland on August 15, 1955, and had lots of nursery rhyme-type rides . It also had some rather bizarre attractions, such as a ride to Mount Vesivius, which was a big slide… so I guess the children sliding down were trying to escape the fiery inferno of Pompeii? Slightly morbid. But people must have liked it, because the park entertained more than 300,000 people during the height of its popularity. It was closed for good in 1997, but in 2003, a society was formed to try to preserve the park. Most of the attractions were still just sitting quietly behind nothing more than a chain link fence, so the idea of reviving it isn’t a total lost cause. Picture from Clark's Elioak Farm

Hamel’s Amusement Park

This particular amusement park definitely wasn’t the biggest, but it was pretty beloved in the state of Louisiana. It did pretty well in the ‘70s and ‘80s, but in the early ‘90s, a tornado ripped through the park and literally bent their famous ferris wheel in half. It never really did recover – after that, it was mostly just used as a place to hold a monthly arts and crafts fair. It closed for good in 1999. Lots of the buildings are still there, though, and you can apparently see the log ride from a nearby bridge. Picture from Haunted Louisiana


Six Flags New Orleans was built the year (I think) before Hurricane Katrina hit and Six Flags never came back. It all just stands there closed off by a big fence. Look here for pictures http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18622
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Hamel's was originally a petting zoo. I spent many fun summer weekends at Hamel's Park. My mom's family is native to Shreveport, LA and we went to Hamel's almost every time we visited my grandparents.

It was so sad when it closed. So many people lobbied hard for it to stay open but with Six Flags just two hours away in Dallas, it was a hopeless quest.
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Rainbow Springs near Ocala, FL used to be a major attraction until I-75 shifted tourist travel away from it. It is now a state park but the old boats and animal cages can still be seen:

http://www.lostparks.com/rainbow.html

(The site says the boats are gone, but if you know where to find them, they are still there ;) )
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I used to live near Houston, TX. Since I moved away, they closed Six Flags Astroworld. Apparently they have bulldozed the entire thing. (The bridge to get across I-10 from the parking lot may or may not still be there.)
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I visited the Enchanted Forest in Maryland two or three times as a child in the late 1950's, traveling from Richmond, VA, with my parents. The park seemed so magical at the time, and I still have vivid memories of visits there. I returned there in the mid-80's with my three-year-old daughter. Needless to say, for me, the park seemed much smaller and much less exciting, as age and the era of theme parks had jaded my memory. For my daughter, however, the Enchanted Forest was as magical as it had been for me. I am glad that the attractions and the characters of Enchanted Forest are coming alive again at Clark's Elioak Farm.
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I went to the Enchanted Forest (RI) as a kid. I'd say it was creepier back in the 80s when it was open. While on the topic of Rhode Island .. there's always Rocky Point Park in Warwick Neck, RI. Here's an awesome history site that includes shots of it in 2004 (beyond closed) : http://www.joenisil.com/rockypoint/index.htm
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I have pictures of myself when I was a kid at the Enchanted Forest in MD, I went in the 80s.

When you drive down the main road that runs in front of the park, the huge gates of the entrance can still be seen from the road, with a big dragon peeking over the wall and the face of the king shown on the map smiling at you from the sign...it's pretty creepy actually, but also cool.
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Oh! The Enchanted Forest (in MD)! I live about 20 minutes away from there. The park entrance is still there, even if a lot of the attractions have relocated to this petting farm? in another part of the county. Its got a giant dragon and a king on top of a castle wall, and its kinda fun that its still around.
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I went to Dogpatch once or twice as a kid, probably around 1990. I had no idea that it was themed after a comic strip, I always thought it was just sort of hillbilly themed. My dad bought some weird pocket orange juicer there, we still have it.
Last I heard it was really picked over, and there's really nothing cool left to risk getting a trespassing fine.
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Used to go to Hamel's Park all the time as a kid! Loved it! A local church has since bought it and uses the grounds for their events, renting it out and such. The log ride is still up, tho not working. The roller coaster is gone, along with everything else. I really miss this place, my son was 2 the one and only time he went, then it closed right after.
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There used to be Santas Land in Putney, VT that I am pretty sure has closed. Does anyone know if you can still eat in the igloo? I had a very trippy experience there in college in the early 90s.
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@ andrew. h, six flags of new oleans was a place called jazzland before six flags bought them out. here is a link to an old post about the opening of jazzland if you want to read it. http://www.travellady.com/articles/article-jazzland.html
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My parents owned land not to far from Dogpatch, We went down every summer for about 7 years in the 70's. I still drink from a coffee cup from there i got when i was 3
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Anyone remember Mountain Park, Holyoke MA? I'm from that area. This article brings back fond memories of my friends and I spending many a weekend there! They had the best walk thru haunted dark ride ever! I think it closed in the 80's or 90's.
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I know this is a somewhat older post, but I had to chuckle when I saw this regarding Dogpatch USA. I live close to Springfield MO and when I was younger, I recall my parents wanted us to go to Dogpatch. We got in the car and drove the approx 2 hours and found that it had been closed for years. Must have been around 97 or something. It was just like National Lampoon's Vacation (Wally World) except we didn't break into the park and get arrested or chased by John Candy.
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We went to Dogpatch and Silver Dollar City shortly after they opened. They were really pretty boring. I don't remember much difference between the two, but I think Silver Dollar City may have been better. One of the parks had a mule trail ride I went on--I still remember that 40 years later!
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Ghost Town in the Glen outside of Scranton, PA is one that was a lot of fun when I was a kid. They had gun fighting shows during the day. My grandfather also helped build the wooden roller coaster. I think it disappeared in the late 60's or early 70's.
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I live in Shreveport where Hamel's is located. I used to drive by it every morning on the way to high school. It's so desolate and depressing now, overgrown with weeds around and on the log ride. The only time I went was in 2nd grade; they held an event every year to promote reading to second graders and helped them sign up for library cards.
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For the person asking about Santa Land in Putney, VT - It is still there, and I believe it is still in operation.

I am originally from western PA, and there is an awesome older park called Conneaut Lake Park started at the end of the 1890's up until a few years ago, a lot of classic older rides that you cannot find anywhere else, and a kiddie land from the 1950's. They are having money troubles, so it has not been in operation the last 2 years. Just down the road from that was a place called Fairy Land Forest, that closed in the late 1980's or early 1990's, and it was similar to the parks in this article, i.e. petting zoo, mother goose themes. It is now an RV park, and I believe itsome of the old fixtures are still there.
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>>NikosDad
I have fond memories of Mountain Park in Holyoke. I grew up in there area, and just thinking of the different attractions there brings back my childhood :)
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Just drove by dogpatch yesterday. The only time I was ever there must have been in either '92 or '93 before they closed for good. My aunt who lives in mountain home ,ar. went with me and my daughter who was 5 or 6 at the time. The only thing I remember vividly was riding on a paddle boat and they made yiu wear a life jacket (the kind you slip over your neck) and they all had a sour smell. The trout pond was open and it seemed a few other things also. We parked off of hwy 7 not up where Marble falls was located. sad
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Libertyland in Memphis can be added to this list. The Zippin Pippin, Elvis' favorite ride, was recently dismantled and bought by some corporation...so sad, really.
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Um... I don't remember the "Pompeii slide at all! My mother took me when I was a kid, and then again in the late/70's and early 80's for my decade younder bother and sister. I still have the photos and it seems like yesterday that I was there. I can remember the safari with such clarity that I think I went later on in life as well with somebody else. Can't remember for sure. But, I will say it was some type of "creepy-fantasy" that one NEVER forgets. It definitely forged part of my subconscious for years to come. I am 41 years old, and b/c of selfish husband was never able to entertain my own kids there b/c my 1st husband stole my first child and my second husband didn't want children. I should of left him, but then I would have been on the street. Life sucks!
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