Amusement parks are supposed to be the happiest places on earth. Full of candy, thrilling rides, and children shouting with joy, it's hard to be sad waiting in line for your favorite roller coaster. All good things come to an end though, and when amusement parks become closed and abandoned, something scary happens. The steel rusts, the paint chips, the wood rots, and nature takes over. Suddenly the happiest place in the world is the scariest. What you're about to see will chill you to the bone. Would you be brave enough to set foot in any of these abandoned amusement parks?
Ho Thuy Tien In Vietnam Is Sleeping With The Fishes
Opened in 2004 for three million dollars, it didn't take long for the Ho Thuy Tien water park in Vietnam to shut its doors. But instead of tearing it down, the developers left it there. Slowly but surely it fell apart, and today it looks like the set of a horror movie.
Surprisingly, the park has become one of Vietnam's top tourist attractions. Why wait all year for Halloween Horror Nights when you can pay a visit to the deserted park? Locals, seeing a chance to make money, have even begun charging curious travelers to explore the grounds that have remained untouched for years.
Welcome To Your Six Flags Nightmare
This fun house stopped bringing the laughs over a decade ago. Now bringing the screams, these are the remains of Six Flags, New Orleans. The park was left abandoned after being devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Built on low lying ground, no one has stepped in to redevelop the land.
Now the park lays waiting for anyone brave enough to explore its grounds and get lost in the "wonders" it offers. We're going to give this one a hard pass. But if creepy amusement parks are your thing, it's cheaper to fly to New Orleans than Vietnam. Up next, the creepy park Chernobyl left devastated in its wake.
Chernobyl Left This Park To Die
This amusement park in the city of Pripyat has been abandoned since 1986 when the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown happened in Russia. Once a place that was home to kids ramming bumper cars into each other and taking in the views from the Ferris wheel, it's now a land of death and decay.
Not safe enough to be a tourist attraction, this is one creepy location where ghosts aren't your only threat. The radiation leftover from the meltdown still drowns the park in an unseen toxic cloud.
Italy Hopes To Reopen The LunEur Park One Day
Yes, that is a dinosaur skeleton staring at the decrepit grounds below. The Luna Park Permanente di Roma (LunEur Park for short) didn't prove to be everlasting when it shut down in 2008. Opened in 1953, it was long known as the largest amusement park in Roma and the oldest in Italy.
After what was described as a crisis period, the historic park closed its doors and turned into the haunted attraction you see above. In 2015, an agreement was struck to remodel and reopen the park. But no date was set, and no progress has been made to bring it back to its former glory. Still ahead, don't be fooled by the German amusement swan, it wants to make you scream.
These Are Not The Swan Boats You're Looking For
Are you brave enough to get on this swan boat in the murky water? We're not. The brush growing on the boat is pretty scary, and the idea that something might jump out from below and attack has us shaking. Nice try, swan!
Opened in 1969 in Germany under the name Kulturpark Spreewald, it was remodeled in 1989 and abandoned in 2002 after falling into debt. Located in East Berlin, the park has become a hot spot for locals looking to have a creepy picnic. Luckily no one has been brave enough to swim with the swans.
The Real Westworld Was Left To Rot In Japan
Japan is home to one of the creepiest amusement parks in the world. Looking like the inspiration for Westworld, Western Village Haikyo closed in 2007, but its still drawing crowds in 2018. This place is a must-see for anyone curious about what the Wild West was really like. And it gives you an excuse to vacation in Japan.
The park claims to be off limits, but gaining access is easy. Once you enter, if you dare, you will be greeted by weeds and other overgrowths, as well as a replica of Mount Rushmore. Don't forget to visit the prison and meet the robot sheriff.
Next, the world's scariest theme park where ducks live in South Korea, cover your eyes!
Tragedy Forced South Korea To Put These Ducks Out Of Commission
If these ducks don't look happy, there's a reason. Tragedy struck in 1999 when a happy child riding one fell off the ride and died. Shortly after the incident, the park manager disappeared, and the park was left to ruin.
This is one park on our list you can't visit, though. In 2011 the park was demolished. Taking its place was a hotel. Luckily, now you have this terrifying photo of a "happy duck" etched into your brain forever. You didn't need to get a good night sleep tonight, did you?
The Land Of Oz Isn't So Magical Anymore
The Land of Oz has seen better days! Located in the quaint town of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, the park opened in 1970. Dedicated to the Wizard of Oz, the 16-acre park was a big hit. As the years passed by, the park stayed the same. With no changes to keep families coming back, attendance numbers crashed.
Making matters worse, a fire partially destroyed the park in 1975. Oddly enough, this seemingly abandoned park is opened twice a year for an "Autumn of Oz" celebration. During the event, guests are allowed to roam the creepy park and explore the darker side of Oz. Around the bend, the abandoned park that's proves you don't mess with Walt Disney.
Walt Disney Crushed Nara Dreamland
If this abandoned theme park looks like Walt Disney rejected it, that's because he did. In the late '50s, park owner Kunizu Matsuo was in discussions with Walt Disney to open a theme park in Japan. When their working relationship deteriorated, Disney backed out, forcing Matsuo to create his own characters and open the park alone.
Opening in 1961, the park was a huge success. Then things took a turn for the worse when Disney opened his own Tokyo Disneyland in 1983. Nara Dreamland never stood a chance and saw attendance slowly crumble. In 2006, Matsuo finally ended the fight and closed his park forever.
Disney's River Country Is One Of The Only Disney Parks To Ever Close
You're going to have a hard time sneaking into this creepy location to go ghost hunting. This Disney World park in Florida has not been torn down, and is one of two Disney parks to permanently close. The need to shut down the park came after the economy crashed because of 9/11.
The other Disney park to say goodbye forever was Disney's Discovery Island, located in Bay Lake, Florida. The park closed in 1999 after proving unpopular with guests. The closure made way for River Country, which didn't fare much better.
