haunting photos of abandoned amusement parks

[Deb in IA]

With so many abandoned amusement/theme parks, it makes me wonder why they fall into such sad shape?

I mean, I know that they go out of business, but can't they be demolished, like buildings that are no longer functional or being used?

Why are they left to be eyesores, and a breeding ground for vandalism, gangs, graffitti, etc?

Is it too expensive or too dangerous to take these things down? Or both?

 

[Geoff_M]

With so many abandoned amusement/theme parks, it makes me wonder why they fall into such sad shape?

I mean, I know that they go out of business, but can't they be demolished, like buildings that are no longer functional or being used?

Why are they left to be eyesores, and a breeding ground for vandalism, gangs, graffitti, etc?

Is it too expensive or too dangerous to take these things down? Or both?

Deb, I think the frequent answer can be found if you read the section about the Six Flags New Orleans park. Six Flags parent company offered the city $10M dollars to get out of their long-term lease of the property, but the city declined because they said it'd cost them a couple times more than that to demo the park. It's cheaper to just do nothing. In other cases I think the owners often let it sit with the honest hope of "bringing it back"... and more often then not that never happens. The next thing you know roofs start leaking and there's no money to fix them and stuff gets bad fast. Just such a historic park was featured on the "American Pickers" TV show: Bushkill Park. The park, not doing too well to begin with, was closed in the mid-2000's after post-hurricane flooding. A guy bought the place and with a small team working part-time "hopes" to re-open it... but from the show things seem to be too far gone from what I saw.

 

[SandrA9810]

Any one remember Xanadu?? It took them several years to finally tear that thing down. The old "tourist info" building is still standing in the back of the lot.
There's also that Alligator land on 192 by Medieval Times. The parking lot is over grown and the building is starting to fall apart on the outside.

http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/2009/10/lost-attractions-xanadu-house-of-future.html

Ohh and there's also a huge castle like building just a couple blocks over closer to the McD's. We always joked about buying it and turning it into a huge castle house.

 

[tinkerbellfan6880]

Don't think anyone posted pictures of Whalom Park, people here from MA must remember it.
http://www.pbase.com/ken0624700/whalom_park

I loved going to Whalom Park when I was little. Live not that far from where it used to be. Now they are building townhouses and condos on the site.

 

[tinkerbellfan6880]

There's even an abandoned park in the Orlando area (besides River Country): Splendid China

I remember going their back in 1999 and when sitting in a little area under a tent forget what it is called. But my family and I were attacked by a squirrel who wanted my sister's ice cream bar.

 

[castmember19]

I haven't read the middle pages of the thread, so I apologize if this has been posted already.

Creepy! What WDW would look like if it was abandoned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=761QPX9uUMI&feature=related

Aside from being super creepy, this makes me very sad.