Abandoned Amusement/Fun Parks

http://www.hullabaloo.be/fotolog/dadipark09.jpg

Scott just said, "Maria, didn't you know somebody else just started a thread today about abandoned amusement parks" but I haven't gone on ILE today except to post pictures of Dadipark. WEIRD.

― Maria :D, Monday, May 4, 2009 10:07 PM (53 minutes ago) Bookmark

Weird is right!

I may actually have nightmares about this thing in Japan

that picture is awesome

also the gullivers/fuji pic.

Surely the land is valuable or something, at least in some cases?

A lot of the time the land isn't valuable at all, because it would take a lot of work to make it flat enough to build proper buildings on (as opposed to wooden barns). Also I suspect that some of these short lived parks are more tax write-offs than actual proper business propositions intended to make money.

This thread just keeps on giving! Gulliver and that weird white smiley face over the road are fantastic.

ENBB, do you know which waterpark in Barcelona that is? I might've actually been there (when the water was still flowing, I must add)

wot no pictures of New Forest Lapland?

No. You'll just have to imagine a picture of a disgruntled parent drop kicking an elf...

I love that the Fantasy Farm poster still calls Memorial Day Decoration Day!

Edward, that face is Tillie.

i been to whalom park

http://www.roadtripmemories.com/images/roadmaveness/lucian/pinehill/holyland09.JPG

holyland usa, waterbury connecticut - cheapo biblical site recreations misterminded by eccentric local lawyer - has a lol hueg cross u can see from the highway

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/holy/images/CTWATsphinx.jpg

i believe that a repurposed bust of washington

I wonder what Libertyland (Memphis, closed 2005) looks like now.

since it's relatively recent, not nearly as sad as a lot of the others on this thread:

http://pictopia.com/perl/get_image?provider_id=362&size=550x550_mb&ptp_photo_id=715859

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3145/2465834428_f89dfe8999.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2275/2465824284_1c6ee58227.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/140/324579518_aaebe03c23.jpg?v=0

^^ Still pretty great.

i been to whalom park

― ice cr?m, Tuesday, May 5, 2009 9:56 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmar

When I saw that was in MA I got all excited until I read the part about the ruins being demolished. :-(

http://i44.tinypic.com/nn9obl.jpg

Where have I seen this face before (reproduced somewhere, or in a movie or something. And why, at the same time, does Asbury park seem extremely familiar, yet I can't remember what it is? I suspect it may be skateboarding related).

― Edward Saroyan, Monday, May 4, 2009 10:32 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

"Steeplechase, like the rest of Coney, was a different world at night. Here we see the circle swings on the left, the Pavilion of Fun in the middle and the parachute drop behind it. The Pavilion of Fun was built in 1907 after the park burned to the ground. George Tilyou put many of the rides (the Human Roulette Wheel, the Hoop-La, etc.) indoors, making Steeplechase impervious to the weather. The very top of the pavilion reads, "George C. Tilyou's Steeplechase Park." The middle of the pavilion reads "Pavilion of Fun. Geo. C. Tilyou's Steeplechase Park." The large face on the building was the park's mascot and could be found all ov
er the park."

http://www.tangento.net/images/Coney-Steeplechase.jpg

I imagine most of these parks failed because of horrible character design.

Asbury Park = old boardwalk town on New Jersey shore.

Also:

http://www.springsteenlyrics.com/lyrics/f/foryou_alb-greetings.jpg

Let me clarify, where have I seen that face reproduced somewhere.

In fact, after some google research: even Pro skater Brian Wenning [NJ-native] took a picture of the beach friendly face for a feature in The Skate Mag.

taken from: http://ctothejl.com/shoes/nike-sb-dunk-mid-asbury-casino-metal/

That certainly corroborates my hypothesis, but I don't remember reading that interview, though!

First park I ever went to was Magic Landing in my hometown of El Paso, TX. Western-themed. They had an animatronic band just like the Chuck E Cheeze ones back in the 80s. A kid got his arm cut off by a roller coaster and it went downhill from there.

These are the very animatronic robots that used to make me cry as a toddler. You can see the oil coming out of their joints, which really doesn't comfort me at all:

http://tinypic.com/5bzbtd

Yes animatronic robots are awesome but also v creepy.

From Splendid China Theme Park in Kissimmee, Florida which closed in 2003:

http://i42.tinypic.com/2roiykh.jpg

awesome thread

some of these pictures are pulitzer-worthy,

These pictures are very goth and I approve.

lol bimble.

x-post - I can't decide which is my favorite. I think the Gulliver one might win though because it's just so insanely bizarre and beautiful with the mountain in the back etc.

Wow - this one is awesome. Russian themed park in Japan that was only open for 6 moths.

now, that's selective.

lol yeah, no wonder it went bust

;-p

Isn't there somewhere in Japan that's setting up a Thomas Hardy village as a themepark? You want selective, you GOT selective.

lol

Fantazy Land.

http://i41.tinypic.com/a48uoh.jpg

i love that name

Hey E, A+++ thead. Another great, and similarly themed, thread: Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here (pic thread). Surprised this hasn't been linked to yet (if it has, I didn't see it).

I hadn't seen that one actually - thanks!

this thread is so sad! esp. the sunken mushroom house and the kiddie slide in the abandoned pool

Ok, this may or may not be abandoned but I couldn't resist posting this slide from a children's playground in Poland

It's not abandoned:

Oh God.

Yeah, I almost feel bad for having posted that, but it was relevant to the discussion, so what can you do?

Re: The Asbury Park "Tillie" Face:

Tillie is the nickname of two murals of a grinning figure that was painted on the side of the Palace Amusements building in Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States. Tillie is an amusement park "fun face," painted over the winter of 1955-1956... The mural has been featured in movies, TV shows such as The Sopranos, Weird NJ magazine, and a famous photo of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band early in their career.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23021987@N06/2258955833/

Tillie is pretty creepy IMO.

I love this one:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c287/expatrica/cyclone.jpg?t=1241720946

I went to a swing dance in the bumper car pavilion of Glen Echo Park, Maryland (the second park pictured on the thread. It's a wonderful place to visit if you are ever in the D.C. area.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1127/819868625_c22e762632.jpg

VP - I love that picture a lot. I want to go to D.C. just to go there. I really like the design of sign/train/etc. It reminds me a lot of a print I have hanging in my apt.

Storyland - somewhere in PA

http://www.agilitynut.com/p/bedfstor1.jpg

Oh man . . . .

Sex ed theme park demolished before it even opens:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8054893.stm

Oh man, skygreenleopard, I live 40 miles from El Paso. So sad I can't see Magic Landing, it looks hypnotic. If it makes you feel better, I hear 5-6 radio ads a day for Western Playland, which have great jingles. In fact, every radio ad I've heard for an amusement park has been super catchy and heartbreakingly naive.

(Just so you know, Western Playland is now in Sunland Park, NM, but El Paso still has...something you know, I'm sure.)

Fantasy Gardens in Richmond, BC, Canada - themed gardens with a few of the classic "zones" - wild west, faux medieval etc. And at least 3 windmills.

http://thetyee.cachefly.net/ArtsAndCulture/2009/07/27/13-tilted-windmill.jpg
http://thetyee.cachefly.net/ArtsAndCulture/2009/07/27/7-adventure-park.jpg
http://thetyee.cachefly.net/ArtsAndCulture/2009/07/27/3-horse.jpg

http://weburbanist.com/2010/03/17/uber-creepy-tour-abandoned-six-flags-new-orleans-69-pics/

Oh Jordan this is great! Looking through them now. <3 I had forgotten about this thread. Thanking you for the revive. :D

http://weburbanist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/mardigrasHauntedhouse.jpg

The worn and weathered Mardi Gras character hanging over the roof of the haunted car ride seems menacing now

Now? Pretty sure this thing was always pretty fucking creepy.