America’s Lost Thrills
Amusement parks used to be the ultimate weekend escape. You’d grab a wristband and spend hours wandering a whimsical world. But over the years, prominent amusement parks have been shuttering left and right, often citing money troubles, safety issues, or simply falling out of fashion. What’s left is nostalgia from those of us who were lucky enough to be there during the good times. So, here are 20 defunct amusement parks across America that once buzzed with life.
Bob McMillan; edit: Chris Woodrich on Wikimedia
1. Canyon Land Park (Alabama)
Canyon Land Park opened on March 8, 1970, perched above Alabama’s Little River Canyon. Visitors rode a 1,500-foot chair lift that dropped 600 feet into the canyon, while a miniature train operated out of a 103-year-old depot relocated from Collinsville.
Abandoned Amusement Park Caynon land by CAROLINA TONY
2. Big Surf (Arizona)
When Big Surf opened its gates in Tempe, Arizona, in 1969, it pioneered the American water park movement with one of the nation's first wave pools. This engineering marvel, later honored as an ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark, delighted visitors for five decades until closing permanently in 2019.
Abandoned Water Park BIG SURF - Tempe, AZ by UNFAZED REVIEW
3. Dinosaur World (Arkansas)
In 1967, Beaver, Arkansas, welcomed Dinosaur World, a quirky attraction best known as the “Land of Kong.” The park combined over 100 life-sized dinosaur sculptures with a towering 40-foot King Kong, creating an unusual prehistoric-meets-monster theme. It entertained visitors for decades before closing in 2005.
4. Beverly Park (California)
Before Disneyland became the happiest place on Earth, Walt Disney found inspiration at Beverly Park, a modest Los Angeles children's attraction known affectionately as "Kiddieland." Operating from 1943 to 1974, this amusement park's influence lives on through its historic carousel.
5. Savin Rock Amusement Park (Connecticut)
Stretching along the shoreline in West Haven, Connecticut, Savin Rock Amusement Park entertained generations from the late 1800s until 1966. Its seaside roller coasters thrilled countless visitors, while the White City section lit up the night, creating a dazzling spectacle that became a local landmark for nearly a century.
Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia
6. Blue Diamond Park (Delaware)
Once home to Delaware's largest swimming pool, Blue Diamond Park in New Castle was a beloved summer destination that paired thrilling amusement rides with spectacular concerts and fireworks displays. This cherished entertainment venue delighted visitors from its opening in 1964 till 1989.
Delaware's only amusement park now ABANDONED by journey_with_jay
7. Dinosaur Adventure Land (Florida)
While most dinosaur parks celebrate prehistoric evolution, Pensacola's Dinosaur Adventure Land took a radically different path, using extinct reptiles to promote creationist teachings through its Creation Science Evangelism museum. Founded by Kent Hovind, this unconventional venture ultimately shuttered in 2009 amid legal challenges.
8. Adventureland (Illinois)
A giant clown face once grinned at visitors entering Adventureland in Addison, Illinois, where families enjoyed thrilling rides like the log flume and steel roller coaster from 1967 to 1977. Today, only shopping carts roll where screams of delight once filled the air.
Adventureland Amusement Park by Shawn Kodi
9. Wonderland (Indiana)
Opening in 1906, Indianapolis’s Wonderland quickly became a cherished escape, offering a scenic railway, an expansive roller skating rink, and a grand ballroom where socialites gathered to dance. Its five-year golden era ended tragically in 1911, when a devastating fire destroyed it.
Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia
10. Lakeview Amusement Park (Iowa)
Lakeview Amusement Park once stood on Des Moines’ east side, reflecting America’s shifting entertainment culture during the vaudeville era. Though its exact operating years remain debated—either 1912 to 1933 or 1926 to 1957—the lakeside attraction symbolized a period of transition in how audiences sought leisure and amusement.
Chris Hagerman from St Louis, MO, US on Wikimedia
11. Frontier Land USA (Kansas)
When Frontier Land USA opened its gates in Wichita in 1958, it brought Wild West dreams to life through authentic stagecoach rides and a signature steam train attraction. For nearly 25 years, this western-themed wonderland entertained visitors before closing permanently.
12. Scandia Fun Center (California)
When Scandia Fun Center announced its 2019 closure on social media, Sacramento collectively gasped - and no wonder. Since 1977, the family entertainment hub had woven itself into local memories with its signature trio of mini-golf challenges, arcade excitement, and go-kart thrills.
Jeremy Thompson from Los Angeles, California on Wikimedia
13. Lincoln Park (Louisiana)
During the harsh reality of segregation, Lincoln Park emerged as a cherished sanctuary for African American families in New Orleans from 1902 to 1930. What began as a rare recreational space blossomed into a cultural cornerstone, where even jazz pioneer Louis Armstrong graced its grounds with legendary performances.
Infrogmation of New Orleans on Wikimedia
14. Gwynn Oak Park (Maryland)
A Baltimore landmark since 1893, Gwynn Oak Park evolved from a local amusement ground to a regional civil rights battleground during the transformative 1960s. Though Hurricane Agnes silenced its midway in 1972, the park's storied carousel found an encore in America's front yard as Washington's National Mall.
Forgotten Places: Gwynn Oak Park by Back Then Baltimore
15. Shaheen's Fun-O-Rama (Massachusetts)
The flashing lights and electronic chimes of arcade games once filled the air at Shaheen's Fun-O-Rama, a beloved fixture of Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts. From the 1960s through the 1980s, this summer tourist hotspot delighted visitors with its kiddie rides and classic boardwalk entertainment.
Salisbury Beach Center - 1989/1990 Video Compilation by mwsvideo
16. Fairyland Park (Minnesota)
Historical records paint an intriguing puzzle about Fairyland Park's timeline in Minneapolis, with documents suggesting both 1913 and 1925 openings. What's clear is that this storybook-themed wonderland operated until 1977, delighting visitors with its carousel, Ferris wheel, and funhouse.
Fairyland Park MN 1959 Part 1 by pnoblu
17. Chippewa Lake Park (Ohio)
Deep in Medina County, Ohio, Chippewa Lake Park served up thrills and memories across its century-long run from 1878 to 1978, with crowds flocking to its signature wooden roller coaster. Today, the park's eerie remains draw ghost hunters and documentary filmmakers alike.
Dana Beveridge from Chicago, IL, USA on Wikimedia
18. Heritage USA (South Carolina)
Once America's third-largest theme park, Heritage USA stood as televangelist Jim Bakker's ambitious vision, complete with a striking replica of Jerusalem's Wailing Wall. This religious entertainment empire's dramatic ascent ended abruptly in 1989, toppled by a financial scandal.
19. Six Flags (New Orleans)
Opening as Jazzland in 2000, this New Orleans theme park seemed destined for greater heights when Six Flags acquired it. But Hurricane Katrina's devastating 2005 arrival marked a permanent closure, leaving behind a haunting landscape of abandoned rides that now serve Hollywood productions.
20. Williams Grove Amusement Park (Pennsylvania)
Beginning as a steam engine showcase in 1850 near Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Williams Grove Amusement Park evolved over decades to feature attractions like the wooden Cyclone roller coaster. After operating for 155 years until 2005, the grounds became legendary among paranormal enthusiasts seeking ghost stories.
