Haunted Amusement Parks in America

 


It's easy to look at an abandoned amusement park and think it's probably haunted. It seems to haunt itself with it's once shiny and active, now dull and quiet appearance. Some haunted amusement parks are abandoned, others still in operation. 

Let's check out some in the US - 

LAKE SHAWNEE
ROCK, WV
- ABANDONED - 


In terms of this extremely haunted and abandoned park, the land can carry some bad memories. Is it cursed? I'm not sure I would call it cursed as much as "manifesting bad." When enough bad things happen upon a land, even when good-intentioned people arrive, they may be struck with odd bad luck. It appears to be a cumulative phenomena.

In the case of Lake Shawnee, it began as the home of a settler and his large family. The Indians in the area had killed two of his sons and abducted a third. The father went about gathering up a posse and killed a few members of the tribe. This resulted in the burning of his son on a stake. 

In the 1920s, the abandoned land appeared to have a nice setting for a man wanting to put together a speakeasy, a circular swing, a swimming hole, and water slide. 

A girl died on the swings, a boy drowned, and many accidents occurred in this rickety carnival and it only had a short run and closed.

Around the 1940s, a developer thought it might make a nice location for some homes around the small lake. They began to dig but hit lots and lots of bones and pottery. It was discovered it had been an indian burial ground and most of the occupants had been children. They covered it back up, and left the site. 

Since then, the site is privately owned and can be toured by permission of the owners. In the autumn time, they have ghost tours and even camping on the grounds with bonfire tales. 

DISNEYLAND
ANAHEIM, CA
- OPEN - 



If a park ever had the most amount of trampling happy kids and adults, this park is it. There are several reported hauntings around the park. 

A lady in white is said to stroll Main Street, wearing an 1800s dress. 

Walt himself is said to be seen in the window of his apartment above the firehouse on Main Street. Every evening the park lights the window for eternity in memory of the founder. And, upon occasion, his figure is seen.

A teenager that sneaked into the park and crossed the monorail track and got hit is supposedly seen by train operators who say they witness a figure but by the time the train approaches, it disappears.

We just knew that the Haunted Mansion had its own story. A mother supposedly spread her son's ashes outside the mansion and people are said to witness a crying boy.

BOB-LO ISLAND, MICHIGAN
- ABANDONED -


This Michigan park opened in 1898 and closed in 1993. The rides were sold off to other parks and the boats, that had run for 81 years stopped riding. A tall heavyset man in a suit and hat is seen by those who sneak in to look at the property. It is said to be a performer named "Smiley," a magician who reportedly studied under Houdini and died during and escape trick.

KINGS ISLAND, CINCINNATI OH
- OPEN -  



Another location with bad mojo history. This park is on land that saw a  cemetery and also an explosion that killed 100 people in the past. 

One of the ghosts is referred to as "Tram Girl." She is seen wearing a blue dress and says hi to the visitors. It's believed she might have been interred at the old cemetery.

CEDAR POINT, SANDUSKY, OH
- OPEN - 



This popular park was opened in 1870. Today, it's considered THE premiere rollercoaster park.  

In Frontiertown, a woman used to be seen on the carousal riding a military horse. This has been removed, but before it was, the rumor was that a woman married to the carousel carpenter was caught cheating and her husband shot her. 

Employees had also reported they could hear music playing after hours, the horses on the carousel were in a different order, or the carousel ran backwards. 

The Breakwater Cafe is said to be haunted by a boy who supposedly drowned in the nearby lake.

SIX FLAGS, NEW ORLEANS, LA
- ABANDONED -

With the arrival of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and loss of 1600 precious lives, the park remained closed. 

Those who sneaked around to take photos of the still park, have reported shadowy figures, feelings of being watched, strange lights, and sounds. 


BTW, there's a great documentary on the park called "Closed for Storm" that can be found streaming on Amazon Prime and Discovery + channels. 

😎😎😎

As we move into summer weather, expect me to be sharing haunted campsites, haunted roads, haunted beaches, and more places to explore and have spooky encounters....


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