Amusement parks are designed as vibrant hubs of joy, laughter, and adrenaline-pumping rides.
The likes of Disneyland and Universal Studios bring thrills and joy to millions of people every year.
However, when the rides stop, these parks can quickly turn into haunting landscapes of desolation. Around the world, several theme parks have closed their gates permanently.
They leave behind eerie yet fascinating relics of their past glory - often a damning insight of when big plans go very wrong.
It happens to other businesses too, but here are some of the most notable abandoned amusement parks.
Pripyat Amusement Park, Ukraine
Perhaps the most infamous of the abandoned amusement parks is the Pripyat Amusement Park in Ukraine.
It was scheduled to open on May 1, 1986, the park’s plans were catastrophically disrupted by the Chernobyl disaster just a few kilometers away. The park was opened for a brief time on April 27 to entertain the city's residents, unaware of the disaster.
Today, the Ferris wheel, bumper cars, and other rides stand as a chilling reminder of the nuclear tragedy, with the area still exhibiting dangerous levels of radiation.
Six Flags New Orleans is a modern example of an amusement park that met its demise due to a natural disaster.
Devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the park was flooded with saltwater for over a month.
This corroded its structures and rides, making it unsafe for future use. Efforts to revive the park have failed.
It has become a popular spot for urban explorers and filmmakers, symbolizing the long-term impacts of Katrina on the local community.
Nara Dreamland, Japan
Inspired by Disneyland in California, Nara Dreamland was built in 1961 and was once a thriving hub of activity.
As attendance dwindled due to the competition from more modern parks like Tokyo Disneyland, Nara Dreamland closed its doors in 2006.
Over the years, it became a ghost town filled with decaying castles, rusting rides, and overgrown pathways. The park was finally demolished in 2016, but its remains are still a subject of interest among those fascinated by the life and death of amusement parks.
Dadipark, Belgium
Opened in the 1950s as a playground for children visiting with a pilgrimage group, Dadipark in Belgium evolved into an amusement park by the 1980s.
The park did not feature high-tech rides or spectacular shows but focused on more traditional, family-friendly activities. It closed in 2002 after a series of accidents raised concerns about visitor safety.
The park lay abandoned for over a decade, its attractions slowly succumbing to nature, before demolition commenced in 2012.
Wonderland Amusement Park, China
Located just outside Beijing, Wonderland was to be the largest amusement park in Asia.
However, due to financial issues and disagreements over land prices with local farmers, construction was halted in the mid-1990s.
The incomplete park, with its partially built fairytale castle and skeletal structures, became a peculiar sight for passersby. The site was eventually razed in 2013 to make way for other developments.