1. Lake Shawnee Amusement Park, West Virginia
Lake Shawnee has the kind of backstory that would make even the bravest thrill-seekers think twice. Built in the 1920s on land already haunted by violent conflict between settlers and Indigenous people, the park quickly gained a dark reputation after several children died in freak accidents. A little girl was said to have been killed on a swing, and a boy drowned in the lake. The park shut down in the 1960s, leaving behind rusting rides that look like they were frozen in time.
Locals say the laughter of children can still be heard on summer nights, even though the rides haven’t turned in decades. Visitors swear the swings move on their own, and some claim to see shadowy figures walking near the ferris wheel. Paranormal investigators have even set up camp there, capturing strange voices on tape. The eerie setting has turned it into a hotspot for ghost tours, but most locals say you won’t find them hanging around after dark.
2. Six Flags New Orleans, Louisiana
This park was full of life until Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005. Floodwaters swallowed the rides, leaving them to rot in place for nearly two decades. Today, roller coasters stand like skeletons against the sky, with graffiti-covered buildings and overgrown pathways that look straight out of a post-apocalyptic film.
Stories swirl of drowned souls who never left the city’s floodwaters, now said to wander the decaying grounds. Security guards tell of hearing screams echoing through the park at night, long after the laughter stopped. Some claim they’ve seen figures moving near the broken rides, only to vanish when approached. Even though it’s technically off-limits, curious explorers often sneak in, and many come back shaken, convinced something is still lurking among the ruins.
3. Holy Land USA, Connecticut
Built in the 1950s as a religious theme park, Holy Land USA once drew thousands with its Bible-inspired exhibits and massive cross. But when it closed in the 1980s, it quickly fell into disrepair. The statues crumbled, the pathways cracked, and weeds grew where pilgrims once walked.
Local teens whispered that the site was haunted, and after a tragic murder there in the early 2000s, its reputation only grew darker. Visitors have reported shadowy figures among the broken nativity scenes and strange lights flickering near the cross. Some say they hear hymns carried on the wind, even though no music plays. While the cross was later rebuilt, the land still holds a heavy, haunted energy that makes even passersby uneasy.
4. Dogpatch USA, Arkansas
This Ozark-themed park based on the “Li’l Abner” comic strip closed its gates in the 1990s, leaving a quirky ghost town of crumbling log cabins, abandoned rides, and overgrown trails. At first, it was just a sad reminder of a failed attraction, but soon the stories began. Locals claimed to hear fiddling music drifting from the hills where the stage shows once played.
Explorers have come back saying they felt watched the entire time, with sudden cold spots hitting in broad daylight. Some even claim to have seen ghostly figures dressed like hillbilly characters wandering the park. While new owners have tried to revive the place, its reputation as a haunted relic has stuck. For many, Dogpatch feels less like a failed park and more like a stage where spirits still perform.
5. Heritage USA, South Carolina
Once one of the largest Christian theme parks in the world, Heritage USA was built by televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker in the 1980s. It was meant to be a place of joy, complete with rides, hotels, and a water park. But scandals and financial collapse brought it all crashing down. The once-grand buildings became empty shells, overtaken by vines and silence.
Locals swear the site is haunted not only by its own history but by the desperation of those who lost everything investing in it. Strange lights have been spotted in the abandoned hotel, and some say gospel singing still echoes through the ruins. Paranormal teams have claimed to hear voices urging them to leave, as if the walls themselves are trying to protect the secrets of the past. Even as developers have tried to rebuild parts of it, the eerie atmosphere remains.
6. Joyland Amusement Park, Kansas
Joyland was a family favorite for decades, with its wooden roller coaster and quirky mechanical clown that greeted guests at the gate. But after it closed in 2004, the clown became the stuff of nightmares. Vandals broke in, rides rusted, and the once-bright paint faded to ghostly shades.
People who’ve wandered through claim the clown’s laugh can still be heard, even though it hasn’t moved in years. Some say the carousel horses shift positions overnight, and others have caught glimpses of children darting between the rides. The park has been a magnet for urban explorers, but many leave saying the silence feels too alive, like the place is watching. To locals, Joyland is less of a memory and more of a warning.
7. Spreepark, Germany
Though far from the U.S., Spreepark in Berlin has earned worldwide fame for its haunting aura. Once a vibrant family park, it fell into ruin in the early 2000s, leaving behind decaying swan boats, dinosaur statues, and a massive ferris wheel that still creaks in the wind.
Visitors insist the ferris wheel moves on its own, groaning as if alive. Some report laughter echoing from the empty rides, and others swear they’ve seen ghostly figures among the dinosaur bones. Paranormal enthusiasts call it one of Europe’s most haunted spots, and even locals give it a wide berth at night. With its eerie stillness and crumbling carnival feel, Spreepark looks like it was designed for spirits rather than children.
8. Disney’s River Country, Florida
Disney’s first water park opened in 1976 but shut down permanently in 2001 after new water safety regulations. Unlike other Disney properties, it was left to rot instead of being transformed into something new. Slides now sit cracked and dry, while nature has swallowed the pools and lazy river.
Cast members who worked there say they still feel a presence when passing by, almost as if the laughter never really left. Some even claim to hear splashing and voices in the empty lagoon. Locals whisper that the park closed for more than safety reasons, and the strange energy that lingers seems to support that idea. For Disney fans, River Country is a rare reminder that even the “Happiest Place on Earth” has shadows.
9. Enchanted Forest, Maryland
The Enchanted Forest opened in the 1950s as one of America’s first theme parks, filled with storybook characters, castles, and fairy tale houses. By the 1990s, it had closed, leaving its painted figures to peel under the sun. Many of the attractions were eventually moved, but the land itself still carries an eerie weight.
Local legends say the grounds are haunted by the characters that once lived there. People have reported seeing Snow White-like figures moving through the trees or hearing children’s voices reciting nursery rhymes. Some claim the old castle gates creak open on their own, even though they’ve long since rusted shut. While parts of the park have been preserved, the original site is still whispered about in hushed tones.
10. Chippewa Lake Park, Ohio
Chippewa Lake Park thrived for nearly a century before closing in 1978. For decades after, rides stood eerily intact, slowly overtaken by trees and weeds. The ferris wheel looked like a skeleton rising out of the forest, and the roller coaster became a tangle of wood and vines.
Locals believe the park is haunted by those who once loved it. Visitors have reported hearing music drifting from the overgrown ballroom, long after it fell silent. Ghostly figures have been spotted near the lake, and some even claim to see entire crowds walking the midway at night. Though much of the park was eventually demolished, its haunted reputation still clings tightly to the land.
11. Jazzland, Louisiana
Before Six Flags New Orleans, the site was known as Jazzland, a jazz-themed amusement park that opened in 2000 but quickly went bankrupt. While Six Flags expanded on it, the original Jazzland identity still lingers, and some locals say its ghosts stayed behind.
People have claimed to hear jazz music floating across the empty space, even when no one is there. Others say ghostly musicians appear near the old stages, instruments in hand. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina only added to the eerie silence, and the site has since become a magnet for ghost stories. Though Jazzland lived only a short life, its spirit seems determined to keep playing.
12. Miracle Strip Amusement Park, Florida
Once a beloved beachside attraction in Panama City, Miracle Strip closed in 2004, leaving behind rides that were slowly dismantled or left to rust. Families remembered the lively midway, the wooden coaster, and the brightly lit carousel, but the grounds turned strangely quiet after its closure.
Locals whisper that the laughter of children still drifts across the sand where the rides once stood. Security guards have claimed to see figures moving among the empty spaces, and some say the carousel music plays faintly on quiet nights. Even though parts of the park have been rebuilt elsewhere, the original site carries an air of unfinished business. To many, Miracle Strip didn’t just close—it slipped into a ghostly afterlife.