Two Abandoned Theme Park Destinations

Theme parks have been a tourist destination since 1955, when Disney Land opened, followed by Disney World in Florida in 1971, but what about abandoned theme parks? There’s much less traffic, lines and candy pedaling at the abandoned theme parks around the country, but for an eerie and strange trip they are worth a visit.

Disney’s River Country opened in Bay Lake, Fla., in 1976 as an old-fashioned waterpark with a rustic style. After only operating a few years, it was said a young boy contracted a rare and deadly bacteria from the water and died, leaving a dark cloud over the park. River Country ultimately closed in 2001. After years of low ticket sales that plummeted even further after the terrorist attacks on Sept.11, there wasn’t much cause to remain open. Rather than being torn down, the park remains with water slides, filled pools and a welcoming entrance sign. Despite being slowly taken over by its habitat, the park still stands as a creepy jungle of what used to be.

Also in the 1970s, The Land of Oz, inspired by The Wizard of Oz, was built in Beech Mountain, N.C., to be closed only 10 years later. Recently the abandoned park was repurposed into a once-a-month experience where visitors can buy tickets and stay in Dorothy’s House, walk the yellow brick road and explore the abandoned, creepy and vast venue. The stay occurs in August and after being reopened only a few years the park’s popularity may be greater than ever.