56: Summer Horrors: Abandoned Amusement Parks

Four abandoned amusement parks. One question: what lingers when the laughter stops? From the haunted rides of Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in West Virginia, to Joyland and Louie the Clown in Wichita, to the drowned Six Flags New Orleans, to the Chornobyl Ferris wheel that never turned in Pripyat — a journey through the world’s eeriest abandoned theme parks and the real deaths, ghost stories, and dark history buried beneath them. Light a candle, get cozy, and Let’s Talk Spooky.

SOURCES

• Wichita Eagle, coverage of the death of Michael King at Joyland (Aug. 23–28, 1982).

• Wichita Eagle, coverage of the death of groundskeeper Kevin Briley at Joyland (Aug. 28, 1998).

• Lawrence Journal-World, Joyland Ferris wheel accident & U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Investigation(Apr.–May 2004).

• Mercer County, WV — official history of Lake Shawnee & the Clay family / ‘Agony in Stone’ memorial.

. History.com — the history of Jazzland / Six Flags New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina.

• Jody Arneson, MidAtlantic Daytrips — firsthand overnight paranormal investigation of Lake Shawnee (2022).

• Local histories & family genealogies of the Clover Bottom / Clay family, 1783 (details vary between tellings).

Grew up near an abandoned park? Snuck into one as a teenager and something made you run? Send us your story — the best ones may feature in a future episode.

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Stay spooky 👻