8 Abandoned Amusement Parks In New York Left Behind By Time
Scattered across New York state lie the forgotten remains of once-vibrant amusement parks, their rusty rides and empty pathways telling stories of happier days. These abandoned playgrounds have become modern ruins, slowly reclaimed by nature as decades pass.
From the bustling streets of New York City to the serene Adirondack Mountains, these former entertainment destinations offer a hauntingly beautiful glimpse into the past.
1. Frontier Town – Adirondacks, NY
Hidden among Adirondack trees stands the ghost of a Wild West theme park that thrilled visitors from 1952 to 1998. Wooden storefronts now weather away in eerie silence.
Local families once watched staged shootouts and rode stagecoaches through this recreated frontier settlement. Today, nature slowly reclaims what humans left behind, with deer wandering past weathered saloon signs and empty jail cells.
2. Al-Tro Island Park – Menands, NY
Before there was Six Flags, Al-Tro Island entertained Capital Region families with carnival rides and dancing pavilions. The park’s island location created a magical escape from everyday life during its 1900s-1910s heyday.
Flooding eventually forced its closure, leaving only concrete foundations and scattered metal fragments. Few remember this New York spot where generations once gathered for summer revelry beneath twinkling lights.
3. Rockaways’ Playland – Queens, NY
The thundering Atom Smasher roller coaster once defined this seaside playground that entertained New Yorkers for over eight decades. Summer memories were made here from 1902 until 1987.
Rising property values and changing entertainment tastes eventually doomed this beloved park. Though completely demolished, its legacy lives on in countless family photo albums and the stories grandparents tell of boardwalk games and cotton candy summers.
4. Carson City And Indian Village – Catskill, NY
Travelers along Route 32 often did a double-take at the sight of tepees and Western buildings appearing suddenly in the Catskill countryside. This roadside New York attraction combined Wild West shows with Native American cultural displays from the 1950s to 1990s.
Stagecoach rides and mock gunfights created an immersive experience for families. The abandoned grounds now sit silent, with deteriorating structures as the only evidence of this once-popular tourist stop.
5. Land Of Makebelieve – Upper Jay, NY
Fairy tales came to life at this enchanting children’s park nestled in the Adirondack Mountains from 1954 to 1979. Creator Arto Monaco, a Disney designer, crafted child-sized castles, pirate ships, and storybook villages that sparked imagination.
Floods from Hurricane Irene washed away most remaining structures in 2011. What Mother Nature didn’t claim sits weathered and forgotten, though local preservation efforts keep the magical memory alive through photographs and collected artifacts.
6. Gaslight Village / Time Town / Water Slide World – Lake George, NY
Three different parks were once situated around Lake George, each leaving ghostly imprints as they faded away. Gaslight Village’s Victorian theme gave way to Time Town’s futuristic rides before Water Slide World’s pools closed permanently in 2018.
Environmental restoration efforts now transform the property into housing. Nature reclaims concrete waterslide foundations while preserving a unique ecological timeline of New York entertainment history alongside the iconic Adirondack lake.
7. Dreamland – Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY
Coney Island’s forgotten giant once rivaled Luna Park with spectacular attractions like the 375-foot central tower and Hellgate boat ride through fiery scenes. A 1911 fire destroyed Dreamland in a single night, ending its short seven-year existence.
Unlike other abandoned parks that slowly decayed, Dreamland vanished dramatically in flames. The current amusement area bears no trace of this lost wonderland where a million electric lights once illuminated Brooklyn’s shoreline.
8. Nunley’s Happyland – Long Island, NY
Generations of Long Islanders cherish memories of Nunley’s magnificent hand-carved carousel that spun children in circles from 1939 until 1995. The whimsical organ music and painted horses became a childhood rite of passage.
While the beloved carousel was saved and restored at a museum, the New York park itself vanished beneath commercial development. A shopping plaza now stands where children once laughed and families created timeless memories.
