The Rusting Six Flags Park in New Orleans

As a kid, I grew up a short drive away from SixFlagsMagicMountain down in Southern California.  Later I would discover that Six Flags had parks all over the place and, recently, that some of those parks didn’t quite make it.  One particular project, Six Flags New Orleans (also known as Jazzland) is located in Eastern New Orleans and, due to extensive flooding, is now little more than rusting roller coasters and rotting buildings.

The park originally opened in 2000 and was called Jazzland.  Six Flags would move in to take over in 2002, expanding the park and giving it their own touch.  Its glory would prove short-lived, however, when in 2005 Hurricane Katrina struck.  The park, about ready to expand with an entire water park addition, flooded badly and remained that way for about a month.  An estimated 80% of the buildings and attractions sustained some sort of damage, making restoration a financial nightmare.  And while the park doesn’t look likely to reopen in our lifetime, much of it still remains.

The site is filled with all the things that one might expect to see at any Six Flags park.  Roller coasters and other attractions cover a large area.  Many of the rides have a distinctive “Cajun” theme to them, including a zone dedicated to the New Orleans tradition of Mardi Gras.  There are also several Six Flags staples, such as a Looney Tunes-themed area and a handful of DC super hero rides.

In an effort to salvage at least something from the damage, Six Flags has taken pieces of many of the rides along with a few entire rides out to be refurbished and used in other parks.  Most of it still remains, however, rusting and rotting and creating a site that many have dubbed one of the creepiest urban exploration locations in the world.  It is, of course, illegal to trespass, so visitors better keep on their toes or risk a night behind bars.  For a better look at what remains of Six Flags New Orleans, check out this extensive gallery of photos.

Jazzland 1 courtesy of Keoni 101 via Wikicommons

Jazzland 2 courtesy of Keoni 101 via Wikicommons