Gordon Bombay Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 So as many of you know I'm a big fan of abandonment photography as well as photographing amusement parks. I currently run a website called Queen City Discovery which highlights urban ruins throughout the city of cincinnat, places i travel to, and hocking vallery area where I currently live and go to school. Recently I was featured in City Beat magazine for a photograph I took at the abandoned and defunct Surf Cincinnati Waterpark and recently did a feature on the site about LeSourdsville Lake/Americana. Unfortuanently the state of Ohio is state dotted with quite a few abandoned and defunct amusement parks, many of them small parks reminiscent of a time in American history when small parks were as common as play stations. However, today I want to show you guys something different. It's not often you see larger, full scale theme parks abandoned with multiple coasters and larger rides but there are a few cases across the world that I find particuarly intriguing... Greenland Amusement Park: Fukushima Prefecture, Japan This abandoned park sports a large rollercoaster and one small one as well as many classic rides such as the ferris wheel and a unique version of the lazytown sportacopters and a merry go round... Plenty more pictures to see here. The next park I'd like to share with you guys is the abandoned Spree Park in Berlin, Germany. This one comes courtesy of my friends at Urban Travel... Originally opened in 1969 this park closed in 2001 when it went bankrupt and the owners fled to Lima, Peru with about 20 attractions whom authorites thought were being sent for repairs but were really sold and relocated to other parks If you'd like to see some more pictures from this park click here. Thought some of you guys might enjoy these photos of a view of an amusement park we aren't accustomed to seeing. I know a few members on here like Monroe and King Maple the Tree King have travelled to European parks so I wonder if either of them had been to Spree Park when it was open. Hope you guys enjoy the photos and the read and dont forget to check out Queen City Discovery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kwindshawne Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 So as many of you know I'm a big fan of abandonment photography as well as photographing amusement parks. I currently run a website called Queen City Discovery which highlights urban ruins throughout the city of cincinnat, places i travel to, and hocking vallery area where I currently live and go to school. Recently I was featured in City Beat magazine for a photograph I took at the abandoned and defunct Surf Cincinnati Waterpark and recently did a feature on the site about LeSourdsville Lake/Americana. Unfortuanently the state of Ohio is state dotted with quite a few abandoned and defunct amusement parks, many of them small parks reminiscent of a time in American history when small parks were as common as play stations. However, today I want to show you guys something different. It's not often you see larger, full scale theme parks abandoned with multiple coasters and larger rides but there are a few cases across the world that I find particuarly intriguing... Greenland Amusement Park: Fukushima Prefecture, Japan This abandoned park sports a large rollercoaster and one small one as well as many classic rides such as the ferris wheel and a unique version of the lazytown sportacopters and a merry go round... Plenty more pictures to see here. The next park I'd like to share with you guys is the abandoned Spree Park in Berlin, Germany. This one comes courtesy of my friends at Urban Travel... Originally opened in 1969 this park closed in 2001 when it went bankrupt and the owners fled to Lima, Peru with about 20 attractions whom authorites thought were being sent for repairs but were really sold and relocated to other parks If you'd like to see some more pictures from this park click here. Thought some of you guys might enjoy these photos of a view of an amusement park we aren't accustomed to seeing. I know a few members on here like Monroe and King Maple the Tree King have travelled to European parks so I wonder if either of them had been to Spree Park when it was open. Hope you guys enjoy the photos and the read and dont forget to check out Queen City Discovery. I always hate to see abandoned parks. Its just....sad. Those look like everyone just went home one night and never went back. I've been watching the wonderland sydney site...it is unrecognizeable as a theme park-it has been redeveloped and no signs of the park are left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cory Butcher Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 I don't like to see abandoned parks either. However, I love to follow abandoned places and SBNO parks. I think it is just so mysterious that human nature leads great things to become so forgotten, and that is what makes me relish forgotten places. Its like you can see the memories and faded patrons just hanging over the photographs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 Well at least sell the rides! What a waste of money! Are you even allowed in abondoned theme parks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted November 15, 2007 Author Share Posted November 15, 2007 A lot of them are on property still privately owned and usually guarded as a lot of the parks are still trying to sell the rides. Myself, Boddah, and Dane had permission to go into Americana/LeSourdsville Lake and we even met with the owner. All the rides there have been appraised for auction or sale, but that was some time ago. I don't know if the guy from Urban Travel had permission to go into Spree Park or not but I do know the Greenland park in Japan is wide open and they really don't mind people going in and looking around. In Japan they have a lot of respect for urban ruins like that, most of the abandoned places in Japan are void of vandalism where as in the United State's its common to see grafitti in most abandoned places. It's just a cultural thing. A lot of times when I photograph abandoned places its not with permission, although I do always seek it, however whenever I do shoot abandoned places the only thing I take is photographs and I'm careful to leave everything in its place out of respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XGatorHead 8904 Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 whenever I do shoot abandoned places the only thing I take is photographs and I'm careful to leave everything in its place out of respect. Or as they say in the national parks, "Take only pictures, leave only footprints". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted November 15, 2007 Author Share Posted November 15, 2007 ^hahah thats exactly the quote I was trying to think of but couldn't remember it. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adventure2007 Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 Wow this is some really amazing stuff. I just hope something like this never happens to Kings Island. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cory Butcher Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 Funny you mentioning that. Everyday that I went in to work at the park, I couln't help but look around at the deserted park and just visualize overgrown weeds peeking through the paths, and paint peeling everywhere, and trees just popping up everywhere. Really the best place that I would notice this too, is at IJ. when I look at the ride from the plaza, I can't help but see Italian Job where it currently sits with a view of the Tiques at the same angle layered utop of it. You know the trees and flowers everywhere, mixed in with the ride, and you have a defunct visualization of IJ, add peeling paint and voaila. Its an eary idea, I know, but I just had this visualization almost everytime I went into work. We've all ridden The Beast, could you imagine just walking into this overgrown Beast station, with trees peaking through the track at both ends of the station, and so much growth between the exit of the station and the lift that you can't see the other side of the turnaround? I hope KI never gets that way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adventure2007 Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 Ill tell what looks creepy is when riding SOB if you look over at the old safari ride area where all the safari trains are just sitting around . oh oh could this be the end breww ha ha ha ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cory Butcher Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 Those are NOT safari trains. The old safari trains are on site at Jungle Jims in Fairfield, Ohio. Those trains that you see are the old parking lot trams, and they may well not be there for long, Cedar Fair likes to keep things clean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adventure2007 Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 Those are NOT safari trains. The old safari trains are on site at Jungle Jims in Fairfield, Ohio. Those trains that you see are the old parking lot trams, and they may well not be there for long, Cedar Fair likes to keep things clean! O ok my bad, you are right, but I guess you get my point. I am sure they will remove them eventually , they do look kinda trashy over there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted November 16, 2007 Author Share Posted November 16, 2007 Yeah, those are parking lot trams sitting out there. According to Jungle Jims the safari cars will be seeing new life in November. Edit: Duh Gordon, it is November. I have a friend getting married at the Oscar event center in December and according to her, her guests are supposed to be taken to and from the event center on the mono rail. Ill be back in cincy on monday night, cant wait to see if Jungles has made any progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuskin Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 Those are some very impressive pictures. I have really gotten into the abandonded rides since Ive seen some of your pictures and some of the others online. Im a graphic design major and thinking about doing some kinda of abandonded coaster picture for my senior art show later this year. Thanks for some of the inspiration Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted November 17, 2007 Author Share Posted November 17, 2007 haha cool, im glad you liked my pictures from the LL thread. What kind of design with an abandoned coaster are you thinking about doing for the art show? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuskin Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Im not exactly sure yet. What im trying to do is incorporate a lot of different things into one main idea because we have to have a theme. I have a lot of different ideas but none of them really go together so im having a difficult time thinkin up a theme for it. I do a lot of different videos with trailers and clips from other video games and movies .. short films and videos of my own so I want to incorporate that into the theme somehow. Then I love rollercoasters obviously so thats where your abandonded coaster photographs came into play and Im not exactly sure what to do with it yet. Then I finally want to do some graphic design work to pull it all together. Maybe some flyers or something advertising my own work of the coasters and videos im not really sure yet. If you have any ideas id be more then happy to hear them. I have till april so there still is a lot of time left to work on it, however im just trying to get it started now and get my mind thinking about it so it doesnt come up so quick and so I dont have to rush so much to figure out what im doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted November 17, 2007 Author Share Posted November 17, 2007 Sounds like a good base idea to get working from. If you wanna use any of my pictures I'd be happy to assist you, just let me know what you're interested in doing, I can get higher resolutions and larger pictures. Id be happy to help so long as credits given and I have the time towards the end of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuskin Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Thanks alot! I really appreciate that, I will definatly keep you up to date on what im doing as far as the show goes. If your interested in checking out some of my videos that Ive made they are all posted on here, I still have a few to put up however. Here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopan Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 New article on Spreepark- http://www.weather.com/travel/abandoned-theme-park-spreepark-germany-photos-20140508 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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