Dogpatch, Arkansas
Let’s start this list with Dogpatch, a theme park located in Marble Falls, Arkansas. Even its name is strange. This park was based on a fictional town in the _Li’l Abner_ comic strip. This town was home to a clan of “hillbillies” – which is the name given to poor white rural men – who lived in a secluded and impoverished village.
The park remained open for nearly three decades, but the truth is that not many tourists came here. Nowadays, this site is just an abandoned site which attracts urban explorers, which is why you’ll find several old structures covered in graffitis!
Paul Bunyan Land, Minnesota
Out of all the parks included in this list, this is probably the most random of all. As its name suggests, Paul Bunyan Land, located in Brainerd, Minnesota, is a park that revolves around Paul Bunyan, a giant lumberjack according to American folklore.
The first thing that you’ll see as soon as you enter the park is a giant statue of Paul Bunyan, who will greet you with a strange low-pitched voice. The truth is that almost nobody knows about this site’s existence, although it is in fact quite popular among the residents.
Neverland, California
Probably, all of you have already heard about the Neverland Ranch. This was a private park created by Michael Jackson in Los Olivos, California. It seems that the famous pop singer wanted to keep in touch with his inner child, so he had a theme park built in his own backyard.
This park featured a steam locomotive, a carousel, a Ferris wheel, a Pirate ship, a roller coaster, and bumper cars, among other attractions. It was also home to several exotic animals. After Jackson’s death, his children opened the ranch to the public in his honor.
Holy Land Experience, Florida
Amusement parks and Christian faith aren’t two things that seem to match. Well, believe it or not, the city of Orlando, Florida, is home to a Christian-based non-profit theme park named Holy Land Experience.
This park attempts to recreate the architecture of ancient Jerusalem, so it features giant models of ancient houses as well as people who look like and are dressed like Jesus. The funniest part is that the park offers real weekly church services and bible study groups.
AutoWorld, Michigan
During the 90s, once the Reagan-era economic recession ended, the city of Flint, Michigan, was in crisis. It depended on the automobile industry, but many factories had shut down during the past years. Here's what they did...
A group of guys had the crazy idea of reinventing some of the abandoned buildings into a tourist destination. But how? Well, they created Autoworld, a theme park related to the history of the auto industry. Unfortunately, people, especially youngsters, weren’t too much into cars, and this wild project lasted for only 6 months.
Silver Dollar City, Missouri
Why are all the parks located in Southern USA, one may wonder? Silver Dollar City, located in Branson, Missouri, is a hillbilly-themed park. But you must give these guys some credit, ’cause that is one super-cool entrance!
This park is advertised as “_good clean fun”_, and can you guess which its major attractions are? It features a steam train, a roller coaster, and tours around the nearby Ozark cave system. It’s actually really worth a visit but keep in mind that it closes during January and February due to the icy-cold temperatures.
Noah’s Ark Encounter, Kentucky
As you can see, there are several American theme parks on this list and all from different states! Noah’s Ark Encounter is found in the small town of Grant County, Kentucky, and it was recently opened in 2016.
The park is made up of a sole building, which, as you can see, is a giant replica of Noah’s Ark. This giant wooden ship features a petting zoo, a couple of souvenir shops, and a buffet restaurant. The surrounding fields and trees also add a weird charm to it.
Heritage, South Carolina
We’ve already talked about the famous Holy Land Experience park, but as it turns out, that was not the first Christian-themed park to ever be created in America. Several years before, the Heritage Park in Fort Mill, South Carolina, became the first religious-themed park in the country.
The park was created by the popular “televangelist” Jim Bakker, who was able to carry out this project thanks to the donations received from his followers. However, the park closed in the mid-80s after a tax exemption scandal broke out.
Diggerland, New Jersey
Diggerland is a tractor-themed park located in West Berlin, New Jersey (I bet none of you even knew there was a city with that name, right?). This park is a paradise for construction lovers, as it includes real-size vehicles where guests can ride.
This site also features tractor-shaped carnival rides. Apart from that, it hosts different sorts of special events, including car smashes. You’re probably wondering what a car smash is. Well, it’s literally that: they smash heavy equipment on top of cars. I know, it makes no sense at all!
Libertyland, Tennessee
The Libertyland theme park was created in 1976 by a group of city officials to boost tourism in Memphis, Tennessee. It kind of sounds like an idea that _Leslie Knope_ from _Parks and Recreation_ would think of, right? However, the park became famous worldwide when Elvis Presley claimed that it was his favorite theme park and that it was home to the best rollercoaster in the world.
From then onwards, it was always advertised as Elvis Presley’s park. However, it had no actual theme, which is probably why it closed down in 2005. But we must give these guys some credit since the project lasted nearly four decades.
Opryland, Tennessee
No, this not a theme park about Oprah. Opryland, located in Nashville, Tennessee, was inspired by The Grand Ole Opry, a famous Nashville country music stage concert. But what did this park consist of?
The park featured more musical performances than actual rides and attractions. As a matter of fact, people began to demand the owners to create rides and rollercoasters, but the park had no more space to expand itself. As a result, it ended up closing in no time.
Santa’s Village Azoosment Park, Illinois
Is this a zoo or a theme park? Well, as its name clearly states, it’s a bit of both! Santa’s Village Azoosment Park, also known as “The North Pole”, is a mini-theme park in East Dundee, Illinois. The park features a mini roller-coaster for kids and a reindeer petting zoo. Reindeer petting zoo… can you think of anything more specific than that?
What’s more, The North Pole also featured a water park, which logically opened only during summer. But bad news! Just recently, the park attempted to build a giant roller coaster, but the plan proved to be a financial disaster, and the park was soon forced to close. What a pity, it really did sound amusing!
Astroland, New York
This bizarre and futuristic theme park was created in Coney Island, New York, and it featured space-themed rides. Well, sure, that old and dirty white and blue rocket doesn’t look very futuristic now, but it sure was the talk of the town back then in 1962 when the park opened.
But there was one tiny problem. Shortly after the park was opened, the first American reached the moon. And after that, the park was left a bit outdated. In 2008, it was modernized and refunded as the Luna Park Amusement Park.
Land Of Oz, South Carolina
Land of Oz is a weird park (which of these parks isn’t?) in the small rural village of Beech Mountain, South Carolina. Obviously, the theme of this park is the Hollywood classic _The Wizard of Oz_, but during the winter months, the park is used as a ski resort.
But I’ve got some sad news: the park went bankrupt nearly a decade ago. Nevertheless, the park’s facilities and statues still exist, and in fact, the owners still open the park for special events to gain some extra cash. So it’s never too late to visit your favorite fantasy characters in real life!
Gulliver’s Kingdom, Japan
Gulliver’s Kingdom is located in Kawaguchi-machi, Japan. This park is based on the book and film _Gulliver’s Travels_, which is about a travel writer and his adventures.
One of the park’s most iconic structures is this giant statue of Gulliver himself. Sadly, the park was closed down after a few years because it was built on top of an old poison gas factory site.
Old Chicago, Illinois
Old Chicago was an indoor amusement park that was built under an enclosed dome. Well, this park featured two roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, and a couple of boutique stores.
All of the park’s facilities were built so that they looked like Chicago during the early-20th century. The park was actually quite a hit, but several fires broke out on its premises, forcing it to close down.
Gatorland, Florida
Say hello to the first animal-themed park on this list. A few years ago, a group of executives had the crazy idea of opening an adventure park featuring alligators and nothing else. The park’s most iconic element is an alligator wrestling show, where actual humans wrestle real-life alligators.
Gatorland is located in Orlando, Florida, mid-way between Disneyworld and Universal. Coincidence? Not at all! The executives’ idea was to promote and increase the traffic flow between both parks. And their plan was a success because Gatorland sells quite a lot of tickets.
River County, Florida
Opened in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, River County was Disney’s first water park ever. However, this park proved to be quite controversial. Opened in 1976, it was designed to look like a swimming hole. But what was the problem?
Well, even though a water park with a funny-looking shape and structure was actually not a bad idea, the plan was very poorly executed. The thing is, the park pulled water from the nearby Bay Lake, whose waters were not clean at all. Therefore, the water smelled bad, and its contamination resulted in the death of a child. After this incident, the park was naturally forced to close.
Splendid China, Florida
You probably figured that the Splendid China park was located in China, right? Well, you’re wrong! This unusual China-themed park was opened in Four Corners, Florida, and it contained miniature replicas of different Chinese and Thai buildings.
Unfortunately, the park didn’t last long, and it closed down in 2003. In fact, there was a huge controversy involving the park, as many people suggested that it was used as communist propaganda and that it was a hot spot for espionage. There were never any proofs, and the accusations are tough to believe, but one way or another, its executives were forced to close it.
Crinkley Bottom, England
This strikingly unusual park was created by Noel Edmonds and was based on the fictional village of Crinkly Bottoms, the place where the _Noel’s House Party_ TV program was based. It comes as no surprise that the park was a failure and ended up closing.
But what type of attractions did Crinkley Bottom, also known as Blobbyland, really feature? Well, it was basically based on Mr. Blobby, the TV show’s main character. It featured a Blobby-themed house named Dunblobbin as well as a water river ride. The house’s design was actually quite cool, but it never attracted many tourists.
Haewoojae, South Korea
Undoubtedly, South Korea‘s Haewoojae, also known as the Toilet Culture Exhibit Hall and Theme Park, deserved to be at the top of our list. This park is actually a combination between the planet’s first toilet-shaped house and a museum on the world’s restroom culture.
This house was built in 2007 by businessman Sim Jae-duck, and when he passed away in 2009, it was converted into a museum. It features several rather scatological sculptures and information about the world’s different types of toilets. It comes as no surprise that the park has super modern bathrooms.