5 Fascinating Abandoned U.S. Tourist Attractions

Across the U.S., many once-popular tourist attractions have fallen into decline, only to be closed and left abandoned or redeveloped for other purposes, even after enjoying successful heydays. These places reflect changing economies and consumer preferences, highlighting how tourism evolves over time. Check out five former U.S. tourist spots that are now fascinating time capsules.

Salton Sea Resorts – California

The Salton Sea was formed in 1905 when Colorado River floodwaters breached a canal being dug for agriculture in Southern California’s Imperial Valley. Waters spilled into the desert basin, forming a massive inland lake that later inspired tourism and development. In the 1950s and ’60s, communities like Salton City sprang up along the lakeshores, with marinas, resorts, and vacation homes. They drew visitors looking to soak up the sun and enjoy water-based recreation in the middle of the desert. 

The downfall of Salton Sea as a tourism destination began as the salinity of the waters rose and agricultural runoff brought pollution. This caused birds and marine life to die, producing an unpleasant smell that lingered around the barren beaches. By the 1980s, many businesses closed and buildings were abandoned. Today, the area has a quiet, eerie vibe, with empty lots, crumbling signs, decaying beachfront structures, and abandoned motels. But in towns like Bombay Beach, resident artists have breathed new life into the decrepit landscape through art and installations, bringing a surreal and even joyous feel to the strange, otherworldly environment.

Holy Land USA – Connecticut

Holy Land USA in Waterbury, located about 75 miles northeast of New York City, was brought to life by local attorney John Baptist Greco, a devout Catholic who wanted to create a biblical theme park for the local community. Spread over 18 acres, the park featured life-sized statues, replicas of famous holy sites, and landscaped paths that made visitors feel like they were walking through the real Holy Land of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. 

After closing in 1984 and falling into disrepair, the park partially reopened to the public in 2014 for self-guided tours during daylight hours. More than a decade later, plans for revitalization and further development are still underway. Though the park is a shell of its former self, its most iconic feature, its towering cross, remains a staple of the Waterbury skyline. Originally made of steel and later neon, the cross is now illuminated by color-changing LED lights installed in 2013, which change hues for holidays and special occasions.

Joyland Amusement Park – Kansas

In June 1949, Joyland Amusement Park opened in Wichita. Building on the success of their earlier park, Playland, the Ottaway family set out to create a larger amusement park featuring attractions such as a 60-foot Ferris wheel, an octopus ride, a miniature train, live ponies, a Tilt-A-Whirl, a merry-go-round, and a log flume. One of its biggest draws was a 75-foot-tall wooden roller coaster, which quickly became the park’s centerpiece. 

As the park grew, the next generation of the family expanded it further by adding a section called Frontier Town and updating several rides. Even though Joyland was well loved, it closed in 2004, plagued by financial problems, vandalism, and a lack of maintenance. Some historic pieces, like the sign and carousel, were donated, but much of the park remains, with its abandoned rides and sagging structures giving it the feel of a ghost town. The property has since been sold, and there are reports that it could be developed into event spaces, restaurants, or seasonal attractions, but for now it remains abandoned.

Old Car City USA – Georgia

How can an old junkyard captivate photographers, car enthusiasts, and nature lovers all at once? At Old Car City USA, thousands of classic cars slowly being reclaimed by the forests of northern Georgia create a striking and unique backdrop that draws visitors from across the country. Located in the small town of White, Old Car City USA is widely recognized as the world’s largest classic car junkyard. Its story began in 1931 as a small, family-run general store. The family later opened a scrapyard and began amassing old cars on the property. 

Over nine decades, its collection has grown into a 34-acre outdoor museum, with more than 4,400 cars, trucks, vans, and school buses. Along winding forest paths, you’ll find notable vehicles including the last car Elvis Presley purchased and a car used in the 1983 TV film Murder in Coweta County, starring Andy Griffith and Johnny Cash. The site remains operational, but the cars themselves are truly abandoned, giving the park its haunting, postapocalyptic vibe. 

Six Gun Territory – Florida

Six Gun Territory operated as a 200-acre Wild West-themed park in Ocala, Florida, from 1963 to 1984. It featured a saloon, church, schoolhouse, Southern-style railway station, and Native American village, along with daily staged gunfights, robberies, can-can performances, and a steam train that circled the grounds. At its peak in the late 1960s and early ’70s, the park drew hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. 

Visits declined after Walt Disney World opened nearby, and, affected by shifting pop culture tastes and management challenges, the park ultimately closed in 1984 and lay empty for several years. While the original site has been redeveloped into a residential area and is no longer abandoned, pieces of Six Gun Territory live on in nearby Williston at the Kirby Family Farm Six Gun Territory Weekend and Reunion, where reenactments and memorabilia celebrate the theme park’s heyday. The only lingering trace of the Wild West at the original site is the name of the local shopping center: Six Gun Plaza.