From the late-19th century to just a few decades ago, Georgia was the home of some fascinating amusement parks, ranging from nursery rhyme-themed parks like Storyland to the television-inspired World of Sid and Marty Krofft, and, in the case of Funtown, even served as important landmarks in the history of the Civil Rights Movement.

Although many of

Georgia

’s amusement parks fell to the wayside due to changes in public taste, financial downturns, and even an escaped leopard, hints of these icons of a bygone era still remain—if you know where to look.

Jerry

, the

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super app, is here to guide you through Georgia’s amusement parks of old. Some have been transformed into neighborhoods and shopping centers, but some remain in all their ruined splendor.

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Starcadia

Location: 150 Starcadia Circle, Macon, GA

Opened in: 1998

Closed in: 2008

For a too-quick decade,

Starcadia

was a thriving destination for family outings, friendly hangouts, and first dates. As far as amusement parks go, this one is an absolute classic, with a variety of activities including an arcade, a minigolf course, a go-kart track, and a batting cage.

The park was closed in 2008 and fell into disrepair. The property is still abandoned and is for sale at a value of $2.5 million. If you visit, you can still see the ruined remains of whimsical mushroom-top houses that were part of the minigolf course.

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The World of Sid and Marty Krofft

Location: 190 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA

Opened in: May 1976

Closed in: November 1976

This short-lived amusement park was built by

Sid and Marty Krofft

, two television producers of psychedelic kids’ shows like Land of the Lost. The park featured a carousel, a giant pinball machine, and a decor style that was truly bizarre.

Even though the Kroffts knew how to make successful television shows, their know-how didn’t translate to amusement park management. Their wacky world closed after only six months of operation. The park’s failure was attributed to high ticket prices, broken rides, and the not-so-family-friendly downtown location.

The park was eventually sold and developed into the CNN Center. Even though you won’t be able to experience the World of Sid and Marty Krofft, the escalator from the original park is still in use today.

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Ponce de Leon Amusement Park

Location: 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA

Opened in: 1887

Closed in: 1924

The

Ponce de Leon Amusement Park

was built on the site of Ponce Springs, an established attraction said to have medicinal properties. The park boasted a dancing pavilion, a seasonal skating rink, an "enchanted canal," a toboggan slide, an aerial tramway, two moving picture galleries (old-timey movie theaters), a circle swing, a "human roulette," and alligator wrestling!

The park faded into the background after the Atlanta Crackers stadium was built across from it in 1907. Ponce de Leon Amusement Park was sold in 1924 and eventually became the Ponce City Market and the Sears Building—places you can visit today!

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Joyland

Location: Atlanta, GA

Opened in: 1921

Closed in: 1926

Joyland

was built specifically for African-American patrons who were barred from enjoying other segregated parks in 1920s America. The opening day of the amusement park featured speeches by African-American luminaries and the mayor of Atlanta. It was covered by the local newspaper.

Unfortunately, the park didn’t stay open for very long. Strong winds caused extensive damage to the park, which allowed a leopard to escape from its cage.

New management shifted the park into farmland and built a residential suburb on the site of the old park. Since the 1950s, Joyland has been a neighborhood in Atlanta.

Lakewood Fairgrounds

Location: Atlanta, GA

Opened in: 1893

Closed in: 2006

The

Lakewood Fairgrounds

served many purposes over the years. It has the distinction of being the site of the first waterworks in the city and originally served as a summer resort and music venue. Most notably, Lakewood became the long-time host of the region’s Southeastern Fair from 1915 to 1975.

The fairgrounds was also the home of the famed Greyhound, a 2,950-foot roller coaster with a 66-foot drop. Lakewood’s Speedway, another highlight of its long history, was originally built for horse races but grew to accommodate motorcycle and car racing as well!

Filmworks USA leased the fairgrounds in the 1980s, building an outdoor amphitheater and establishing an antique market that ran all the way to 2006. The market was closed when EUE/ScreenGems Studios took over Lakewood Fairgrounds.

Today, the four main Spanish Colonial exhibition halls of the original fairgrounds still stand, but are not open to the public.

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White City

Location: Atlanta, GA

Opened in: 1907

Closed in: Unknown

Like many amusement parks during the early 1900s,

White City

was named after the 1893 World’s Fair exhibit of 14 awe-inspiring neoclassical-style buildings that were painted white. Atlanta’s White City was built by a sketchy city councilman, C.L. Chosewood, and was located inside a bigger park called Little Switzerland.

The park included a Ferris wheel, a circle swing, a skating rink in the winter, a swimming pool and a lake in the summer, and a "scenic railway 5 to 40 feet high"—basically, a roller coaster!

It’s unclear when the park closed its doors. However, we do know that the amusement park is no longer available to visit—the site is now home to Parkside Elementary School.

Funtown

Location: Metropolitan Avenue, Atlanta, GA

Opened in: 1961

Closed in: 1967

One of Georgia’s most famous abandoned amusement parks,

Funtown

, enjoyed a short run in the 1960s. The featured rides of Funtown had names like the Wild Mouse roller coaster, the Crazy Daisy, and the Kiddie Whip. There was also a Ferris wheel, a train, food carts, a batting cage, a minigolf course, and a bowling alley.

Funtown is also famous for another reason. The park was mentioned in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and in his speeches in the following years, expressing the pain he felt trying to explain to his daughter why she couldn’t attend the whites-only park.

The Civil Rights Movement marched on—but Funtown did not. The park closed the same year that Six Flags Over Georgia opened. The bowling alley continued to run for a while longer, but the park was completely overgrown by the 1990s and remains abandoned to this day.

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Mooney’s Lake

Location: 2581 Piedmont Rd NE, Atlanta, GA

Opened in: 1920

Closed in: 1958

A summer swimming spot,

Mooney’s Lake

, was a gathering place for outdoor fun. Horseback riding and canoeing were encouraged. Patrons could also enjoy a round of miniature golf, take a zip line over the water, or ride the children's train past the pavilion.

Mooney’s lake enjoyed a few decades of idyllic family fun before a fire broke out and damaged the pavilion. The lake was eventually filled in, ending Mooney’s run for good. The area became Lindbergh Plaza and you may drive over the exact location of Mooney’s Lake if you take the I-85/GA 400 interchange.

Storyland

Location: Highway 41 near Akers Mill Road in Marietta, GA

Opened in: 1956

Closed in: Early 1970s

As you may have already guessed,

Storyland

was a nursery rhyme-themed amusement park. Georgia’s iteration of Storyland was part of a chain, with other parks located in New York and Cape Cod.

Children visiting Storyland could walk a wooded trail and interact with fairytale characters like Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty, and Little Bo Peep. Some of the exhibits were static and some were animated—imagine the Big Bad Wolf as an animatronic!

The park didn’t limit itself to just featuring nursery rhyme characters. In 1966, King Kong and the Great Pumpkin visited the park. And if you timed your visit just right, you could meet up with superhero icons like Batman and Robin.

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Where to find affordable car insurance in Georgia

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