Inside haunting abandoned ‘Land of Oz’ theme park with rusting Tin Men, potholed Yellow Brick Road & creepy faces
WIZARD of Oz fans may want to look away as creepy images show the inside of an abandoned Oz theme park – kitted out with terrifying rotting characters and a sickly yellow brick road.
Somewhere over in North Carolina, way up high – specifically 5,500ft above the town of Banner Elk – is the abandoned Land of Oz.
The pics, captured inside the theme park, show the rotting patch 35 years on from when it first shut its doors.
Images show horror-like faces painted on tree trunks and a small castle creepily shaded by overgrown trees and covered with moss.
The so-called ‘yellow’ brick road is said to have bizarrely led tourists to a show where the characters met the Wizard.
The hot air balloons photographed were also apparently a modified ski lift.
Visitors got on the ride to get an aerial view of the park surrounded by the beautiful mountains.
The site, once hugely popular among tourists, closed in 1980 as visiting numbers dropped, causing financial issues.
Despite the park being in a questionable state, tourists can still visit the site as it opens a few times a year for various interactive events.
But the site is more aimed at abandoned-park fanatics than Oz fans.
Seph Lawless, a photographer who’s previously taken pics at the park, summarised it as being “hauntingly beautiful”.
He told the Daily Mail: “It felt as though I was in a dream – it was among the most beautiful places I’ve ever photographed.
“As a fan of the movie growing up I especially enjoyed the yellow brick road that wrapped around the trees with faces on them against the glowing sunset.”
Despite popular belief, the site is based on the L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel called The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
But as the 1939 movie adaptation starring Judy Garland took off, the theme park had to change its original costumes to fit the new ones seen in the film.
Abandoned theme parks are a popular exploration for those who like a peak into the past.
In a similar tale, Disney’s first ever water park was discreetly left to rot sparking a 20-year riddle and baffling adrenaline junkies.
Disney‘s River Country park first opened its doors in 1976 and featured a number of water rides and pools, described as a “Huckleberry Finn old-fashion swimming hole”.
Sadly, the once popular spot met a tragic demise in 2001, breaking the hearts of thrill-seekers when it closed its doors.
But a glimmer of hope has been found for the forgotten fortress as eagle-eyed Disney fans spotted something strange in a recent video.
Disney recently announced it plans to expand its Fort Wilderness resort and build luxury log cabins.
Fort wilderness used to operate alongside the park and kept running as a campsite after the closure.
These new cabins will be opening on July 1, 2024, at Walt Disney World and provide a “refreshed look for one of the older Disney World hotels”, according to inside the magic net.