What's more entertaining for a paranormal enthusiast than an amusement park? Haunted amusement parks! Add some chills to your thrill rides by visiting these theme parks where you just might have a ghostly good time.
Cedar Point
The Cedar Point amusement park carousel is haunted by a woman's spirit. The park opened in 1870 and is the second-oldest operating amusement park in America. Each year, the park serves over 25 million fun-loving visitors. One of the oldest rides is the Midway Carousel featuring hand carved horses designed by Daniel Muller. These works of art are beautiful and very special, especially to Muller's wife. She fell in love with the military horse design known as Muller's Military Horse and went to the park to ride the horse as often as she could.
It seems that even after death, she still enjoys the carousel so much that visitors see her spirit riding it. Many photographs taken of the carousel don't turn out, as though something interferes with the camera. Today, the original horse is no longer on the carousel. Instead, it is featured in a history display at Town Hall. Mrs. Muller's spirit frequently appears sitting on the carousel horse at Town Hall, and she still visits the carousel.
Kings Island
In 1972, the Kings Island amusement park opened on property where a deadly explosion took place. In 1890, the Kings Powder Company ammunitions plant was located there. When the plant exploded, 100 employees were killed. Some of these victims may haunt the park.
Dubbed Racer Boy, the spirit of a young boy dressed in a white suit plays on the tracks. His apparition sets off the motion sensors. Another resident ghost is a little girl called Missouri Jane. She appears dressed in a long blue dress and enjoys the White Water Canyon ride at the International Restaurant. The Syfy show, Ghost Hunters captured an EVP of a little girl whispering that she was trying to find her mommy.
The ghost of 17-year-old John Harter haunts the Eiffel Tower replica in the center of the park. In 1983, the teenager ventured into a restricted area, climbed up the elevator shaft, lost his footing, and fell. Tragically, the cables sliced him in half. Nicknamed Tower Johnny, his apparition looks out from the tower or likes to hang out at the fountain in front of it. He makes the elevator doors open and close. Sometimes, one of the cars on a ride moves up and down the track on its own.
Knott's Berry Farm
Knotts Berry Farm opened in the 1920s. The 57-acre theme park hosts more than 4 million visitors annually, and it's haunted. Strange noises occur, and lights turn off and on, plaguing Camp Snoopy. The ghost of a maintenance employee and a young boy appear around some of the rides. Many of the buildings, such as Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant and the Teddy Bear store, have resident ghosts. Objects move on their own and items fall off shelves. Other common paranormal activities include phantom footsteps and disembodied voices.
Disneyland
There are a few ghosts that haunt Disneyland. The most famous one is its creator, Walt Disney. He stayed at Disneyland in his apartment above the Main Street U.S.A. Fire Station. To alert employees that the boss was staying in the fire station, a lamp was left glowing in one of the windows. After his death, the employees turned off the lamp until one day, while cleaning the boss's quarters, an employee discovered the lamp was turned on. She turned it off, but the lamp turned back on. Two more times, she turned it off and each time; the lamp turned itself back on. Today, the lamp is never turned off since the boss appears to be a permanent resident spirit. In another version of the story, the third time the lamp turned on, the disembodied voice of Walt Disney informed the employee that he was still there.
The Haunted Mansion is actually haunted! The ghost of a little boy stands at the entrance, crying for his mommy. It's speculated that the child's spirit ended up there when his mother scattered his ashes at the attraction. While it's illegal, many patrons secretly scatter their loved ones' ashes in and around The Haunted Mansion. According to employees, cremation ashes are a daily find.
One spirit is forever trapped in the Rivers of America. Seen swimming in the water, it's believed the ghost is a young man who drowned in 1973. He and his brother hid on Tom Sawyer's Island until the park closed with the intention of playing in the park. First, they had to swim across the water. Unfortunately, one of the brothers didn't make it. Another resident ghost is found at Space Mountain called Mr. One Way. The spirit of a large man with a round red face and red hair likes to plop down beside solo riders. Before the ride is over, he disappears, terrifying his co-rider.
Many haunted places have a female spirit dressed in white, and Disneyland is no exception. This lady in white wears a 19th century gown and strolls along Main Street U.S.A. at dusk. She is a kind soul and escorts lost children to the children's care center to the relief of panicking parents.
Oaks Park
Portland, Oregon's Oaks Park opened in 1905 to encourage the use of the streetcar system. Today, the park is a mix of turn of the century and modern attractions. The park was donated in 1985 to Oaks Park Association. It sits on the banks of the Willamette River and is one of the oldest amusement parks operating in America.
A young girl tripped at the park entrance and hit her head; she died instantly. Her spirit plays in the park. Dressed in a 1920s dress, her big white hair bow appears first when she materializes near the Herschell-Spillman Noah's Ark Carousel.
The park is host to quite a few spirits. The spirit of a man run over by a streetcar wanders about the various attractions. Invisible children's hands touch unsuspecting visitors, disembodied children's voices speak up, and spirit orbs are a common sight.
Lake Shawnee Amusement Park
Abandoned in 1966, Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in Rock, West Virginia sits on land that archeologists believe was once an Indigenous American burial ground with more than 3,000 bodies interred there. In 1781, Mitchell Clay and his family settled on the land, and a land war ensued with the local indigenous peoples. While Mitchell was out hunting, members of the local tribe slaughtered his children. Upon returning to his home, Mitchell found one son and daughter dead. His oldest son was kidnapped and burned alive at the stake. Mitchell and other settlers went on an avenging rampage, killing several members of the tribe. Since that time, locals claim the land is cursed.
During the time the park was open, it's rumored that six people died from accidents on the rides. A young girl aboard the swing ride was run over by a delivery truck backing up, and a young boy supposedly drowned in the lake. The park owner saw the apparition of a little girl wearing a dress covered in blood. The paranormal activity is too much for some people. For example, in 2005, ABC's Scariest Place on Earth filmed in the park. However, the show's psychic refused to stay on the premises, and the crew refused to film at night when they heard phantom drumming and disembodied chanting. Park tours are available by appointment only.
Busch Gardens
There's a mix of paranormal activity at the Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay. One well-known ghostly sites is the Serengeti Overlook Pub and Restaurant (formerly Crown Colony House) that started soon after 1990 renovations. Customers and staff see a lady in white on occasion as well as the apparition of a man who plays the piano. Other anomalies include flashing lights, cold spots, and the elevator stalling between floors. The phantom sounds of trays and glassware and disembodied children's voices convince many visitors that the building is haunted. The aroma of cigar smoke, shadow people, and orbs in photos are a few other paranormal experiences visitors and staff experience.
In other areas of the park, the apparition of a young man appears near the trains. What makes this ghost so frightening is his appearance. His mouth is sewn shut and his eyes are missing.
Six Flags Over Texas
The first Six Flags park, Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington opened in 1961. A photograph taken at the park showed the picture of a child. Another child, Annie, a young girl who drowned in Johnson Creek during the 1900s wanders the park's historic yellow house, known as the Candy House. She likes to turn lights off and on and, although sweet, she's mischievous. She unlocks the front door after employees lock it. The upstairs bedroom curtains open and close on their own. Annie also walks the parking lot, and visitors offer to help her find her parents, but she leads them into the woods and disappears.
The apparition of an elderly man wearing overalls likes to hang out at The Palace and appears on the stage. He's identified as Angus, a construction worker who fell to his death while building The Palace.
Universal Parks Orlando
One of the most haunted Florida theme parks, Universal Orlando has several resident ghosts throughout the attractions of its parks. For example, Universal Islands of Adventure has an eerie ghost in the form of a little girl. She likes to get children alone so they'll accept a small black box gift. The goal is for the child to hide the box from their parents by putting in their pocket. Some believe the little girl is a demon with some undefined nefarious goal associated with the mysterious black box. Is you see a friendly little girl attempting to coerce your child to go with her, make sure you step in and keep your little one close.
The spirit of Alfred Hitchcock haunts the Universal Shrek attraction. It seems the iconic filmmaker isn't happy that his attraction was replaced by Shrek 4D. In 1990, Alfred was featured in the building that Shrek 4D took over. This change, according to employees, upset Alfred. He makes his displeasure known daily. Doors slam on their own, unexplained, strange banging sounds are heard, and the lights turn on and off by themselves. Alfred's apparition walks onto the soundstage and wanders about.
Other ghosts include one that enjoys scaring visitors to The Exorcist house. The lights often flicker, and people hear unexplained weird noises and phantom footsteps.
Haunted Amusement Parks Resident Ghosts
There are many tales of ghosts haunting amusement parks and rides. Some witnesses believe these spirits are tied to events that happened at the park and some died in the park under tragic circumstances.
