Jump directly to the content
LEFT TO ROT

Inside the eerie abandoned remains of the oldest amusement park in America where funhouses, bumper cars and creepy clown huts lie crumbling

After a century of giving families joy, Bushkill was severely damaged by a series of floods

THESE spine-tingling pictures show the abandoned and rotting remains of the oldest amusement park in America.

Bushkill Amusement Park and Rolling Rink in Pennsylvania opened in 1902 but was severely damaged in a series of floods and has been closed for more than a decade.

 A macabre clown face on the side of a building at Bushkill Amusement Park
17
A macabre clown face on the side of a building at Bushkill Amusement ParkCredit: mediadrumworld.com
 Bushkill Park opened in 1902 and was open to visitors until 2006
17
Bushkill Park opened in 1902 and was open to visitors until 2006Credit: mediadrumworld.com
 Rollerskates lie abandoned on a rack in the rink
17
Rollerskates lie abandoned on a rack in the rinkCredit: mediadrumworld.com
 A wooden slide that has been at the site for more than a century
17
A wooden slide that has been at the site for more than a centuryCredit: mediadrumworld.com
 A vertigo-inducing staircase once jammed with kids
17
A vertigo-inducing staircase once jammed with kidsCredit: mediadrumworld.com

The haunting pictures shows empty grounds of the park as well as long-forgotten bumper cars collecting dust inside an otherwise barren building.

The shots also show inside a deserted funhouse with a hall of mirrors, a wobbly staircase and an antique wooden slide still in place. Roller skates lie abandoned in racks next to the warped and cracked rolling rink that was once filled with the whoops of excited children.

Photographers and urban explorers around the world have been chronicling fascinating sites lost to time and posting them online.

The incredible images were taken by an urban explorer known as The Unknown Cameraman.

Bushkill Park is a small amusement park aimed at young children just outside the city of Easton.

It opened in 1902 and has been closed since the summer of 2006.

 

 A boat for children to play in is filthy after years of neglect
17
A boat for children to play in is filthy after years of neglectCredit: mediadrumworld.com
 A chilling half of a mannequin stands amid the squalor
17
A chilling half of a mannequin stands amid the squalorCredit: mediadrumworld.com
 A sign for now non-existent visitors
17
A sign for now non-existent visitorsCredit: mediadrumworld.com
 The owner hopes to resurrect the roller rink
17
The owner hopes to resurrect the roller rinkCredit: mediadrumworld.com
 The rotating walkway known as the 'Bar'l of Fun'
17
The rotating walkway known as the 'Bar'l of Fun'Credit: mediadrumworld.com
 The park sits on a flood plain and is frequently deluged
17
The park sits on a flood plain and is frequently delugedCredit: mediadrumworld.com
 Many of the rides are original and their antiquity was an attraction in itself
17
Many of the rides are original and their antiquity was an attraction in itselfCredit: mediadrumworld.com
 A sign shows the extent of the flooding the site has suffered
17
A sign shows the extent of the flooding the site has sufferedCredit: mediadrumworld.com
 Bumper cars rot in their shed
17
Bumper cars rot in their shedCredit: mediadrumworld.com
 The hall of mirrors is streaked with grime
17
The hall of mirrors is streaked with grimeCredit: mediadrumworld.com
 Shopfronts that once hawked sweets, snacks and toys to families are empty
17
Shopfronts that once hawked sweets, snacks and toys to families are emptyCredit: mediadrumworld.com
 The site may return to life as a wedding and event venue
17
The site may return to life as a wedding and event venueCredit: mediadrumworld.com

Bushkill Park is famous for its antique rides such as bumper cars, 'The Whip', 'The Haunted Pretzel', and 'The Bar'l of Fun' - one of the nation's oldest funhouses. It has a rotating barrel and a maze-like layout with mirrors. There is also an original antique wooden slide.

Owner Sammy Baurkot admits the park will never be what it once was but hopes to reopen the skating rink and use the site as an entertainment venue.

However, it will cost $20,000 to restore electrical service and between $100,000 to $150,000 to fix up the other buildings.

"It's a beautiful property and I want to see something done," Baurkot told in 2015.

Topics