When’s the last time you really enjoyed a theme park or fair? Today, we thought we’d look back at a source of Kansas nostalgia, an abandoned theme park that’s been gone for a while, but never forgotten. Of course, you probably already know exactly what we’re going to check out today. Can you hear the Wurlitzer organ played by Louie as you enjoy your funnel cake and the faces of children laughing?

Disclaimer: Visiting the remnants of Joyland without permission is considered trespassing.

Joyland started as a wonderful amusement park that so many Kansans flocked to every summer.

Randy/Flickr It stood tall and brought children everywhere joy until it closed in 2004. Can you believe something that started as one train ended up so important to all of us?

However, no matter the importance, they still became bankrupt.

Randy/Flickr The park was almost reopened partially in 2006, but the company interested in it couldn’t raise the money to do so. Thus, it was pronounced dead.

There’s almost nothing left to remember, now.

Randy/Flickr Everything today is broken, sun-bleached, and covered in graffiti. Signs were stolen, and slowly the park has become an empty shell of what it once was.

Luckily, many of these rides have identical counterparts that make their way across Kansas for county fairs and other celebrations.

abandonedexplorers.com/Flickr Slides like these where you slid down on burlap, tilt-a-whirls, and carousels are luckily still around for our children and grandchildren to enjoy today.

The Wacky Shack, a favorite to many, is almost smothered by overgrowth.

abandonedexplorers.com/Flickr Nature is slowly reclaiming every part of this abandoned theme park, and there’s no stopping it.

Remember sitting and waiting for everyone to be ready to go, before you set out on your first ride, your 10th ride, or even your hundredth.

abandonedexplorers.com/Flickr Today, it sits in ruin. The main roller coaster was completely removed a couple years ago after winds caused most of the structure to fall.

You used to hear the roller coaster in the background of every area of the park, no matter how loud.

abandonedexplorers.com/Flickr Wooden roller coasters are noisy, and you heard the rattle of the wheels from the time you pulled into the parking lot until the time you left.

Bumper cars, anyone?

Randy/Flickr Dodgem was a great place for bumper cars, even if three of them were broken and two of them never got up to speed because the connectors up top weren’t functioning too well. There’s just something so fun about ramming mini cars into your friends while you race around an arena.

Joyland will forever be in our hearts, but sadly it won’t last here much longer.

Randy/Flickr There’s nothing quite as sad as watching a place you loved in your childhood crumble and disappear. We’ve got plenty of memories of the fun had here, but we’re sad to see you go.

Here’s a nostalgic video uploaded by YouTuber DITTO57 of everyone’s favorite Kansas coaster from 1990, not long before the park was officially done for good.

If you’re looking for a fair ride that isn’t broken down or decaying, you’ll find one in this special little Kansas town with a pleasant surprise.

Randy/Flickr

It stood tall and brought children everywhere joy until it closed in 2004. Can you believe something that started as one train ended up so important to all of us?

The park was almost reopened partially in 2006, but the company interested in it couldn’t raise the money to do so. Thus, it was pronounced dead.

Everything today is broken, sun-bleached, and covered in graffiti. Signs were stolen, and slowly the park has become an empty shell of what it once was.

abandonedexplorers.com/Flickr

Slides like these where you slid down on burlap, tilt-a-whirls, and carousels are luckily still around for our children and grandchildren to enjoy today.

Nature is slowly reclaiming every part of this abandoned theme park, and there’s no stopping it.

Today, it sits in ruin. The main roller coaster was completely removed a couple years ago after winds caused most of the structure to fall.

Wooden roller coasters are noisy, and you heard the rattle of the wheels from the time you pulled into the parking lot until the time you left.

Dodgem was a great place for bumper cars, even if three of them were broken and two of them never got up to speed because the connectors up top weren’t functioning too well. There’s just something so fun about ramming mini cars into your friends while you race around an arena.

There’s nothing quite as sad as watching a place you loved in your childhood crumble and disappear. We’ve got plenty of memories of the fun had here, but we’re sad to see you go.

Here’s a nostalgic video uploaded by YouTuber DITTO57 of everyone’s favorite Kansas coaster from 1990, not long before the park was officially done for good.

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