On a recent visit to Japan, the French photographer Romain Veillon captured the haunting beauty of Nara Dreamland — one of the creepiest abandoned theme parks in the world.
Built in 1961, Nara Dreamland was inspired by California's Disneyworld in the US, but it fell into abandon after closing in 2006 due to dwindling visitor numbers, according to Atlas Obscura.
Since its closure a decade ago, the park's family-friendly attractions have been left to decay, from a stagnant tea-cup ride that's being swallowed by vegetation to an empty pink castle that's crumbling into disarray.
Go on a tour of the park below:
Welcome to Nara Dreamland, a now defunct theme park that was originally built in Nara, Japan, in 1961.
Nara was built to resemble Disneyland in California, US, and it still looks a bit like a Disney resort, with a pink castle that's similar to the world-famous Cinderella Castle. "The fact that [the park's makers] got their inspiration from Disney World and tried to build its Japanese brother was unique to me," Veillon told Business Insider.
The theme park closed down in 2006. Though Atlas Obscura reports that it was bought in 2015 with plans to demolish the site, it remains eerily untouched. Though it's empty now, Nara was once "a huge success," according to a Bored Panda article Veillon wrote.
Sources: Atlas Obscura, Bored Panda
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