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The Old Six Flags New Orleans

The Old Six Flags New Orleans still stands today, almost 15 years after Hurricane Katrina barrelled into The Big Easy. Resulting in roughly $125 billion dollars of damage and untold lives taken. 

Most of the park still stands, but it is rotting away from the inside and out. When you step into the park’s grounds, you feel like you’re in a place frozen in time. It’s almost the same in some of the other buildings that had long since been abandoned. 

But is the former Six Flags in New Orleans packed with just eerie sights, or are there ghostly spirits nearby? Explore the park and the interesting stories told about it well after Katrina unleashed her wrath on the Gulf Coast.

Is Six Flags New Orleans Haunted?

The abandoned Six Flags outside of New Orleans has left many wondering. Is it as haunted as the rest of the Crescent City? While no reports of ghostly activity are documented, many who have visited the abandoned park have reported feeling eerie and uneasy.

Find out more about the haunted history of New Orleans on a walking ghost tour with NOLA Ghosts! 

Six Flags New Orleans
Copyright US Ghost Adventures

What Happened to Jazzland New Orleans?

The New Orleans Six Flags was originally known as Jazzland. It paid homage to New Orleans’s rich jazz history and culture and spanned nearly 140 acres. Operated by Alfa Smartparks, a subsidiary of a Spanish-based company named Parques Reunidos, the theme park was packed with rides, games, and entertainment options.

One of the most notable rides was known as the “Mega Zeph.” The roller coaster ride was made from wood. But a steel frame prevented any termite infestations from destroying it. The steel frame had also enough strength to withstand hurricane-force winds. 

The Mega Zeph was a reincarnation of a roller coaster that was popular at a since-closed amusement park near Lake Pontchartrain. Other roller coasters included a couple of smaller designs like “Rex’s Rail Runners” and the Zydeco Scream. 

Unfortunately, the park was not faring well financially. The lease was put up for sale, no more than a year after the park opene.d. Six Flags purchased it shortly thereafter. Six Flags opted not to change the Jazzland name until 2003.

As the Jazzland name was shed, newer rides arrived to replace the old ones. One of them included an inverted rollercoaster known as “Batman: The Ride.” Other rides that were added to the park were also coming from other Six Flags parks in the southeast. One of them was the looping roller coaster known as “The Jester”, which was a longtime fixture at the Six Flags Fiesta Texas. 

Things turned around when Six Flags took over the park. It almost looked unrecognizable to many of Jazz Land’s usual visitors. But soon, Six Flags established many rides and amusements that tied into the culture of New Orleans.

When The Saints Marching In

The park planned to add a section that would be a standalone water park. Plans began at the beginning of 2005, with a major announcement scheduled for August of that year. With the children returning to school, the business was about to slow down. However, the park was planning to open for one final weekend before wrapping up for the year.

However, due to Hurricane Katrina, the plans were postponed and later scrapped altogether. Six Flags New Orleans’ final date of operation was August 21, 2005, eight days before Katrina.

Since the park was located on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain, a piping system was installed to protect Six Flags from flooding due to spillage from the lake’s overflow. As expected, when the storm arrived, the lake overflowed, leading to flooding when the piping failed to handle all the water that was flowing into it.

Aftermath of Katrina

By the end of the storm, the entire park and at least 80 percent of the City of New Orleans were flooded. Since the park was located in a low-lying section of New Orleans, more than 20 feet of floodwater engulfed it, resulting in complete devastation once the water levels dissipated.

It took nearly an entire month for the water to leave the park. Due to the extensive damage from the floodwaters and wind, the park was closed indefinitely, despite announcements throughout the next couple of years that it would remain closed “until further notice.”

The only ride that was said to be left unscathed was Batman: The Ride. This was because the ride was constructed on an elevated platform with corrosion-resistant materials. The ride was removed from the park in 2006 and relocated to Six Flags Fiesta Texas, where it underwent a rebrand the following year as “Goliath.”

Likewise, the water contained corrosive materials that would only accelerate the damage to all the other rides, including the roller coasters. As a result, the damage was estimated to be slightly over $32 million.

In July 2006, Six Flags announced that the park was still closed indefinitely (or through 2007) as it was attempting to estimate the damage. The park was considered a “total loss.” Because of this, Six Flags had no intention of rebuilding the park and found itself looking for a way out of the 75-year-long lease that it had signed back in 2002. 

Ray Nagin, who was the mayor of New Orleans at the time, wanted Six Flags to honor the lease and rebuild it. Eventually, the park was closed for good, citing poor financial figures that had occurred before the storm ever occurred. Prior to the storm, Six Flags had already planned to shut down underperforming parks.

A Place For Thrill Seekers

Old Six Flags New Orleans
Copyright US Ghost Adventures

Long after the park’s closure, it has been a place where thrillseekers and ghost fanatics visit its abandoned buildings. While there have been no reports of any ghostly activity, many who have visited the former site of Jazzland have reported having eerie, uneasy feelings at the sight of the dead silence and visions of abandoned buildings riddled with graffiti. 

One visitor recalled saying that it was like traveling back in time and being the only one there at that time. Others have reported hearing random metal clanging and phantom noises.

Despite the City of New Orleans banning anyone from visiting the park, many have ignored the “no trespassing orders” and have taken pictures or videos of their discoveries. As of 2019, Mayor LaToya Cantrell has already discussed the idea of tearing down the park with city officials. The demolition project itself is said to be estimated at around $1.3 million.

Haunted New Orleans

While we don’t recommend that you break the law, the Old Six Flags New Orleans still stands. If you must take the risk to visit there before it’s gone for good, you might be in for the adventure of a lifetime.

Take a ghost tour with NOLA Ghosts for a safe and legal way to hear about haunting tales from New Orleans. In the meantime, keep reading our blog and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for the most up-to-date spooky content around. 

Sources:

  • https://www.nola.com/news/article_d8a1ef64-9f8d-11e9-a736-c3f89a5ebf94.html
  • https://www.abandonedamerica.us/six-flags-new-orleans
  • https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/louisiana/new-orleans/haunted-playground-nola

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