A Six Flags in New Orleans has been abandoned and left submerged in floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Built in 2000 on 140 acres in east New Orleans, the theme park, initially called Jazzland, was fashioned to highlight the history and love of music in the Big Easy. Rides and park areas followed this theme with rides like the Zydeco Rollercoaster and a section of the park built to resemble the French Quarter.
The prolonged exposure to salt water rendered many of the rides unsafe, and Six Flags considered the park a total loss. A handful of the rides were saved and some salvageable items were removed, and after several unsuccessful plans to redevelop the area Six Flags was forced to vacate its lease and the property was taken over by the city in 2009.
The original theme park included a number of roller coasters including the wooden Mega Zeph, based on the Zephyr which once stood at the Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park (it closed in 1983). There were a number of small flat rides, a log flume as well as many traditional fairground rides as seen in Alfa Smartpark’s other amusement parks.
The only ride to survive the hurricane with the least damage was an inverted rollercoaster ride called Batman: The Ride, which was removed from the park in 2007 and re-opened at Six Flags Texas as Goliath. Later in 2009, Nickelodeon announced its own plan to turn the park into a Nickelodeon-themed attraction.
The Six Flags New Orleans is decaying at an astonishing rate and has become a mecca for urban explorers from across the United States. The wooden rollercoaster that was submerged now creaks from the prolonged exposure to saltwater. Rust covers many surfaces and mold spores are still visible across the park. A water line still marks the walls like a scar that just won’t let you forget.
As of 2022 reports in the media indicate that Abandoned Six Flags to be replaced with new amusement park complex. The City of New Orleans awarded Bayou Phoenix with the city contract to build on the remains of Six Flags New Orleans. Bayou Phoenix’s plans for the former amusement park include creating a water and amusement park, along with a hotel and STEM center.
