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Entity reports on abandoned theme parks guaranteed to creep you out.Photos via Medinohio on Instagram

When amusement parks are abandoned, an eerie chill hangs over them like a graveyard. Once these parks were alive with the screams of kids having fun, the shuddering of a wooden roller coaster and the smell of greasy but delicious food. Now there is only a park cemetery, devoid of life.

Here are 10 of the coolest (and creepiest) abandoned amusement parks in the United States.

1 Holy Land USA Waterbury, Connecticut

Like Heritage USA, Holy Land USA was a religious themed amusement park. The park existed as a miniature replica of Bethlehem, with a recreation of the Garden of Eden. Since the park’s closing, it has been overrun by vandals, so visitors make sure they are gone before dark.

READ MORE: 4 Things That Shock Foreigners About America

2 Six Flags New Orleans, Louisiana

Abandoned after the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina, Six Flags in New Orleans remains standing as a testament to what the city once had to offer. While the park is a sight to see, it is overrun by water and gators.

3 Joyland Amusement Park Wichita, Kansas

This amusement park is the stuff of a Stephen King novel. Nature has run its course in the ten years Joyland has been closed, reclaiming the land that it lost.

4 Rocky Point Park Warwick, Rhode Island

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Rocky Point Park finds its roots in the 1800s as a stop along a scenic route down the shore of Rhode Island. Eventually the place became so attractive that rides were brought in and throughout its history, Rocky Point has been home to some of the best roller coasters.

5 Lincoln Park North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

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In operation from 1894-1987, Lincoln Park is a historic monument in the amusement park world. Some of the rides were sold, but the famous Comet roller coaster remained there for years to commemorate what the park once was. Ravaged by fires, the park was eventually demolished.

6 Heritage USA Fort Mill, South Carolina

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Once the third most visited amusement park in the United States, Heritage USA now stands as a crumbling ruin. It was founded in the 1970s as a way to expand the Evangelical empire of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Scandal ruined the park just 10 years after it opened and the park has been closed since.

7 Miracle Strip Amusement Park Panama City Beach, Florida

Built just across the street from Panama City Beach, Miracle Strip Amusement Park looked more like a traditional boardwalk than a theme park. While most of the rides were sold off after it was shut down, a new park opened up next door and restored some of the original rides.

8 Williams Grove Amusement Park Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is already considered one of the most haunted states in the country and Williams Grove Amusement Park surely adds to that reputation. Mother nature has reclaimed the land that is covered with old coaster tracks.

9 Disney s River Country Lake Buena Vista, Florida

When you hear the word ‘Disney’ you think of Disney World. Now closed, this abandoned park was Walt Disney’s first water theme park. The park still stands not far from the Magic Kingdom and some would argue has a unique magic of its own in its hauntingly beautiful ruins.

READ MORE: Disney Parks: Priceless Experience or Over-Hyped Expenditure?

10 Chippewa Lake Park Chippewa Lake, Ohio

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With a history dating back to the 1840s, Chippewa Lake, now abandoned, still stands the test of time. The once teeming park is a silent ruin in amusement park history.

Our abandoned amusement parks say a lot about how the people of the past liked to spend their time. Take a step in their shoes and walk through these eerie parks if you dare.

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