Abandoned Six Flags New Orleans

Rides, food stands, and midway structures left idle after Hurricane Katrina's 2005 closure

Six Flags Amusement Park — New Orleans

Six Flags New Orleans, a theme park that opened in eastern New Orleans in 2000, closed permanently after Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005. Severe flooding and wind damage left the 140-acre site on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain unsalvageable as an operating park, and Six Flags terminated its lease with the city of New Orleans in 2009.

The park had been built on land owned by the city and operated under a long-term lease agreement. When Katrina hit, the entire site flooded, submerging rides, midway buildings, food stands, and retail shops under several feet of water for weeks. The damage was extensive enough that neither Six Flags nor any subsequent operator moved to reopen it.

After the lease ended, the property sat in legal and financial limbo for years as the city sought a developer. Proposals came and went — an outlet mall, a film studio campus, an Amazon distribution center — but none advanced to construction. The coasters, carousel, themed storefronts such as the Creole Kitchen, Basin Street Bakery, and Jackson Square Confectionary, and the park's entertainment theatre all remained standing and decaying in the interim.

The site was eventually cleared and redeveloped as Bayou Phoenix, a mixed-use project, though demolition of the park structures did not begin until years after Katrina. For much of that intervening period, the abandoned grounds became one of the most widely explored derelict sites in the United States.

Six Flags New Orleans roller coaster in eastern New Orleans with green track and blue supports. — *December 4, 2009* — Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans features an abandoned green roller coaster with blue support beams. The park closed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and remained shut in 2009.

Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans with a damaged building and abandoned roller coaster structure. — *December 4, 2009* — Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans includes a damaged service building beneath the park’s abandoned roller coaster structure. The amusement park closed after Hurricane Katrina and has remained shut since 2005.

Six Flags New Orleans plaza with abandoned roller coaster structures in eastern New Orleans. — *December 4, 2009* — Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans includes the former amusement park’s main plaza and roller coaster structures. The park was closed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and has remained abandoned since then.

The Jester roller coaster at Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans. — *December 4, 2009* — The Jester roller coaster at Six Flags New Orleans stands in the abandoned theme park in eastern New Orleans. The steel coaster was one of the park’s major attractions before Hurricane Katrina led to the park’s closure in 2005.

Skycoaster Gifts entrance at Six Flags New Orleans with a red Skycoaster sign. — *December 4, 2009* — Skycoaster Gifts at Six Flags New Orleans was part of the park’s retail area near the Skycoaster attraction. Six Flags New Orleans opened in 2003 and closed after Hurricane Katrina damaged the property in 2005.

Six Flags New Orleans in Eastern New Orleans with abandoned midway buildings and roller coaster structures. — *December 4, 2009* — Six Flags New Orleans, Eastern New Orleans, includes the abandoned midway area and ride structures left idle after Hurricane Katrina. The former amusement park opened in 2000 and has remained closed since flooding from the storm in 2005.

Six Flags New Orleans midway buildings and roller coaster structures in eastern New Orleans. — *December 4, 2009* — Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans includes the former amusement park midway buildings and roller coaster structures left closed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The park has remained abandoned since the storm damaged the site.

P. Joe's Pretzels and Churros at Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans, abandoned after Hurricane Katrina. — *December 4, 2009* — P. Joe's Pretzels and Churros at Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans was a food stand in the amusement park. The park closed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and remained abandoned during this period. Roller coaster structures and other rides stand in the background.

Creole Kitchen Building at Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans. — *December 4, 2009* — The Creole Kitchen building at Six Flags New Orleans is part of the abandoned amusement park in eastern New Orleans. Six Flags New Orleans opened in 2003 and closed after Hurricane Katrina damaged the property in August 2005. The structure retains signage and decorative details from the park’s former food service area.

Six Flags New Orleans promotional cutout and sign in eastern New Orleans. — *December 4, 2009* — Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans includes a promotional cardboard cutout and sign near the entrance area. The park closed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and remained abandoned for years afterward.

Cosmopolitan Hotel courtyard at Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans. — *December 4, 2009* — The Cosmopolitan Hotel courtyard at Six Flags New Orleans is part of the park's abandoned themed streetscape in eastern New Orleans. Six Flags New Orleans opened in 2000 and closed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 damaged the park beyond repair.

Jackson Square Confectionary at Six Flags New Orleans, a closed New Orleans-themed park building. — *December 4, 2009* — Jackson Square Confectionary at Six Flags New Orleans was part of the park’s New Orleans-themed Mardi Gras section. The confectionary and adjacent Variety Store remained closed after Hurricane Katrina and the park’s 2005 shutdown.

Six Flags New Orleans Theatre in eastern New Orleans, abandoned after Hurricane Katrina. — *December 4, 2009* — Six Flags New Orleans Theatre in eastern New Orleans was part of the theme park’s entertainment complex. The park closed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and has remained abandoned since.

Basin Street Bakery at Six Flags New Orleans with abandoned roller coaster structures behind it. — *December 4, 2009* — Basin Street Bakery at Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans was one of the park’s themed food buildings. The amusement park closed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and remained abandoned in 2009. Nearby roller coaster structures stand unused behind the bakery.

Six Flags New Orleans carousel in eastern New Orleans stands idle after Hurricane Katrina. — *December 4, 2009* — Six Flags New Orleans Carousel in eastern New Orleans stands idle inside the closed amusement park. The ride was left behind after Hurricane Katrina and the park’s permanent closure in 2005.

Skycoaster Gifts at Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. — *December 4, 2009* — Skycoaster Gifts at Six Flags New Orleans was a souvenir shop in the former amusement park in eastern New Orleans. Six Flags New Orleans closed after Hurricane Katrina damaged the property in 2005.

Six Flags New Orleans amusement park in eastern New Orleans with abandoned rides and a Ferris wheel. — *December 4, 2009* — Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans opened in 2000 and closed after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. The amusement park remained shuttered after severe flood and wind damage, leaving its rides and midway structures unused.

Six Flags New Orleans in Louisiana with a large abandoned roller coaster and empty plaza. — *December 4, 2009* — Six Flags New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana, includes a large roller coaster structure and vacant plaza areas left after the park’s closure. The amusement park opened in 2000 and remained closed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

JOCOCO's Gift Shop at Six Flags New Orleans beneath a wooden roller coaster. — *December 4, 2009* — JOCOCO's Gift Shop at Six Flags New Orleans sits below the park's wooden roller coaster, which remains standing after Hurricane Katrina. The abandoned amusement park in New Orleans closed after the storm in 2005 and has remained unused since.

Six Flags New Orleans wooden roller coaster in eastern New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. — *December 4, 2009* — Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans includes a damaged wooden roller coaster that was left closed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The park remained abandoned for years after the storm.

Six Flags New Orleans roller coaster in eastern New Orleans, abandoned after Hurricane Katrina. — *December 4, 2009* — Six Flags New Orleans in eastern New Orleans includes a disused roller coaster left from the former amusement park. The park closed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and remained abandoned for years afterward.

Abandoned Six Flags New Orleans

Minneapolis Photographer