Inside haunting theme park left abandoned for 18 years with empty stadium and decaying Ferris wheel

ABANDONED theme parks left to rot for years contain an entire empty stadium and rusting Ferris wheel.

Despite almost two decades having passed, an empty landscape reminiscent of 1800s America still remains.

SWNSWestern Village theme park has been abandoned for 18 years[/caption] SWNSThe former attraction is located in Japan[/caption] SWNSThe park featured a Mount Rushmore-esque replica[/caption]

Urban explorer Lukka Bradburn, 28, had been investigating ghost towns left behind following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The dad-of-two from Manchester discovered an entire derelict colonial American town area with hotels, churches and restaurants.

Western Village theme park near Nikkō, Tochigi, in Japan, shut its doors in 2007.

It originally opened in 1973 and was inspired by classic American and Italian Western movies,

Ultimately, the park later closed as a result of competition from Tokyo Disneyland.

Lukka found an intact replica of Mount Rushmore, as well as a stadium where crowds once watched jousting and other sports.

SWNSKejonuma Leisure Land had a decaying ferris wheel[/caption] SWNSKejonuma Leisure Land also has a derelict carousel ride[/caption] SWNSWestern Village’s arcade has the original machines[/caption]

The site also features mannequins depicting life in ‘Wild West’ America, while the gift shop was boarded-up and heavily damaged.

Lukka found a prop gun on the floor and also an arcade with all the original machines.

He also explored the remains of fellow attraction Kejonuma Leisure Land.

This had once attracted 200,000 visitors in the remote Tohoku region, until shutting in 2001.

Lukka found a decaying ferris wheel, children’s train rides and carousels.

It closed following falling demand and the struggling Japanese economy.

Lukka had been visiting Japan with some exploring friends when he found the parks after researching on Google Maps.

Revealing both sites were easily accessed, he said: “The Western one had a bit of a fence but you could pretty much just walk in.

“There was no security or anyone watching over it; it was just left to rot.”

Lukka added: “As we got to one park it was heavily snowing and we were having to get through all these bushes. It was quite overgrown.”

SWNSWestern Village features mannequins reminiscent of its Wild West theme[/caption] SWNSThe park shut its doors back in 2007[/caption] SWNSWestern Village contained buildings included churches and restaurants[/caption]

He and his friends came across another urban explorer – a Japanese man who revealed he used to visit the park as a child.

The man spoke limited English, but told the group how he’d returned to take photos of the park.

Lukka is planning a return to Japan next year to explore more red zones – as well as abandoned island.

It comes as an abandoned UK theme park is set to reopen as an adventure attraction.

Adventure Wonderland opened in Bournemouth in 1992, with rides and rollercoasters based on Alice in Wonderland.

The park was forced to close all of its outdoor rides back in 2023 due to “rising costs”.

New plans that have been submitted will see the theme park become a smaller adventure attraction.

SWNSLukka found the sites while researching on Google Maps[/caption] SWNSKenjonuma Leisure Land closed back in 2001[/caption] SWNSIt closed after falling demand and the struggling Japanese economy[/caption]