Eerie stays of ‘enchanted’ theme park – Johnny Depp’s forgotten movie location
The Enchanted Forest in the US was a popular attraction with families at its peak, but it has laid abandoned for the last 30 years and has now become overgrown with rotting plaster storybook figures
The Enchanted Forest, a theme park that opened its doors in 1955 and was once one of the oldest in the US after Disneyland, has sadly not had a fairy tale ending.
The park, which featured Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella themed rides, even served as a backdrop for Johnny Depp’s early film Cry Baby co-starring Ricki Lake.
However, the Howard County, Maryland-based attraction, which once welcomed 300,000 visitors annually, is now an overgrown wasteland filled with decaying plaster storybook figures, having been closed for nearly three decades.
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Urban explorer Matthew Christopher from Abandoned America managed to capture a stunning collection of images of the park, which last welcomed visitors in 1995.
Admission to the 20-acre park, which expanded to 52 acres at its peak, was priced at $1 for adults and 50 for children, appealing primarily to families with young children due to its nursery rhyme theme.
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While it initially featured fairy tale buildings and characters without any mechanical rides, track rides including the Alice in Wonderland ride and Cinderella’s castle ride were later added.
In 1988, the park shut down and part of it was repurposed to build the Enchanted Forest Shopping Centre.
Despite reopening for a summer season in 1994, the Enchanted Forest closed again shortly after. Several attempts were made to reopen the park on a more permanent basis, but all proved unsuccessful.
In 2005, a successful campaign was launched to preserve the figures and structures, with many being relocated to the nearby Clark’s Elioak Farm.
By the time of Enchanted Forest’s 60th anniversary in 2015, the final salvageable pieces of the park, including the entrance’s castle and dragon, were transferred to Clark’s.
Matthew Christopher, of Abandoned America, has a regular podcast, where he tells the story of the ruins he visits.
You can follow his work on Facebook and Instagram, or by visiting his website.
To see the full gallery and story about the Enchanted Forest click here.
