Latest news with #colonial
New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘A Car With a Strange Wooden Contraption on the Roof Drove By'
Great Trebulation Dear Diary: It was late afternoon on a Sunday in April. I was walking down Flushing Avenue near Green Central Knoll playground in Brooklyn with my husband and a friend. We were dressed in full colonial attire. A car with a strange wooden contraption on the roof drove by blasting 'We Are the Champions.' A tired-looking woman wearing a hoodie and a baseball hat approached. Her weariness, I guessed, was a result of the previous night's festivities. Do you know what is going on around here? she asked us. A trebuchet contest, we said. What's a trebuchet? she asked. A catapult, we explained. You build small catapults and shoot pieces of chocolate from them. See those guys in the car with the thing tied to the roof? They won, and we lost, unfortunately. She did not seem to share our excitement about the Great Trebulation. We live in a weird place, she said. — Julia Lansford Submit Your Metropolitan Diary Your story must be connected to New York City and no longer than 300 words. An editor will contact you if your submission is being considered for publication. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
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. Advertisement 12 Western Village theme park has been abandoned for 18 years Credit: SWNS 12 The former attraction is located in Japan Credit: SWNS 12 The park featured a Mount Rushmore-esque replica Credit: SWNS Urban explorer Lukka Bradburn, 28, had been investigating ghost towns left behind following the 2011 The dad-of-two from Manchester discovered an entire derelict colonial American town area with hotels, churches and restaurants. It originally opened in 1973 and was inspired by classic American and Italian Western movies, Advertisement Read more Travel stories 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. 12 Kejonuma Leisure Land had a decaying ferris wheel Credit: SWNS 12 Kejonuma Leisure Land also has a derelict carousel ride Credit: SWNS Advertisement 12 Western Village's arcade has the original machines Credit: SWNS 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. Most read in News Travel He also explored the remains of fellow attraction Kejonuma Leisure Land. Advertisement 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. I visited eerie abandoned theme park once filled with laughter but now left frozen in time…it's like the apocalypse hit Lukka had been visiting Japan with some exploring friends when he found the parks after researching on Google Maps. Advertisement 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." 12 Western Village features mannequins reminiscent of its Wild West theme Credit: SWNS Advertisement 12 The park shut its doors back in 2007 Credit: SWNS 12 Western Village contained buildings included churches and restaurants Credit: SWNS He and his friends came across another urban explorer - a Japanese man who revealed he used to visit the park as a child. Advertisement 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. Use these tips on your next theme park trip Next time you visit a theme park, you may want to use our top tips to make the most of your adrenaline-inducing day out. Go to the back of the theme park first. Rides at the front will have the longest queues as soon as it opens. Go on water rides in the middle of the day in the summer - this will cool you off when the sun is at its hottest. Download the park's app to track which rides have the shortest queues. Visit on your birthday, as some parks give out "birthday badges" that can get you freebies. If it rains, contact the park. Depending on how much it rained, you may get a free ticket to return. It comes as an abandoned UK theme park Adventure Wonderland opened in Bournemouth in 1992, with rides and rollercoasters based on Alice in Wonderland. Advertisement 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 . 12 Lukka found the sites while researching on Google Maps Credit: SWNS 12 Kenjonuma Leisure Land closed back in 2001 Credit: SWNS Advertisement 12 It closed after falling demand and the struggling Japanese economy Credit: SWNS
