Halloween may be months away, but we could still plan a summer trip to a haunted theme park. Today, May 3, is National Paranormal Day, where people who believe in paranormal activities get together and share stories. You can celebrate National Paranormal Day by researching or exploring some of these stories yourself.
If you’re looking for a scary thrill, here are five haunted theme parks you may have never known about:
1. Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a fun theme park with daring roller coasters and rides. It’s so popular that over 3.2 million people visit the park annually. But apparently, it’s also a ghost hotspot. There have been sightings at every corner of the park.
Some sightings took place on The Midway Carousel, which Daniel Muller built over 100 years ago. Although it’s meant to be kid-friendly, employees working night and morning shifts have reported suspicious sightings. After workers finished their closing checks, they would hear music and see the carousel spin backwards. Moreover, employees who worked the opening shift noticed the horses were misplaced.
There were a few legends behind the hauntings of the carousel, one involving Muller’s wife, and another involving a gangster who used the carousel as a dumpsite.
Other than The Midway Carousel, some employees have also reported sightings at Muller’s Carousel Horse, Frontier Trail, and Hotel Breakers. The legends of these sightings all involve a person looking for their loved one.
2. Disney World
The happiest place on Earth also has its fair share of ghost stories. There have been sightings of a little girl and boy on Spaceship Earth, and a woman in white on Main Street.
The Tower of Terror, a ride with a series of drop towers, is also haunted. Legend states that a cast member passed away while loading guests on the ride. After his death, unexpected things started happening on the platform; lights would flicker on and off, and sometimes the ride would pause.
Some would spot a ghost at the entrance of the ride. And some say Walt Disney, the founder of Disney World himself, never left the park after his death. Cast members would turn off the light in his office, only to find it turned back on again.
3. Dorney Park
A family-friendly place, Dorney Park is full of FUN. But outside of operational hours, many may not have known that the park is a literal ghost town. In 2021, Justin Torok of Ghost Encounters explored the park at night. They have witnessed a lot of paranormal encounters, such as screams on the rides.
Many employees who work there say they would hear laughter, screams, and chatter whenever they worked alone. The Antique Carousel, which was carved by Muller – AKA the same person who carved The Midway Carousel at Cedar Point – is said to be haunted by his wife. So if you’re walking through Dorney Park at night, you may hear carousel music playing and witness the lights flashing.
4. Kings Island
Kings Island is not as old as the aforementioned parks, but that doesn’t make it the least haunted. Many tragic deaths have occurred throughout the years, one of them being a Safari Ranger, and another a high school grad. On June 9, 1991, three people died and one was gravely injured from placing his hand in a fountain.
There are three ghosts people constantly spot around the park. “Tram Girl,” AKA “Missouri Jane,” appears as a girl in a blue dress roaming around the park. She reportedly died from drowning. Many have spotted “Racer Boy,” a little boy wearing white, near the Racer coaster. People say he fell on a ride called “Shooting Star” on Coney Island, and passed away on the tracks. “Tower Johnny,” is usually around the Eiffel Tower. He was a student who fell from the elevator shaft on his high school graduation night.
So, if you ever have a chance to visit Kings Island, you may bump into one of them.
If you’re looking for a paranormal thrill, you can visit these four theme parks and explore the different rides. But whenever you visit, be sure to have fun and be careful. After all, you don’t know who’s watching and who you’ll run into.
Feature Image by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels
