Indiana has many popular tourist attractions, from a world-renowned children’s museum to incredible state parks. However, if you’re looking for more of an off-the-beaten-path kind of experience, you can find that in Indiana, too. Like this abandoned theme park in Indiana: Rose Island. Here you’ll find the overgrown remains of a time not so long ago, when families from all over Indiana and the midwest flocked to what was once a bustling amusement park. Today, this abandoned theme park in Indiana is a haunting homage to what was, and a true Indiana treasure that’s full of history and intrigue.

Rose Island was a popular Indiana theme park in the early 1900s, located on a peninsula near Charlestown.
Alexis B./TripAdvisor
The park was destroyed in the flood of 1937, and pretty much immediately closed to the public. This once lively park has slowly decayed over time, but what you'll find there now is both haunting and breathtaking.
Before Indiana Beach and Holiday World, Hoosiers and people from all over the Midwest visited Rose Island.
PamelaSNash/TripAdvisor
In its prime, Rose Island contained a wooden roller coaster, a racing derby, a ferris wheel, an ice rink and dance hall, as well as unique animals like wolves, monkeys, and a black bear.
Today, you can visit Rose Island via a bridge which was set up in Charlestown State Park a few years ago.
Kelly F./TripAdvisor
Before that, it was pretty impossible to cross over onto this peninsula.
In the years since its closure, Rose Island has become somewhat overgrown, which only adds to its intrigue.
wikimedia
The handful of structures you'll still find more or less intact on Rose Island have been mostly reclaimed by nature. Just look at the ruins of this once grand fountain that nature has slowly begun to cover.

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The magnificent Olympic-size swimming pool that once entertained the public is now overrun by leaves and debris.
arsheffield/Flickr
The sight is hauntingly beautiful -- emphasis on the "haunting" -- up close.
Rose Island is a place most people don't know about anymore -- but they should.
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Rose Island is a beautiful piece of Indiana history -- a living, breathing time capsule.
Rose Island is a bridge to the past worth exploring.
Arsheffield/Flickr
The next time you're near Charlestown, take a detour over the Portersville Bridge and venture into the incredible ruins at Rose Island.
You'll be blown away by the swift takeover of nature, and how hauntingly beautiful this abandoned amusement park still is.
wikimedia

Tell us: have you ever been to this abandoned theme park in Indiana? Are you brave enough to check it out? If you’re into under-the-radar kind of spots, we’ve got 11 secret places in Indiana that are just waiting to be explored!

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Abandoned Theme Park in Indiana

Sarah | January 28, 2021

What's the oldest park in Indiana?

That honor would belong to McCormick's Creek State Park, established in 1916. McCormick's Creek has more than 10 miles of hiking trails, a waterfall, caves, canyons, cliffs, and bridges. It is 1,924 acres of Indiana beauty, and some of its features were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. You can even spend the night at the park's Canyon Inn.

Are there other amusement parks in Indiana?

Indiana is one giant playground, and it doesn't get any better than Indiana Beach. It's the oldest amusement park in the state, opening in 1926 in the middle of a small Indiana lakeside beach. Today, Indiana Beach is one of the state's must-visit summer attractions, boasting over 40 rides and attractions, not to mention plenty of games and six rollercoasters.

What are some hidden gems in Indiana?

For those that prefer to take the road less traveled, Indiana will delight you. Some of our favorite hidden gems in Indiana include Wolf Park (a sanctuary for wolves, coyotes, bison, and foxes), Bluespring Caverns (a 21-mile cave system that's home to rare breeds of fish, amphibians, and other nocturnal critters), and the Kurt Vonnegut Museum (a must-visit for bibliophiles!).

 

 

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Rose Island, Charlestown Township, IN 47111, USA