Did you know that there are 24 state parks in Indiana? It’s true – and though some tend to get more love than others, we just so happen to think all of them deserve a visit or two (especially if you already live in Indiana). One of those state parks is Charlestown State Park, and within the boundaries of this beautiful little slice of paradise is something quite fascinating: the only island in the Midwest you can walk to. Okay, it’s more of a peninsula than an island, but still: once upon a time, it was a vibrant amusement park filled with excited guests. Now, it’s quiet and broken down… and totally worth checking out. If you’re a fan of things long gone and days long past, this state park in Indiana is definitely worthy of a spot on your bucket list. Come see for yourself:

Way back in the 1880s, this area was utilized as a church camp.
Jonathan Parrish/Flickr
Eventually, though, a man named David Rose purchased the land for a sizeable amount with a plan: he would build a family amusement park here, and visitors would arrive in droves.
At first, he certainly wasn't wrong.
Jonathan Parrish/Flickr
At its peak, Rose Island, as the park came to be known, saw up to 130,000 visitors per year. It became a hub of fun for families and kids of all ages, with a swimming pool, Ferris wheel, and so much more.
Unfortunately, nature had some other ideas, and a devastating flood of the Ohio River rocked the park in 1937.
Bedford/English Wikimedia
More than ten feet of water covered the entirety of Rose Island, and the majority of - well, everything - was utterly destroyed. The park was officially dead, and that's how it remains to this day.

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…but is it truly dead if people still visit? After all, it's the only "island" in Indiana you can walk to.
Jonathan Parrish/Flickr
If you're hoping to find the remnants of the Ferris wheel or some old-crumbling structures, you're a bit out of luck - those are long gone. But the pool still remains (and sometimes it still has water in it, depending on recent weather), and so too do the corpses of the old fountain, a bridge, the gateway arches, and a few other infrastructure-type of things.
When you've arrived on the island and you look back over the Ohio, you'll surely be taken aback by the beauty of the view.
Jonathan Parrish/Flickr
It's not every day you get to experience a bonafide abandoned amusement park, and it's DEFINITELY not every day that it's located on a peninsula that's instead called an island that you can walk to (inside a state park). It's like... awesomeness Inception.
If you'd like to walk to Rose Island yourself, head to Charlestown State Park and embark upon Trail #3.
Jonathan Parrish/Flickr
The trail ought to lead you straight to the bridge, which was restored in 2011, and into what's left of Rose Island Amusement Park. Intriguing? Totally. Exciting? Absolutely.

Have you ever been to this fascinating abandoned place in Indiana? Do you have any other favorite abandoned places in Indiana to tell us about? Let us know in the comments!

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Featured Addresses
Rose Island, Charlestown Township, IN 47111, USA
Charlestown State Park, 3000 State Park Drive, Charlestown, IN 47111, USA