I realise it was a Vekoma Boomerang with Arrow Trains but i am working on a arrow coaster script along with this and didn't realise i said the wrong one! Sorry :D ;)
I live in an area with no Six Flags remotely near me, but for some reason we got those ads, just for "Six Flags" despite the closest one being like a 12 hour drive.
This will always be one of the saddest theme park stories ever. I still remember the picture of the Spongebob Ride under water. But as far as abandoned spots for urban explorers? This is one of the most well known around the world.
Jesse Adams such a tragedy. I would love to walk around in there and take pictures/videos of the place. But I’ve heard wildlife took over. Gator village 🐊
Waves of nostalgia came flooding back as I watched this video. I'm from NOLA, and I remember my dad taking me there some weekends, even when it was still Jazz Land. I still have basketballs I won from the carnival games that have the old logo on them. I remember how much I loved the Batman coaster and Spongebob ride after it became Six Flags too. Ugh, damn Katrina..
Awesome job on this video!! I'm from New Orleans, and as such I went to this park as a kid a few times. It was great because the nearest theme park of a comparable size was otherwise a 6-8 hour drive away (the also now-defunct AstroWorld in Houston, Texas, or another Six Flags in Atlanta, Georgia). Interestingly, AstroWorld closed just about 2 months after Katrina as well. I remember being in kindergarten and begging my parents to take me to Jazzland, though by the time I ever actually got to go to the park it had turned into Six Flags. The Mega Zeph was super rickety but tons of fun and I remember those goddamn bumper cars making me cry because I didn't know how to use them properly LMAO. The flying swings were always my favorite. I work in the film industry now, and my first day on a set actually took place here for NCIS: New Orleans (S4 EP3). It was incredibly eerie walking around the tattered remains of my childhood. At one point we walked up to the ice cream shop in the Looney Tunes portion that had all its windows shattered, and I definitely remember a hot summer day in 2004 getting ice cream from there. I had to help clear the broken glass and debris out of the ice cream shop so we could place equipment in there. It was such a strange feeling. It really gives you post-apocalyptic vibes.
Although not AS big, There’s still Blue Bayou in Baton Rouge. When Jazzland opened, We had just moved to the 7th ward (while the Desire was being rebuilt). I first visited when it was jazzland, then sixflags. My dad, who worked for Bo Brothers at the time, helped construct the Batman ride. When Katrina, Rita and the levies came, it tainted childhood memories for sure. The Desire was once AGAIN rebuilt, as abundance square. Oddly, when I go back home on my monthly trips from Atlanta, I actually look for the roller coaster. It’s like a necessary evil to see it. Well wishes for the new theme park and Rec centers that they’re building.
Why does it seem like whenever things get a little difficult Six Flags just throws up their hands and takes off? That company has no determination or drive at all which is why they are considered one of the lowest preforming companies in the entertainment industry smh
Nick Young just like years ago before I was born , before boomers with the roller coaster was built , it use to be a six flags water park . Then it got shut down and boomers was built with a coaster , and then now they got shut down and now it’s a shopping mall plaza 🤦♀️
This was my home park and i worked there for a time. This park was definitely built in the wrong location but it still had a chance untill Katrina witch not only took out this park everything i ever know and lots and lots of other people lives. thank you for this one!
My family had season passes to Jazzland, and my brother worked in the ski show for several years. This video brought back so many memories that we no longer have. Our family home in Pass Christian, MS was destroyed in Katrina along with many pictures and home movies. Some other reasons Jazzland struggled from the beginning were rain-out days and extreme heat. People don’t realize how damn hot it is in South Louisiana in the summer (especially in a sea of concrete) and how often it rains. Many days we wanted to go were rained out or the park closed early. I also remember tons of maintenance issues and constant ride closures. Even as a kid, I was well aware that it wasn’t a fully-functioning, well-oiled-machine of a theme park. Thanks again for making this video!
I was able to visit both versions of the park growing up. Both had a lot of problems. The biggest ones I remember being was the lack of shaded areas and the horrendous Batman stunt show. However I did enjoy both and it was nice having a full theme park only a couple hours away. I had always hoped the park would rise from the ashes, but sadly I doubt we will ever see its revival.
I had season tickets for the inaugural year in 2000. What I remember most was the oppressive humidity and no shade to be found. They must have clear cut all of the trees in the park to facilitate the construction. The only saving grace was most of the rides had misting water pipes overhead in the queue lines. That kept the temperatures down about 15 degrees. Without that I'm sure we would have suffered heat stroke. Funny thing is now there are lots of trees now that the park is closed.
There were probably very few trees there before construction, as well, the *land* parts of the park were landfilled over the natural marsh lowlands. Unlike SF Great Adventure, which was built in forest-land.
It had like half a season before the rides began to sank from being on swamp land. Anyone from there knows that park was closing no matter what storms came through.
This is the first site I saw an abandoned video on that started my interest, it was Jake and BSF. It's such a sad tale, and I doubt anyone will do anything with it because of the crime and the swamp land.
As someone from the New Orleans area, I'm glad you're finally covering this! I think it's a damn shame that not much has been done with the abandoned park.
I saw this place in person 10 years ago, when NO was still rebuilding. Very sad... nice story and video. The place you're talking about, the Eastside, still have FEMA trailers and tarps on there roofs...to this day...
Kaycee Whitham I live in New Orleans and the only people who call it ‘Eastside’ have never been here. Sam literally calls it New Orleans East - the actual name of the neighborhood - in the video
I live around 20 miles from the park. Without having to take I-10 it would be 12 miles. I pass by it A lot. I feel tears coming out. That park was a future to everyone.
We went here after leaving the French Quarter on Sunday, my son and his fiance jumped out of the car and didnt return for over an hour after running into a security guard, was so sad to see everything demolished like Chernyabul , and viewing their vids was so creepy. Justin Timberlake is filming there, Palmer, anyway Sad...
I went to LSU and have family in Louisiana and drive by the abandoned park once a year or so - I was a sophomore in college when Katrina hit - it's wild to see it just sitting there abandoned
I never knew that Goliath at fiesta Texas was the same ride that went through hurricane katrina. I rode that when I visited San Antonio and now that I know that I feel like it was a honor to ride it. It’s a smooth ride🤟🏼
I actually forgot you hadn't talked about SFNO yet! It's definitely among the most famous abandoned amusement parks, right up there with Pripyat and Nara Dreamland. I still hope to see the property redeveloped into another amusement park like what the Paidia Company has been trying to do, but that seems more unlikely as the years pass.
I'm actually a little disappointed they're finally getting around to dismantling Nara Dreamland. I had planned to see it when I traveled to Japan in the upcoming year.
I live 2 hours or so away from this area. I went here once when I was maybe 6 or 7 but don't remember much of it other than the Mardi Gras section of the park. You can still see the taller remnants of the park driving by on I-10 which is sad. Hope they could tear down the wreckage and put up something new someday. Great video!
oh man, I would love to visit this place. Abandoned amusement parks are the absolute best and this place seems pretty damn intact despite the devastation that it suffered.
Bryce McKenzie Not to mention where one Pteranodon and one Zara Sheeley (forgive me if that last name's wrong) met their ends at the jaws of a Mosasaurus!
Thanks for touching on the existence of segregated theme parks. We've come a long way, though we still have far to go. You did a great job with this video. Thanks, again.
I have never clicked so fast. I can remember when Jazzland opened I was 13 years old. It was pretty much our Summer camp lol. We had season passes would get dropped off and spend the day and do it again the next day. I still feel so sad when I go back home and see the remains. Of the three Six Flags parks I would call my home parks only 1 still exists. Six Flags over Georgia. The other was Six Flags Astroworld which pisses me off how that ended to this day.
Announced this week (Sep 2024), at SF Great Adventure, people age 15 may not enter without another over age 21. The park wants an end of being 'day care' all day for the kids of pass-holding families.
Great work, Sam! There’s a lot of abandoned Six Flags exploration videos on but not much dedicated to the park’s history. This was a great subject choice so I hope it brings a lot of views!
You did such an amazing job with this video!!! I remember having to fly out to Gulf Port to be with my brother and his family immediately after Katrina for moral support... and, looking out the aeroplane window to see the New Orleans lights that would usually be greeting travellers, and all I saw was darkness, I will always remember that. Awwwe, Sam you're just the best and what you do is appreciated beyond all measures!
So much nostalgia! I was a little kid when I first visited jazzland then later six flags. My aunt and cousins lived nearby in Slidell, and they would take me when I would visit them. They are also the reason I got to go to Chuck E. Cheese lol.
What's kinda sad about this whole thing is that, on not-close inspection, Mega Zeph and the Hurricane coaster look all fine. Two excellent original coasters are just...gone, but still there.
Sadly they have been there rusting away and one of these days they will fall down on their own or be scrapped they can't be rebuilt as they have already been sitting outside for years untouched. If it was 3 years after the hurricane it couldve been possible to have them restored but its been over a decade now and they are falling apart and fast.
You know, this is amazing that I watched this. I live right next to the site of the “abandon” six flags and knew the basic story of it, but not all of this! Unfortunately, the city has now started to demolish it so it will be no longer existing.
Brings me back. Thanks for the great video! Went to this Six Flags religiously since I was only 40 minutes away, and I was always too small to ride the roller coasters. My last trip there they said "Next time is it!" There wasn't a next time.
FINALLY!!! This was my first experience with a rollercoaster riding the mega zeph. I live about 2 hours away and still stare every time I drive by. Crazy how things change in such a short time.
I hate that I missed out on going to Six Flags New Orleans. (Though I think I went to Jazz Land, but I was so young I don’t remember it.) I had a chance when I was a kid to go with my mom’s class for free but my dad who I was visiting at the time said, “We’re going to do something else fun that day.” We just stayed at his house all day and ended up watching TV and when I asked him about it he said, “Well you didn’t tell me where you wanted to go or do.” Of course I didn’t dad, I was just a teen waiting on his dad to take home somewhere for fun. My mom said that we could go the two of us the next year. This was the Summer of 2004 or 2005, Katrina came and destroyed the park before the next time we could have a chance to go. BUT, a couple years later my mom scraped up some money to take us on a train trip to Georgia and we went to Six Flags there and it was amazing.
I’m glad you included footage from news visiting the park up close while it was under water. I’m to this day very upset they couldn’t at least fixed it up slowly and opened it back up. I went there last year and security is very high.
Great Video. In case you didnt know, the other Vekoma Hurricane is still in Operation at Walygator Parc in France as Comet. Despite the Park changing hands and names several times over the years, it is one of the Parks Original Attractions. It is still running one of it's original Arrow Trains.
Thank you for doing such a full and comprehensive video. Im from the area and have fond memories of the park. It was nice to see someone who is not a local take such care to do the research and tell the story. Great video..
I was lucky enough to get to go here as a kid a year or two before Katrina hit. It was always kind of a pretty sketchy theme park, but it was fun because it was the only one around for miles. Something cool that I also wanted to mention is that the mardi gras parade float I ride in is actually a tribute to the old Ponchartrain Beach park. It was built only a few years back and is the largest in the world. Each different section of it is themed to a different ride from the park, including the Zephyr roller coaster.
I didn't know the Sasquatch was originally in the New Orleans park. We go to Great Escape every year and we always ride that one first and 20 times after.
it’s so strange to me that this park was only operated for 5 years. i was born in ‘93 and went a few times as kid so it felt like it had always been there. before this video, i had completely forgotten about the pirate 4d ride. but as soon as you said it i was punched in the face with nostalgia and how annoyed i was when it was changed to spongebob
Another great video, Sam! It's so crazy that this park has been abandoned so much longer than it was open! We drove to it when we were in New Orleans last summer, but didn't see much from where the entrance was blocked off. Oh, how I wish we had a drone then!
Grew up going to both Jazz Land and Six Flags New Orleans. Ended up having to break out of our roof due to flooding in Katrina. Thanks for making and episode about it!
Larc (a Texas based company designed this park) Given in stages the water park would have been a nice upgrade. Fact remains it was a very nice park for the $$$ spent on it. The problem was the LOCATION. I worked at the next park over that 6 Flags would close a few months later AstroWorld. One park was young and struggling, AW was older (yet made$$$, but was neglected by 6 flags) The land is used to park cars 4 Rodeo Houston. A 3 week event. AW operated 9 months and actually drew guests from Oklahoma, Louisiana & Mexico. That left 2 parks that 6 flags would operate. Fiesta Texas & for a time Splash Town (water park in Spring, TX) I omit the original Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, TX as it is owned independent from 6 flags inc. BTW Astro Dome + AstroWorld were NOT segregated when the A Dome opened in 1965 & AW in 1968. Houston, Texas is a very diverse metroplex. I say Houston ain't nothin' but a country town with some sky scrapers in it. I say that lovingly. We get along pretty well with everyone. Love your videos as always! You do an incredible job!
I’ve been watching videos about this Six Flags for a while now. It wasn’t until recently that I got to visit the park in person. Didn’t actually enter ofc, but we saw from the main road and outside the fenced off areas.
Jazzland was built in a horrible place to begin with. That far into New Orleans East is essentially a built up natural wetland and is only really conveinent for day trips from Slidell or a portion of local New Orleanians. Ponchatrain Beach was more centrally located on the south shore of Lake Ponchatrain making it super easy for people to come from the north shore and from all over New Orleans. It didn't help that the original Jazzland had no shade built in and was intensely uncomfortable to visit in the summer. The whole site was paved and had no real landscaping to provide shade. That issue was only made marginally better when SixFlags bought it. They added shade to the queues but not the walking paths. Also, there is an established venue/theme/water park in the suburbs of Baton Rouge that is much more convenient to get to for the more affluent locals from Baton Rouge, the New Orleans suburbs of Metairie/Kenner, and most of the north shore of Lake Ponchatrain.
Aye, I’m so glad you did one on Jazzland. I asked a few months ago, but I figured there wasn’t enough information about it. This makes me really excited, my parents used to take me there as a kid all the time before we moved to Cincinnati after Katrina. Can’t wait to watch and keep up ur awesome work
I still find it weird how the same year when this park closed down in August, the same year here in Houston, TX right next to Louisiana they closed Astroworld 2 months later 🤔
Is anyone else still heart broken about what happened to this park? Am I the only one in 2020 crying over all the wonderful memories this video brought back?
@@missybarbour6885 I hate that creepy old buzzard. I never liked him and I think he hurt the image of six flags back in the day. I was so happy when they finially realized that and did away with him.
all of my extended family lives in NOLA and whenever my parents would drive us to stay for events we'd know how close we were and got so excited seeing the park... now whenever we visit you can see the broken-down park from the interstate and even see the waterlines from Katrina on the rides and buildings surrounding it. pretty sad
Crazy, just realized I visited this place just prior to it's closing! I remember the Catwoman's Whip made me sick for at least an hour. That's when I figured out i can't do spin rides...
Such a tragedy fr fr 😔😭. Can’t believe this happened to Jazzland Six Flags. Like come on everybody seemed so happy and the park was doing so good until hurricane katrina killed it. Rest In Peace to a park that was gonna become a park for the near New Orleans future but was tragically taken away.
So they built a Jazz Themed park near New Orleans, put it near a decaying and low-income neighborhood, and then were surprised when it didn't hit its numbers. There wasn't anything unique about this park. When you're in New Orleans, where are you going to go to get that real New Orleans feel? Oh, a cookie-cutter amusement park.
Awesome to finally see your coverage of this park!!! Very interesting to see! Oh and I would still like to see a small park in VA called Lakeside if you ever get to dig up info on it! ~Dawn
It’s such an eye sore right on I-10 for every new visitor to see. A lot of the city has recovered well and even improved during my lifetime post Katrina, but this place is just a haunting reminder every time I drive past it.
You know this is super cool. Being from New Orleans my parents have told me s many stories about opening day of this place and I vaguely remember going there as a child and a horrific SpongeBob ride they had. They shot parts of both Jurassic world movies here as well as zombieland. Within the past year me and some friend have explored what’s left when we snuck in one day. I’d love to send you pics. Did you Know in the late 1950s that Walt Disney scoped and mapped out the slant to try to build Disney World here.
I remember seeing this as Jazzland when I went to New Orleans numerous times before Katrina. I now wish I would have vist it once in my travels, but would still love to go explore, if I could do so without getting in trouble.
cece HAHAHA, you better not be talking about Sea world, Universal, Busch Gardens, Or Disney. Cedar point is the best point and last I check it was in Ohio, not Florida
Wow great video.... Born and raised on the westbank I went to jazzland/six flags many times and I still have one my season pass id card!! so sad to drive past and see each year the park decaying more and more.
Great video. Such chills to see the park in such devastation after Katrina made landfall. Kudos to Six Flags for using Vengaboys in their advertising though.
That's sad, Katrina was awful and I've always had a soft spot for Kateina stories. Being a huge theme park fan also, this is almost unbearable to watch. Great video!
I got to ride Goliath at SFFT back in June, and the whole time I was remembering its previous home. Ironically, my two rides on Goliath were in the rain!
I realise it was a Vekoma Boomerang with Arrow Trains but i am working on a arrow coaster script along with this and didn't realise i said the wrong one! Sorry :D ;)
I was about to correct you but, you beat me to it.
Well played goo sir, well played.
:)
I was like hang on a second haha. Then I say this post and then I was like I'm ok with this now haha
I was about to correct you then I saw this
I miss this park so much as I was there OPENING There!!!
Is it true about alligators dwelling in the waterlogged areas ?
Oh my God. Somehow I've never really thought about segregated amusement parks. That's just incredibly sad, damn.
The Reviewing Force thanks Katrina
@@RetroMMA
damn, didn't need the racist comment. that wasn't cool.
@@goodjobeli The truth sometimes hurts...
Ellipsis of Triple Tap there is no truth to your comment, just racism.
@Nunovia Gottdamnedbizzness There are affluent persons who aren't white.
God, that ad with the dancing Six Flags man really took me back. Great video!
Abby Jones same here! I remember visiting Six Flags Great America as a small child and seeing that add on TV :)
I live in an area with no Six Flags remotely near me, but for some reason we got those ads, just for "Six Flags" despite the closest one being like a 12 hour drive.
Much creepier than I remembered.
That's Right! The dancing Six Flags man was Mr. Six!
"Six Flags New Orleans is now a water park"
Absolutely savage.
No its not
It really was though. The first pictures that came out of it's condition were in rough water. Most already knew it was a total loss.
@ it was a joke
Sounds like my last three neighborhoods in the state. :/
@ yes it is
This will always be one of the saddest theme park stories ever. I still remember the picture of the Spongebob Ride under water. But as far as abandoned spots for urban explorers? This is one of the most well known around the world.
Went to new orleans for a cruise 2 weeks ago. Rode by the old park. We all removed our hats and observed a moment of silence as we passed.
Jesse Adams such a tragedy. I would love to walk around in there and take pictures/videos of the place. But I’ve heard wildlife took over. Gator village 🐊
Oh, that is so sad. 😢
Chrissy Lovinmylife it’s extremely hard to even get in there now. They have cops watching the place pretty much 24/7.
Thanks for reminding me that Mr Six Flags was an actual marketing strategy and not some old man that haunted my nightmares haha
I always thought Mr six flags was a real old man
Waves of nostalgia came flooding back as I watched this video. I'm from NOLA, and I remember my dad taking me there some weekends, even when it was still Jazz Land. I still have basketballs I won from the carnival games that have the old logo on them. I remember how much I loved the Batman coaster and Spongebob ride after it became Six Flags too. Ugh, damn Katrina..
Awesome job on this video!! I'm from New Orleans, and as such I went to this park as a kid a few times. It was great because the nearest theme park of a comparable size was otherwise a 6-8 hour drive away (the also now-defunct AstroWorld in Houston, Texas, or another Six Flags in Atlanta, Georgia). Interestingly, AstroWorld closed just about 2 months after Katrina as well.
I remember being in kindergarten and begging my parents to take me to Jazzland, though by the time I ever actually got to go to the park it had turned into Six Flags. The Mega Zeph was super rickety but tons of fun and I remember those goddamn bumper cars making me cry because I didn't know how to use them properly LMAO. The flying swings were always my favorite.
I work in the film industry now, and my first day on a set actually took place here for NCIS: New Orleans (S4 EP3). It was incredibly eerie walking around the tattered remains of my childhood. At one point we walked up to the ice cream shop in the Looney Tunes portion that had all its windows shattered, and I definitely remember a hot summer day in 2004 getting ice cream from there. I had to help clear the broken glass and debris out of the ice cream shop so we could place equipment in there. It was such a strange feeling. It really gives you post-apocalyptic vibes.
Great story👍.. Nostalgia
Same here. Im from Uptown New Orleans, my cousins, sisters, and I had summer passes to Jazzland and Six Flags New Orleans
Although not AS big, There’s still Blue Bayou in Baton Rouge.
When Jazzland opened, We had just moved to the 7th ward (while the Desire was being rebuilt). I first visited when it was jazzland, then sixflags. My dad, who worked for Bo Brothers at the time, helped construct the Batman ride. When Katrina, Rita and the levies came, it tainted childhood memories for sure. The Desire was once AGAIN rebuilt, as abundance square. Oddly, when I go back home on my monthly trips from Atlanta, I actually look for the roller coaster. It’s like a necessary evil to see it. Well wishes for the new theme park and Rec centers that they’re building.
the fact I have rode goliath multiple times is insane to me. I didn't even realize it went through Hurricane Katrina.
willow lynn you and me both, although I did ride the jokers revenge back in the day though
@@johngriswold4303 did you watch the video? Goliath is from batman at this park...
@@johngriswold4303 I gotcha. They left that part out then lol
@@mr458 no no they didn't the whole story was there ya just didn't pay attention
@@dustinmoore2589 cool got that under control weeks ago
Why does it seem like whenever things get a little difficult Six Flags just throws up their hands and takes off? That company has no determination or drive at all which is why they are considered one of the lowest preforming companies in the entertainment industry smh
Nick Young yeah and is there like tons of deaths and injuries on their parks as well
esme Six Flags does keep their parks very safe. There is very few injuries at their parks and practically 0 deaths per year.
Dan synder doesn't care that's why he just bought the parks as a tax shelter
I don’t disagree, but I will say I feel like Eliches has been there for a long time... but they certainly aren’t known for quality anything there.
Nick Young just like years ago before I was born , before boomers with the roller coaster was built , it use to be a six flags water park . Then it got shut down and boomers was built with a coaster , and then now they got shut down and now it’s a shopping mall plaza 🤦♀️
This was my home park and i worked there for a time. This park was definitely built in the wrong location but it still had a chance untill Katrina witch not only took out this park everything i ever know and lots and lots of other people lives. thank you for this one!
No Bobby it was a failure from day one.
@@ericdraven7185 do you live in NOLA?
@@ericdraven7185 facts.....New Orleans iz not known 4 an amusement park!
Oh boy, I've been waiting for either you, Yesterworld, or Defunctland to cover this park!
Still waiting for one of this abandoned bois to cover Opryland.
You can search up Six Flags, New Orleans abandoned explained on RUclips and you’ll find results
Thank you for making this my dads family live in Louisiana and I went to the park right before close down for the hurricane season before Katrina.
I’ll bet money that the ad at 7:45 gave some people seizures.
This park is such a tragedy, and you did a great job on its history.
Glad I didnt watch that far I have epilepsy
My family had season passes to Jazzland, and my brother worked in the ski show for several years. This video brought back so many memories that we no longer have. Our family home in Pass Christian, MS was destroyed in Katrina along with many pictures and home movies.
Some other reasons Jazzland struggled from the beginning were rain-out days and extreme heat. People don’t realize how damn hot it is in South Louisiana in the summer (especially in a sea of concrete) and how often it rains. Many days we wanted to go were rained out or the park closed early. I also remember tons of maintenance issues and constant ride closures. Even as a kid, I was well aware that it wasn’t a fully-functioning, well-oiled-machine of a theme park. Thanks again for making this video!
I live in Louisiana and seeing the remains of Jazzland just over the hills whenever me and my family drive to New Orleans just depress me.
I was able to visit both versions of the park growing up. Both had a lot of problems. The biggest ones I remember being was the lack of shaded areas and the horrendous Batman stunt show. However I did enjoy both and it was nice having a full theme park only a couple hours away. I had always hoped the park would rise from the ashes, but sadly I doubt we will ever see its revival.
Thank you for the Mr. Six commercial nostalgia. Thank you
Thank you for the ♥️
It was a trip back but I would like to see the commercial that used Soniques song back in 2002.
The song takes me back to 2009
I had season tickets for the inaugural year in 2000. What I remember most was the oppressive humidity and no shade to be found. They must have clear cut all of the trees in the park to facilitate the construction. The only saving grace was most of the rides had misting water pipes overhead in the queue lines. That kept the temperatures down about 15 degrees. Without that I'm sure we would have suffered heat stroke. Funny thing is now there are lots of trees now that the park is closed.
There were probably very few trees there before construction, as well, the *land* parts of the park were landfilled over the natural marsh lowlands. Unlike SF Great Adventure, which was built in forest-land.
A very sad park that never had time to be a real park.
It had like half a season before the rides began to sank from being on swamp land. Anyone from there knows that park was closing no matter what storms came through.
This is the first site I saw an abandoned video on that started my interest, it was Jake and BSF. It's such a sad tale, and I doubt anyone will do anything with it because of the crime and the swamp land.
As someone from the New Orleans area, I'm glad you're finally covering this! I think it's a damn shame that not much has been done with the abandoned park.
I saw this place in person 10 years ago, when NO was still rebuilding. Very sad... nice story and video. The place you're talking about, the Eastside, still have FEMA trailers and tarps on there roofs...to this day...
Kaycee Whitham I live in New Orleans and the only people who call it ‘Eastside’ have never been here. Sam literally calls it New Orleans East - the actual name of the neighborhood - in the video
@@genevievemattei4643 and?
@@benedictdwyer2608ur not local
Six Flags New Orleans: "We need to add a water park next year."
Monkey's Paw: "Granted."
I don't know who's worse, you for making that joke or me for laughing 💀
I live around 20 miles from the park. Without having to take I-10 it would be 12 miles. I pass by it A lot. I feel tears coming out. That park was a future to everyone.
We went here after leaving the French Quarter on Sunday, my son and his fiance jumped out of the car and didnt return for over an hour after running into a security guard, was so sad to see everything demolished like Chernyabul , and viewing their vids was so creepy.
Justin Timberlake is filming there,
Palmer, anyway
Sad...
I went to LSU and have family in Louisiana and drive by the abandoned park once a year or so - I was a sophomore in college when Katrina hit - it's wild to see it just sitting there abandoned
I never knew that Goliath at fiesta Texas was the same ride that went through hurricane katrina.
I rode that when I visited San Antonio and now that I know that I feel like it was a honor to ride it. It’s a smooth ride🤟🏼
Dude you knocked it out of the park with this one! Great job.
What a time to be alive. I was in middle school and I was deathly afraid of heights, but I went on all the field trips just to eat 😂 I loved it!
I actually forgot you hadn't talked about SFNO yet! It's definitely among the most famous abandoned amusement parks, right up there with Pripyat and Nara Dreamland. I still hope to see the property redeveloped into another amusement park like what the Paidia Company has been trying to do, but that seems more unlikely as the years pass.
I knew you would be here soon! :D ha :) Yeah it is a shame. There are people trying but it is just not a great location in the end.
It will never happen.
I'm actually a little disappointed they're finally getting around to dismantling Nara Dreamland. I had planned to see it when I traveled to Japan in the upcoming year.
I live 2 hours or so away from this area. I went here once when I was maybe 6 or 7 but don't remember much of it other than the Mardi Gras section of the park.
You can still see the taller remnants of the park driving by on I-10 which is sad. Hope they could tear down the wreckage and put up something new someday. Great video!
Six Flags removed and rebuilt what they could salvage. bleh ... with a 75 years promise to the city. .. ha ..
oh man, I would love to visit this place. Abandoned amusement parks are the absolute best and this place seems pretty damn intact despite the devastation that it suffered.
And this is where Jurassic World was filmed. And subsequently destroyed by Pterosaurs
Wouldn't the Jurassic World Sets remain?
Dang
Bryce McKenzie Not to mention where one Pteranodon and one Zara Sheeley (forgive me if that last name's wrong) met their ends at the jaws of a Mosasaurus!
@@Lil_Angry_Bitch They filmed in temporary sets out in the parking lot, serving as the park's plaza/entrance area.
also an episode of NCIS New Oreleans was filmed there.
Thanks for touching on the existence of segregated theme parks. We've come a long way, though we still have far to go. You did a great job with this video. Thanks, again.
I have never clicked so fast. I can remember when Jazzland opened I was 13 years old. It was pretty much our Summer camp lol. We had season passes would get dropped off and spend the day and do it again the next day. I still feel so sad when I go back home and see the remains. Of the three Six Flags parks I would call my home parks only 1 still exists. Six Flags over Georgia. The other was Six Flags Astroworld which pisses me off how that ended to this day.
Announced this week (Sep 2024), at SF Great Adventure, people age 15 may not enter without another over age 21. The park wants an end of being 'day care' all day for the kids of pass-holding families.
Great work, Sam! There’s a lot of abandoned Six Flags exploration videos on but not much dedicated to the park’s history. This was a great subject choice so I hope it brings a lot of views!
You did such an amazing job with this video!!! I remember having to fly out to Gulf Port to be with my brother and his family immediately after Katrina for moral support... and, looking out the aeroplane window to see the New Orleans lights that would usually be greeting travellers, and all I saw was darkness, I will always remember that. Awwwe, Sam you're just the best and what you do is appreciated beyond all measures!
The dancing old guy was my favorite part of six flags. My local six flags is great adventure
Haha i love it
I’m sorry, but you are THE BEST park history channel! Thank you for such rich content; it’s like a nostalgic wave washing over me!
Thanks!
Keep up the great work!!!!!!!
this and fastpass are the best
So much nostalgia! I was a little kid when I first visited jazzland then later six flags. My aunt and cousins lived nearby in Slidell, and they would take me when I would visit them. They are also the reason I got to go to Chuck E. Cheese lol.
What's kinda sad about this whole thing is that, on not-close inspection, Mega Zeph and the Hurricane coaster look all fine. Two excellent original coasters are just...gone, but still there.
Sadly they have been there rusting away and one of these days they will fall down on their own or be scrapped they can't be rebuilt as they have already been sitting outside for years untouched. If it was 3 years after the hurricane it couldve been possible to have them restored but its been over a decade now and they are falling apart and fast.
They must have had serious issues or Six Flags would have relocated them along with the other rides they moved to other parks.
And on top of all of this, the electrical systems were completely fried and useless from the flooding.
@@CoasterGaming wrong o the company did go on the property recently and said it was safe to refurbish those two rides
@@Outlawboy69I guess you could but they'd need insane amounts of refurbishment and rewiring. It wouldn't be cheap either.
I actually live very close to here. We pass it every time we go to the beau rivage for our yearly vacation. It’s quit the sight
Ahhhh I’ve been waiting for this! Even though I live in Louisiana I never got to go 🥺
Thank you for making this!!
Thanks for being delicate with recounting Katrina
You know, this is amazing that I watched this. I live right next to the site of the “abandon” six flags and knew the basic story of it, but not all of this! Unfortunately, the city has now started to demolish it so it will be no longer existing.
Well there's one positive thing to come out of a flooded theme park... And that's all the awesome movies sets for sure.
Brings me back. Thanks for the great video! Went to this Six Flags religiously since I was only 40 minutes away, and I was always too small to ride the roller coasters. My last trip there they said "Next time is it!"
There wasn't a next time.
FINALLY!!! This was my first experience with a rollercoaster riding the mega zeph. I live about 2 hours away and still stare every time I drive by. Crazy how things change in such a short time.
I hate that I missed out on going to Six Flags New Orleans. (Though I think I went to Jazz Land, but I was so young I don’t remember it.)
I had a chance when I was a kid to go with my mom’s class for free but my dad who I was visiting at the time said, “We’re going to do something else fun that day.” We just stayed at his house all day and ended up watching TV and when I asked him about it he said, “Well you didn’t tell me where you wanted to go or do.” Of course I didn’t dad, I was just a teen waiting on his dad to take home somewhere for fun. My mom said that we could go the two of us the next year. This was the Summer of 2004 or 2005, Katrina came and destroyed the park before the next time we could have a chance to go. BUT, a couple years later my mom scraped up some money to take us on a train trip to Georgia and we went to Six Flags there and it was amazing.
I’m glad you included footage from news visiting the park up close while it was under water. I’m to this day very upset they couldn’t at least fixed it up slowly and opened it back up. I went there last year and security is very high.
Great Video.
In case you didnt know, the other Vekoma Hurricane is still in Operation at Walygator Parc in France as Comet. Despite the Park changing hands and names several times over the years, it is one of the Parks Original Attractions. It is still running one of it's original Arrow Trains.
Thank you for doing such a full and comprehensive video. Im from the area and have fond memories of the park. It was nice to see someone who is not a local take such care to do the research and tell the story. Great video..
hurricane katrina more like hurricane tortilla
More like um hurricane fajita
More like hurrican six flagsa
@@ExpeditionThemePark don't u mean more like hurricane taquita
more like hurricane-to-destroy-six-flags...eria
Hurricane Hurricane
I was lucky enough to get to go here as a kid a year or two before Katrina hit. It was always kind of a pretty sketchy theme park, but it was fun because it was the only one around for miles.
Something cool that I also wanted to mention is that the mardi gras parade float I ride in is actually a tribute to the old Ponchartrain Beach park. It was built only a few years back and is the largest in the world. Each different section of it is themed to a different ride from the park, including the Zephyr roller coaster.
5:28 *cough* foreshadowing *cough*
Once Mr. Six comes out, you know it’s getting real.
Great video, like always!
I didn't know the Sasquatch was originally in the New Orleans park. We go to Great Escape every year and we always ride that one first and 20 times after.
it’s so strange to me that this park was only operated for 5 years. i was born in ‘93 and went a few times as kid so it felt like it had always been there. before this video, i had completely forgotten about the pirate 4d ride. but as soon as you said it i was punched in the face with nostalgia and how annoyed i was when it was changed to spongebob
This brought back so many childhood memories I cry every time I pass it up thank you for sharing our city history
Thank you for giving more comprehensive information about Six Flags Jazzland of New Orleans
Another great video, Sam! It's so crazy that this park has been abandoned so much longer than it was open! We drove to it when we were in New Orleans last summer, but didn't see much from where the entrance was blocked off. Oh, how I wish we had a drone then!
Great job once again. Thanks for the credits!
Grew up going to both Jazz Land and Six Flags New Orleans. Ended up having to break out of our roof due to flooding in Katrina. Thanks for making and episode about it!
I live really close to that place! My parents and I drove up to it once, it’s so creepy. It’s amazing that they made Jurassic World there
The first abandoned thing I've found when we first got internet at home. It's such a strange story. Great Expedition! 👍
Larc (a Texas based company designed this park) Given in stages the water park would have been a nice upgrade. Fact remains it was a very nice park for the $$$ spent on it. The problem was the LOCATION. I worked at the next park over that 6 Flags would close a few months later AstroWorld. One park was young and struggling, AW was older (yet made$$$, but was neglected by 6 flags) The land is used to park cars 4 Rodeo Houston. A 3 week event. AW operated 9 months and actually drew guests from Oklahoma, Louisiana & Mexico. That left 2 parks that 6 flags would operate. Fiesta Texas & for a time Splash Town (water park in Spring, TX) I omit the original Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, TX as it is owned independent from 6 flags inc. BTW Astro Dome + AstroWorld were NOT segregated when the A Dome opened in 1965 & AW in 1968. Houston, Texas is a very diverse metroplex. I say Houston ain't nothin' but a country town with some sky scrapers in it. I say that lovingly. We get along pretty well with everyone. Love your videos as always! You do an incredible job!
I’ve been watching videos about this Six Flags for a while now. It wasn’t until recently that I got to visit the park in person. Didn’t actually enter ofc, but we saw from the main road and outside the fenced off areas.
Jazzland was built in a horrible place to begin with. That far into New Orleans East is essentially a built up natural wetland and is only really conveinent for day trips from Slidell or a portion of local New Orleanians. Ponchatrain Beach was more centrally located on the south shore of Lake Ponchatrain making it super easy for people to come from the north shore and from all over New Orleans.
It didn't help that the original Jazzland had no shade built in and was intensely uncomfortable to visit in the summer. The whole site was paved and had no real landscaping to provide shade. That issue was only made marginally better when SixFlags bought it. They added shade to the queues but not the walking paths.
Also, there is an established venue/theme/water park in the suburbs of Baton Rouge that is much more convenient to get to for the more affluent locals from Baton Rouge, the New Orleans suburbs of Metairie/Kenner, and most of the north shore of Lake Ponchatrain.
ya i think i pass by that water park often. blue bayou right?
This one is my absolute favorite expedition and I watch it every few months. 💚💚💚
Thank you for covering this. This park’s demise and current state has been fascinating and you did a great job covering it.
Wow, I thought I had heard everything about this park. The attention to detail and research you did on this is amazing.
This has to be one of my favorite videos by you. Really well done, and it really is a shame what happened.
Thank you for covering this
Being from New Orleans, Jazzland and Six Flags: New Orleans was my favorite part of my cousins and I childhoods ❤
Aye, I’m so glad you did one on Jazzland. I asked a few months ago, but I figured there wasn’t enough information about it. This makes me really excited, my parents used to take me there as a kid all the time before we moved to Cincinnati after Katrina. Can’t wait to watch and keep up ur awesome work
I still find it weird how the same year when this park closed down in August, the same year here in Houston, TX right next to Louisiana they closed Astroworld 2 months later 🤔
Is anyone else still heart broken about what happened to this park? Am I the only one in 2020 crying over all the wonderful memories this video brought back?
After watching the terrible Super Bowl LIII halftime show, a new Expedition is definitely what I need. Thanks.
You should do a whole episode on six flags creepy old man mascot.
His name is Mr. Six, thank you very much
Who doesn't love the Six Flags guy?
Many people don't know that Mr Six is actually a young dude disguised as an old guy.
@@missybarbour6885 I hate that creepy old buzzard. I never liked him and I think he hurt the image of six flags back in the day. I was so happy when they finially realized that and did away with him.
That's James Clapper
Such an epic Video about a sad story in Theme Park History. I love all this footage 12:25, it is impressive and scary at the same time.
all of my extended family lives in NOLA and whenever my parents would drive us to stay for events we'd know how close we were and got so excited seeing the park... now whenever we visit you can see the broken-down park from the interstate and even see the waterlines from Katrina on the rides and buildings surrounding it. pretty sad
Crazy, just realized I visited this place just prior to it's closing! I remember the Catwoman's Whip made me sick for at least an hour. That's when I figured out i can't do spin rides...
Such a tragedy fr fr 😔😭. Can’t believe this happened to Jazzland Six Flags. Like come on everybody seemed so happy and the park was doing so good until hurricane katrina killed it. Rest In Peace to a park that was gonna become a park for the near New Orleans future but was tragically taken away.
So they built a Jazz Themed park near New Orleans, put it near a decaying and low-income neighborhood, and then were surprised when it didn't hit its numbers. There wasn't anything unique about this park. When you're in New Orleans, where are you going to go to get that real New Orleans feel? Oh, a cookie-cutter amusement park.
Awesome to finally see your coverage of this park!!! Very interesting to see! Oh and I would still like to see a small park in VA called Lakeside if you ever get to dig up info on it! ~Dawn
It’s such an eye sore right on I-10 for every new visitor to see. A lot of the city has recovered well and even improved during my lifetime post Katrina, but this place is just a haunting reminder every time I drive past it.
Its a constant reminder of the L we took, it's painful and disgraceful the government makes us suffer like this !
@@gtt8428 and you know it wouldn’t take but 20 coon-asses from the parish to knock this shit down in a day.
You know this is super cool. Being from New Orleans my parents have told me s many stories about opening day of this place and I vaguely remember going there as a child and a horrific SpongeBob ride they had. They shot parts of both Jurassic world movies here as well as zombieland. Within the past year me and some friend have explored what’s left when we snuck in one day. I’d love to send you pics. Did you Know in the late 1950s that Walt Disney scoped and mapped out the slant to try to build Disney World here.
I remember seeing this as Jazzland when I went to New Orleans numerous times before Katrina. I now wish I would have vist it once in my travels, but would still love to go explore, if I could do so without getting in trouble.
Now known as the land of hungry gators, cocaine and dead spring breakers
I think you are talking about Florida.....
@@BLasherman that to but the park did have a super bad gator infestation
Ben Lasher yeah but Florida has arguably the best theme park...... on planet earth?
Dr. Jack Bright with how bad the gators are here in Louisiana I can guarantee it’s ten times worse
cece HAHAHA, you better not be talking about Sea world, Universal, Busch Gardens, Or Disney. Cedar point is the best point and last I check it was in Ohio, not Florida
Great episode!! I could watch your videos all day!!
"Ya like jazz?"
-Barry Bee Benson
Armani Chu stfu
CourniTooth you
CourniTooth no u
Clearly Katrina didnt....
Yes
Wow great video.... Born and raised on the westbank I went to jazzland/six flags many times and I still have one my season pass id card!! so sad to drive past and see each year the park decaying more and more.
"Mr. Six" was interesting advertising campaign. They did a Magic Mountain Valencia campaign with him too.
Oh god that Spongebob clip freaked me out!
same!
I'm pretty sure Kings Dominion in Virginia had the same SpongeBob ride at the time.
Great video. Such chills to see the park in such devastation after Katrina made landfall.
Kudos to Six Flags for using Vengaboys in their advertising though.
Oh wow, I had no idea Sasquatch was originally from New Orleans! I still remember when it opened as a kid.
I love this video. Made many trips to Six Flags New Orleans.
I learned alot watching this one. I visited Jazzland twice and was looking forward to visiting Six Flags but Hurricane Katrina 🌀 touched down.
That's sad, Katrina was awful and I've always had a soft spot for Kateina stories. Being a huge theme park fan also, this is almost unbearable to watch. Great video!
I got to ride Goliath at SFFT back in June, and the whole time I was remembering its previous home. Ironically, my two rides on Goliath were in the rain!
Pretty good.
Yesssss! I’ve been waiting for this!