Ghost Town Village in the hills of North Carolina once thrived with thousands of visitors but is now a shadow of its former self with empty saloons, rotting wooden buildings, and rusting rides
A chillingly deserted “ghost town in the sky” stands eerily still in the hills of North Carolina, in the US, a decade after its once-thriving amusement park went under.
The towering rides have been abandoned to the elements, with the Wild-West-themed park, once a hotspot for movie stars and stunt men, now a haunting symbol of faded grandeur. Yet, there may be a glimmer of hope on the horizon.
A terrifying 1,500 metre rollercoaster looms over vacant saloons on top of Buck Mountain, standing at 4,650 ft. The regional travel guide, Blue Ridge Mountain Life, has noted that some refer to Ghost Town Village as a “cursed amusement park.”
The concept for the park was conceived when the land was purchased from a local land owner named Uncle Dan Carpenter back in 1960. According to The Sun, R.B. Coburn had heard a tale about Uncle Dan Carpenter losing his sheep in a large cavern on top of Buck Mountain, reports the Mirror US.
Coburn sought out Carpenter who showed him where he had lost his sheep, sparking the dream for the park. Coburn believed the location held immense potential to transport tourists back to the old ghost towns of the Midwest that he had once visited himself.
The task of building the park was colossal. Over two hundred locals joined forces to construct around 40 buildings, creating the ghost town at the peak of the mountain.
Approximately 120,000 square feet of structures were built, utilising 91,000 metres of timber, 60,000 metres of plywood, and 9,000 kg of nails. The park’s opening in 1961 drew huge crowds, making it a top destination in Western North Carolina and a popular filming location for TV Western stars from shows such as Laramie and Wagon Train.
The hourly staged gunfights on the main street were a significant attraction, and the ride’s unique selling point was its steep plunges in and out of the mountain.
However, the park gradually fell into disrepair, leading to a decline in visitor numbers. The owners struggled with infrastructure issues, including water, power, and sewage problems.
Employees began to express concerns about unpaid wages, and the park ultimately closed after the 2009 season.
Despite being dubbed the “cursed amusement park” by Blue Ridge Mountain Life due to numerous failed attempts to reopen, the National Amusement Park Historical Association remains optimistic. According to a Facebook post by NAPHA on May 9, a potential buyer from Florida has expressed interest in purchasing the abandoned amusement park.
The post also mentioned that the current owner, Jill McClure, intends to sell the property for entertainment purposes, rather than to a buyer who would repurpose it. The land is now earmarked for a housing development, but the buyer intends to turn the area into “a venue featuring country music, rodeos, and festivals, aiming to keep the park family-friendly.”
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