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December 1, 2012

Amboy, CA

Amboy, CA 
Submitted and written by Denise Florez 

Settled in 1858, established in 1883, it was prolific from 1926 when Route 66 opened to 1973 when Interstate 40 opened and visitation decreased rapidly. The town’s most famous landmark is Roy’s Motel and Café.

Amboy has had few owners. In 1938 Roy Crowl opened "Roy's" as a service station on Route 66 in Amboy. Roy, together with his wife Velma, owned the town.  Buster Burris purchased Roy's from his father-in-law Roy Crowl and ran the town until 1995 when he sold it to investors. They mainly used it for photo shots and to host movie companies. After the two lost it in foreclosure, it was repossessed by Bessie Burris, Buster's widow. Bessie sold the property in February 2005 to Albert Okura, owner of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain, who offered $425,000 in cash and promised to preserve the town and reopen Roy's. The gas station is now open.

“The Ghost Town that Ain’t Dead Yet!”

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Thank you Denise!!

October 9, 2012

Hard Rock Amusement Park/Freestyle Music Park: Myrtle Beach, SC

I've been enjoying NBC's Revolution and the show does a great job of creating a world of abandoned ruins.  The fourth episode though, was actually filmed at an abandoned amusement park in South Carolina.

Freestyle Music Park, formerly Hard Rock Park, was a music theme park located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina that opened on April 15, 2008, then temporarily closed on September 24, 2008, due to financial issues, reopened May 23, 2009, under the Freestyle brand, and closed yet again after its 2009 season.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freestyle_Music_Park


Opened: April 15, 2008
Closed: September 24, 2008
Reopened: May 23, 2009
Abandoned: after the 2009 season
Today: Abandoned

I haven't found many photos online.  The park is abandoned, but what does it look today?  Have a photo or a story?  Share in the comments below.

October 3, 2012

Saugus Speedway - NASCAR

The Saugus Speedway

22500 Soledad Canyon Road ~ Santa Clarita, CA 91350

Opened 1939
Closed July 19, 1995

Ruins: Race track, misc buildings, scoreboard and grandstands.
Current Site: Saugus Swap Meet


September 26, 2012

New Photos from Rock-a-Hoola Waterpark

Gary Miereanu from Los Angeles, California shared some awesome photos and captions of Rock-a-Hoola.  Taken around 2007, these are great images to have at Modern Day Ruins.  Thanks Gary!

Once an oasis just a smidge over midway to Las Vegas, it's now a weather-beaten, abandoned water park on the edge of Yermo, CA.

"It's been one of my favorite parts of the drive to-and-from Vegas for at least 12 years. I finally stopped there about five or six years ago... I dug it."






September 17, 2012

Revolution: Imagines a World of Modern Day Ruins

NBC's new show 'Revolution' airs today, September 17.   The show takes place in a world without an electrical source of power, and everything starts to decay.  Places are abandoned and the world becomes modern day ruins.  The imagery is amazing.  Take a look at the series trailer and images below.   These images could easily be found on any other page of this site.

Wonder if the show will be a success?  Share your opinion in the comments below.



September 11, 2012

Lake Isabella: Isabella and Kernville


Lake Isabella is a reservoir in Kern County, California created by the earthen Isabella Dam. It was formed in 1953 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Kern River at the junction of its two forks at Whiskey Flat. At 11,000 acres, it is one of the larger reservoirs in California.  Lake Isabella is located about 40 miles northeast of Bakersfield, and is the main water supply for that city. The former towns of Isabella and Kernville were flooded by the newly created reservoir.   Wikipedia

September 6, 2012

Six Flags New Orleans


Six Flags New Orleans has been closed since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. is owned by the City of New Orleans.

The park first opened under the name Jazzland in 2000. In March of 2002, Six Flags purchased the lease and continued to run it as Jazzland through 2002. In 2003, the park was renamed Six Flags New Orleans.

The last day the park operated was August 21, 2005. Weekday operations ended a couple weeks before due to the fact schools start early in August in that region and end mid-May. The park was scheduled to Open August 27 and August 28 as usual but once Katrina was forecast late on Friday to directly hit New Orleans, the weekend opening was canceled in order to prepare for the storm and begin evacuations.

So sad to see this park fall apart.  Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Marineland to Close - E-Ticket Magazine Issue #2

This is a page from E-Ticket Magazine, issue #2 - Spring 1987.  Content of this issue included The Viewliner, Knott's Berry Farm and Ghost Town, Parker Bros. Games. and a feature on Marineland closing.

September 5, 2012

Marineland Remembered

The Point Vicente Interpretive Center, located a half-mile north from the former Marineland site, opened a large exhibit in July 2007 entitled "Marineland Remembered". The exhibit featured an extensive collection of Marineland artifacts, memorabilia, and souvenirs as well as recordings and a movie. One exhibit highlight was an original dolphin statue from the park's entrance.

The city of Palos Verdes has the three dolphins that were at the entrance.  The PVIC hopes to one day recreate the Marineland entrance sign.


September 4, 2012

The Greens: Valencia, CA


The Greens was located at 26501 McBean Pkwy in Valencia, CA.   This was a miniature golf course unlike any before.

The Greens, which consists of three nine-hole layouts in Valencia, was named the best miniature golf course in the city by Los Angeles Magazine. The facility, which was built for $3.5 million, attempted to replicate the golf experience, using features like sand traps and water hazards instead of the goofy elements that are often associated with miniature golf.  The course also uses real grass instead of artificial turf.  Some holes are as large as 100 yards long. Ted Robinson, an architect of a number of standard golf courses, designed The Greens.

The Greens was a great place for kids and adults alike.  The miniature golf course would entertain children, college students and adults.  Students from the local college would often be there enjoying the local music and entertainment, while parents would often have their child's birthday party entertainment there.  Of all the places in Santa Clarita, most would argue it had the most magic.

New Photos Added

New photos have been added to the following pages:

Disney's River Country

Disney's Discovery Island

Rock-A-Hoola Water Park

Be sure to check them out!!

August 31, 2012

Beijing Olympic Venues

With the summer Olympics just coming to a close, I thought it would be a great time to create a post about old Olympic buildings and stadiums.  It's amazing how many wonderful buildings and sites start to go into decay after the Olympics leave town.


The 2008 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, took place in Beijing, China from August 8 to 24, 2008.



 Here's an article from August 2024 about bringing back Lake Dolores/Rock-A-Hoola Water Park. This isn't the first time we are heari...