The Louisiana theme park closed in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina flooded it — and sat abandoned for nearly two decades after.
John McQuaid / FlickrSix Flags New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Originally opened as Jazzland New Orleans in 2000, Six Flags New Orleans was only in operation for about five years before the amusement park was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
In August 2005, the category 5 storm struck New Orleans and broke through the city’s levees, causing massive flooding that submerged most of the park under water. In the months that followed, park officials attempted to salvage what they could. But with few attractions worth repairing and millions of dollars down the drain, they eventually had to declare bankruptcy — and the park has sat abandoned ever since.
For nearly 20 years, urban explorers have flocked to the abandoned amusement park to document and photograph the rusting wasteland while officials squabbled over its future. As time has passed, the property gradually become more and more overgrown, offering a hospitable home to alligators, vultures, wild boars, cottonmouth snakes, and other wildlife.
It wasn’t until 2023 that a development company signed a lease for the property and the fate of the former Six Flags New Orleans was finally sealed.
Six Flags New Orleans' Beginnings As Jazzland
On May 20, 2000, an amusement park called Jazzland New Orleans opened to the public in New Orleans, Louisiana. Designed to honor the city's musical and cultural history, the park featured thrilling rides like the Mega Zeph wooden coaster and vibrant New Orleans-themed areas like Cajun Country and the Goodtime Gardens.
Louisiana Memories / Facebook Jazzland, the predecessor of Six Flags New Orleans.
Unfortunately, Jazzland was not a monetary success. In its first season, the park saw over a million visitors, but by its second and third, it was attracting only about half of that. By 2002, the park's owners declared bankruptcy.
That year, Six Flags purchased Jazzland for $22 million, adding the property to its extensive network of theme parks across the United States.
On April 12, 2003, Six Flags officials reopened the park to the public as Six Flags New Orleans. The entertainment company had spent over $20 million to renovate Jazzland and add exciting new rides, including modern rollercoasters like The Jester and Batman: The Ride.
However, Six Flags New Orleans would not last to see the end of its 75-year lease. Only two years after the park reopened, Hurricane Katrina would strike the city — and lay waste to the amusement park.
Hurricane Katrina Devastates The Theme Park
Wikimedia / CC BY 2.0Six Flags New Orleans' entrance in 2004.
On Aug. 21, 2005, Six Flags New Orleans closed its doors for the last time. A category 5 hurricane called Hurricane Katrina was projected to hit New Orleans the following week, prompting the city to evacuate and prepare for the worst.
On Aug. 29, 2005, Katrina made landfall in New Orleans. According to the National Weather Service, the hurricane created wind speeds of up to 140 miles per hour when it hit Louisiana.
The storm breached New Orleans' levees, causing devastating floods that submerged about 80 percent of the city and reached 15 feet in height in some areas. Not only did Katrina cause billions of dollars in damages, but around 1,400 New Orleans residents tragically died as a result of the storm.
Six Flags New Orleans was not spared the hurricane's destructive wrath. In the weeks after the storm, the park sat submerged in floodwater. The company closed the park indefinitely to assess the damages.
Public DomainSix Flags on Sept. 14, 2005.
In 2006, Six Flags announced that they would be closing Six Flags New Orleans for good due to the level of wind and water damage it had sustained. Park officials estimated that around 80 percent of the park's attractions had been destroyed in the storm.
Only a few rides were deemed salvageable, including Batman: The Ride, which was sent to Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio. Over the years, other pieces of equipment salvaged from the park were shipped off to Six Flags parks across the country.
Meanwhile, the rest of Six Flags New Orleans lay in ruins.
The Future Of Six Flags New Orleans
After Katrina, park and city officials struggled to devise a plan for the future of Six Flags New Orleans and the property on which it sat.
In April 2008, another entertainment company, Southern Star Amusement Inc., announced plans to take over Six Flags' lease and build a brand new amusement park there. However, after multiple revisions to this plan, including one proposal to turn the area into a Nickelodeon theme park, the project hit a dead end.
In 2009, Six Flags declared bankruptcy and surrendered the park to the city of New Orleans.
In 2012, a committee for the City of New Orleans rejected plans to reopen the site as an amusement park. Instead, the city granted a development company permission to build a shopping center called Jazzland Outlet Mall on the property. But by 2014, those plans were scrapped, too.
This seemed to be an inescapable trend. Development or entertainment companies would approach the city with grand promises to build new, exciting projects there, only for their plans to inevitably fall apart. Meanwhile, Six Flags New Orleans continued to fall into a state of disrepair, becoming increasingly overgrown and decrepit.
Media Drum World / Alamy Stock PhotoThe abandoned rides and attractions at the park in 2013.
Finally, in 2023, a company called Bayou Phoenix signed a lease for the property and announced plans to demolish Six Flags New Orleans to make way for a mixed-use development project, including a water park, hotels, a sports complex, restaurants, and a film studio.
Demolition began at the site in November 2024 — nearly 20 years after the park was destroyed by Katrina.
As for nearby residents, they just hope Bayou Phoenix keeps its promises.
"The neighbors here, we get excited about that when we hear the news of it," Kenny Guidry, who has lived in the area since 1990, told WDSU. "But for some reason, those plans don't follow through. So basically, I know that there's a plan to do something with it right now, but I'm going to believe it when I see the pilings going down and the structures to come up."
It seems that the city will finally bid adieu to Six Flags New Orleans. But you can still explore its eerie ruins in the 44 astonishing photos in the gallery above.
After reading about Six Flags New Orleans, dive into the story of eight of history's most brutal amusement park accidents. Then, explore the ruins of River Country, Disney World's mysterious abandoned water park.
