Playcenter, Sao Paulo
Playcenter was Brazil’s first major amusement park that could be likened to one that would be found in the early 1970s in the United States and in Europe. It opened its doors in 1973 to a large, excited crowd.
The park saw over 1.5 million people every year and seemed to be doing well. But in 2012, the owners of the park decided to change its concept and create something aimed more towards younger children. They shut down that year for renovations, but they never came. Now, the area is covered in businesses and even one residential building.
Bannack, Montana
Bannack is a ghost town that acted as the capital of Montana Territory for a brief period of time in the 1860’s. The town was very popular among miners, probably thanks to it being the site of a ton of gold. At its peak, Bannack had a population of over 10,000 residents.
But like most mining towns, when the resources ran out, so did the people. But even though the town is abandoned these days, Bannack State Park organizes a 2-day period once per year during the summers where they try and attract tourists by throwing “Bannack Days.”
Borscht Belt Catskill NY
The Grossinger Catskill Resort Hotel started as a simple bed and breakfast concept in the early 1900s. By the ’70s, not only was it still standing, it had grown to incorporate over 30 buildings, accommodating more than 150,000 guests per year total.
It was such a popular ski resort area that it had its own private airstrip. But the guest list started to decline more and more every year until the mid-1980’s when the owners (who were descendants of the original owner) decided to sell. The final building on the Grossinger property was demolished in the spring of 2018.
Manly Fun Pier
The Manly Fun Pier was a small amusement park built on a pier in New South Wales, Australia. The park was in operation from the early 1930’s-the late ’80s and had a number of different attractions for families, including the ghost train, shark aquarium, wax museum, Ferris Wheel, and fun castle.
It went through several renovations over the span of its existence, but in 1989 the wharf was redeveloped, and the park was torn down. A new amusement center opened up in its place in 1990, but it closed once more the following year when the wharf was redeveloped again.
Trellech, Wales
Trellech was one of the largest towns in Wales during the 13th century. Inhabited by royalty, knights, and rebels like Owain Glyndŵr, it was used as a hub for transporting medieval goods including weapons, iron, and armor.
Today, there is a small village left that includes a church building, but the area has been turned into a conservation area. It is surrounded by several nature preserves, which are owned by Gwent Wildlife Trust. The website lostcityoftrellech.org reports on annual archaeological digs that take place in the area.