Have you ever watched a movie where the characters adventure through lost ruins, and you've always wanted to have an experience like that? Thanks to the history and beauty of Louisiana, the Fort Proctor ruins are just the adventure to take. Exploring the Fort Proctor ruins is like discovering a lost building, especially since you have to approach by water. Bucket list, anyone?
OnlyInYourState does not condone vandalism of any kind. Please make sure you have appropriate permissions to visit any ruins or National Historic Site that may be closed to the public. Happy adventuring!
From land, you can see today's adventure on the horizon. Out in the distance here is Fort Proctor, a destination you can only visit by water.
Fort Proctor (also known as Fort Beauregard or Beauregard's Castle) is a historic fort built to protect water routes near New Orleans. Built in the 1850s, the structure remains surprisingly intact for all the weather it has endured.
After Lake Borgne rose and Katrina gave it a good washing, most of the area that was once around the fort is now submerged, leaving nearly nothing to walk on.
You can see the fort from Shell Beach, but all land access to the area has been blocked off by the outlet canal. As a National Historic Place, we're glad to have it around as long as it stands.
Kayaking into this mysterious ruin really immerses you in the feeling of being an explorer. After all, if you could casually walk in the door, it wouldn't be much of an adventure.
Some critters are so ugly they become cute again. Baby alligators fall into that category. While you may not want to boop the snoot of a six-foot gator, baby gators are extremely boopable (with supervision). Gator Chateau is one of the few places where you can hold baby gators in Louisiana, and it’s the perfect roadside stop.
advertisement
Gator Chateau is one of those hidden gems in Louisiana that most locals don’t even know about.
You’ll find it in Jennings, Louisiana conveniently located right off of I-10. It’s equidistant to both Lafayette and Lake Charles and makes for an excellent roadside stop if you’re driving between either city.
The space is home to alligators of all sizes plus plenty of other critters.
Be sure to follow Gator Chateau on Facebook. They're always posting adorable photos of these baby alligators, so brighten up your feed with a follow so you never miss out on any baby gators in Louisiana.
If you’ve ever found yourself driving along I-10 in New Orleans East, you’ve likely seen the remnants of a theme park in the distance. For many, it’s a constant reminder of everything lost during Hurricane Katrina. Six Flags New Orleans was once a joyful place, but now, it's one of the most well-known abandoned places in Louisiana and it's slowly being reclaimed by Mother Nature.
advertisement
Let's take a walk down memory lane and learn how this old New Orleans theme park began.
First things first: do not go into Six Flags New Orleans.
There are no trespassing signs everywhere, and security cameras to ensure you don’t break the rules. It’s not safe, and no one wants to end up in court… or the hospital.
The park first opened as Jazzland in 2000, but it wasn’t as successful as everyone had hoped.
From the location to the attractions, it was mostly a flop. I remember coming here as a teenager, but I can see why it wasn't the success everyone was hoping for. For starters, it's far from downtown New Orleans, so it was really difficult for tourists to get over to this side. From jump, everything about this park just fell flat, despite having the best of intentions.
Two years after opening, a new leasing agreement was signed and Six Flags New Orleans took over. They invested $20 million in upgrades and reopened in 2003, but once again, it wasn’t a huge success. In fact, it was one of Six Flags’ least profitable parks. By the time the park closed, Six Flags had put $44 million into park upgrades.
The last day the park was open was August 21, 2005, eight days before Hurricane Katrina struck.
The park was actually scheduled to reopen a week later… but before the storm, we all thought that we would resume normal operations in about a week. We were so wrong.
The park was submerged in 4-7 feet of water after the storm, and it took over a month for the water to drain.
The park’s location didn’t help. The low-lying area of New Orleans East combined with its proximity to Lake Pontchartrain plus the park’s drainage pumps failing all added up to disaster. Because the water was a brackish mix, it caused massive corrosion to the rides and various attractions, resulting in up to 80% of the park being damaged beyond repair.
Not much can withstand a solid month of saltwater submersion, as many of us are well aware.
That didn’t stop Six Flags from salvaging some of the rides, through.
A year later, Six Flags took some of the rides and relocated them to other parks around the country, including Batman: The Ride, Bayou Blaster, Road Runner Express, and Sonic Slam.
advertisement
advertisement
Think about that next time you jump on an amusement park ride in another state.
With no plans to reopen, Six Flags and the City of New Orleans have been in a bit of a battle over what happens next.
There have been many bids to develop the land, with ideas ranging from community parks to strip malls. There was even one pitch to keep it as an amusement park.
We doubt it'll ever be an amusement park again.
Currently, the city rents it out every now and then for movies to be filmed there, like Jurassic World.
Hopefully, it'll transform into something useful sooner rather than later.
There is hope though! This abandoned theme park in New Orleans was recently purchased and plans to redevelop the area is in the works! It looks like the new site will be called Bayou Phoenix, and it will include a hotel, a family entertainment center, a sports complex, a film studio, tons of shopping opportunities, and even an indoor/outdoor water park. Follow along with the renovation process at bayouphoenix.com
Six Flags New Orleans isn't the only spot Mother Nature is reclaiming. Here's a road trip to more abandoned places in New Orleans. Like many abandoned places in Louisiana, ghost stores are bound to follow. These creepy places in Louisiana aren't abandoned, but they'll definitely make you feel like you're not the only one in the room. And if you're really brave, you might even want to book a stay at The Myrtles, one of the most haunted places to stay in Louisiana.
