This Eerie And Fantastic Footage Takes You Inside Missouri’s Abandoned Celebration City

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the words amusement park? Happy screams of riders on the roller coaster? The sound of the roller coaster traveling down the tracks? Or, maybe the smell of all of the goodies? If you’ve ever been to Celebration City in Branson, Missouri before it closed, you might still have those memories. The following footage will give you a glimpse into the park during its heyday and what it looks like abandoned.

If you've been Googling "abandoned amusement parks near me," you'll likely be excited to hear about this one. Celebration City, once known as Branson USA, had a brief history, compared to other amusement parks, open for a mere decade before shuttering for good in 2008.

Since it's closed, the once-vibrant amusement park has sat empty and abandoned, attracting curiosity seekers to its hallowed grounds. However, the park is on private property, so do not trespass on the grounds.

During its heyday, Celebration City opened in the mid-afternoon, considerably later than its rivals, hoping to attract the evening crowds. However, that wasn’t all that set Celebration City apart from the competition. Instead of an all-day pass, riders would purchase tickets to ride the Celebration City rides, like in the old days. It was perhaps best known for the Ozark Wildcat, an epic wooden coaster.

Despite the fireworks show that ended each evening and the more than a dozen different rides, an assortment of games, and food, Celebration City just didn’t take off and permanently shut down in 2008.

Today, it's simply a part of Missouri history. Although the public isn't allowed to visit the grounds on which this celebrated amusement park sits, we can get a glimpse of it through photos and video.

Check out the video below of an abandoned Celebration City in drone footage captured in 2015.

If you’d like to relive a little of the happy days, click below to watch footage that includes images from Celebration City’s early days as well as an in-depth look at the park just a few years ago.

Were you in Celebration City in Branson, Missouri before it closed? What was it like? Share your experience in the comments! Next time you’re suffering from wanderlust, follow this thrilling road trip to the six most abandoned places in Missouri.

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