Looking back on this video almost four years later, I know I made a lot of mistakes. I mispronounced Zydeco and I'll agree with most of you that the intro is way too long. I don't know what I was thinking, and don't get me started on my obvious lack of a microphone pop filter. Still though, this was a starting point for the rest of my amusement park documentaries, and I hope you all can look past the errors I made in this video because I still consider it a comprehensive history of SFNO. Thanks for sticking with me all these years, everyone.
RampagingRex Productions wow thx for this information... I live somewhat close to this area and have been wondering what the future, if any, was in store for this abandoned park. What a tragic event Katrina was! Thx so much for this post. You answered a lot of questions I had. Godspeed
To be honest, this park was in a downward spiral before Katrina...the storm finished it off....I worked there the summer before Katrina, and besides Saturdays, the park was so empty they had to send employees home often.
Was another Pontchartrain Beach in the making. New Orleans just never was the city for such a thing, sadly. Everyone just wanted to go to Florida or Mobile or Cancun.
Blame Six Flags. They bought small amusement parks, overbuilt them, loss money over several years, and then either sell off the park or shut it down. Screw Six Flags
My father owns an electrical company thats with the city. We've been in the park and its beyond repair. All the systems are shot, the concrete buildings are the only things somewhat worth anything.
@@jimroscovius you are correct, partially. Who would insure it ? who would lend the capital ? Katrina didn't kill this park, it was the location. This park was never profitable, even before Katrina. People didn't want to go to this location because of the crime and violence Locals couldn't or wouldn't support this park. When local youths took over the park , jumping turn styles to rides and causing problems all over the park, it was doomed and attendance never reached expectations . Nobody wanted to go to this area after just one visit.
The fact that this guy is still in his comments 6 years later is iconic, I've been looping this vid for whenever I'm studying since 2018 thank you for this blessing man
Chris Treadaway they were still trying to recover from a major hurricane that destroyed most homes in the city, now that most everything is repaired I hope they’ll try to revamp it
We would have loved that but there was so much electrical damage that many rides were beyond repair. As of now it’s just another abandoned theme park 😢
As a theme park fanatic, this makes my heart hurt. Obviously, Katrina was a tragedy all around and I don't mean to belittle that, but amusement parks strike a particular nerve with me and really hit close to home. Now, the flip side of that coin, who knows how long the park would have lasted even if Katrina hadn't struck. SIX was going through some major financial trouble right at that time, and went bankrupt a few years later. They downsized dramatically in the following years. Being one of the less profitable parks, SFNO would have surely not lasted, at least not as a Six Flags park.
True but they Held through it, Great America by me wasn't affected aside from price hikes. Had katrina not destroyed the park, at worst it could have been sold off and at least still open. Funny think about Amusement parks, you build it, they will come.
i’ve ridden sasquatch so many times and i didn’t know it was relocated from new orleans. that’s actually so cool knowing they were able to be salvaged into a ride i love
truthseeker89 for life As of now, nothing is happening with it. It's still abandoned and in extremely poor condition. I may be wrong but I hear New Orleans still hasn't fully recovered from Katrina.
I went there spring 2005 for my Senior school trip.. gosh the memories I had.. sucks I didn't take any pictures.. I was having too much fun and rode that Batman ride countless times!
I miss this park. My family had season passes the whole time it was open, up til Katrina hit. I do hope New Orleans gets their act together and allows this company to revamp the park and reopen it
This video made me cry man. I remember going to jazzland and six flags as a child. It was the field trip you didn't wanna miss during school and at summer camp. It hurts that a part of my childhood is gone and looks so terrible. Driving pass it on the highway you'd never know it was that bad
Closed for Storm is a great documentary that shows the rise and fall of the park in great detail. This channel is brilliant as well. Very interesting and informative. 👍👍
I think the park struggled before Katrina for several reasons. 1) It offered family entertainment whereas New Orleans is not a family entertainment town. 2) It was way off the beaten, tourist path, and on the opposite side of town from the airport. 3) New Orleans is full of poor people who don't have the money to frequent theme parks. The wealthy of New Orleans live in the center and west of the city, and they don't like going to N.O. east. 4) It's just too freakin' hot and humid in the summer to engage in extended, outdoor activity. 5) I'm sure the city was extorting the park in some way. They do that to any outside company with deep pockets. Trump tried to build a hotel/casino there, but he walked away in disgust.
There were also plans to add a waterpark during the 2005 offseason, which was sorely needed. But Katrina had other plans. And in terms of Six Flags-type park revenue, this park was never going to be a success. But in terms of a family theme park-type revenue, this park was a success. Even had Katrina not happened, Six Flags was going to cut bait anyway as they were heading towards bankruptcy.. And the park probably could have been repurposed under a re-invented Jazzland-type name.
Gotta agree with everything cept the New Orleans is not a family town part. People just only think of Bourbon St. When they come here but we have so much more!
Back here again somehow, and every time it just takes me back. Starting school, sitting in Science class, learning about the oncoming hurricane. Just everything. We were so sure it would be a small storm until they said it was above a Category 3, heading for Mississippi and Lousiana... and all hell broke loose trying to get out of the states.
The nostalgia I felt watching this video.. I was a kid when this park was operating and went countless times. I think of it often and get sad any time I come across a video about it. I would have had season passes if it was still open once I became an adult. It's crazy that the park is still there with the rides. I always hold out hope that one day they'll reopen a theme park there, although I know it's highly unlikely.
This young man did a very good job on telling us about what happened to the Six Flags history. Thank you, well done video, you show and tell how tragic this was for all those people in New Orleans. It’s a very sad story.
I’ve never been to New Orleans but it does hit close to home for me because I grew up going to Geauga Lake/Six Flags in Ohio. It’s sad to see an amusement park left abandoned.
Reminds me of all those Japanese theme parks that were abandoned in the 1980's after their economy tanked. Which reminds me, you never did mention that Joker's Jukebox was repurposed from a Japanese theme park, or that it killed a grandmother.
@@DannytheTourist IIRC Joker's Jukebox had an electrical malfunction that shocked an elderly woman and caused her heart to stop? Though I might be wrong, and confusing my accidents. Edit: I was wrong. Here is an excerpt from a Wiki Page full of incidents relating to Six Flags Parks: "On July 10, 2003, a 52-year-old grandmother was strapping her 4-year-old grandson in when the ride started up. She later died at Lakeland Hospital from blunt-force internal injuries after being struck by a ride vehicle.[112] The park added mirrors to the ride for ride operators to view around the blind spot where the accident occurred, and then introduced a safety announcement which notified the guests that the ride was about to start."
Thanks for taking the time to share something positive, unique, & special about my hometown! If it wasn't for brave & thoughtful people like you, SFNO would be long forgotten about by now. :-)
Biloxi13 SFNO really is an incredible site, and I don't think it ever will truly be forgotten. Besides, the more well-known the park becomes, the greater the chances of it re-opening one day!
Left a tear in my ear of so many memories of this park. Great documentary. Thank you. I remember my dad taking me to Jazzland when it opened. R.I.P Harvey
300,000 views. Wow. I never thought this video would get this popular. Thank you to everyone who watched this for not only supporting the legacy of Six Flags New Orleans, but my channel as well. The timing of this is great because my next documentary-style video is coming very soon: Geauga Lake: Worlds Once Adventured! I hope you all look forward to it.
This makes me sad. The devastation new Orleans went through was unbelievable. It goes to show that we should be thankful for all the things we have... even our theme parks. Great documentary!
6 years have passed since this video, which was one of the first I saw in English and it taught me more of that language because I am Mexican and did not know English, you should make a new version of this video with everything that has happened with the park in the last 6 years, greetings from Mexico
It opened the day I was born. Im proud to share a birthday with this amazing abandoned theme park. I hope someone buys and restores it. But even for the moment, its amazing to explore (or watch others explore) and is a piece of art in a way
Thank you sooo much for this! I am a New Orleans native and visited SFNO when it was Jazzland and Rebranded as Six Flags New Orleans. I didn't know much of the origins and a lot of what happened afterward like it being a film location. So thanks for bridging that gap for me. I loved that place and only got to visit 3 times out of it's 6 year existence and planned to go more often as I matured into a Freshmen in High School, but we all know the story.. I do want to add that another experience Jazzland/SFNO was known for was it's Haunted Swamp it had for October! NO other theme park could pull off that experience of literally veering off a dirt path from the Theme Park into the Haunted Swamp Tour with people really chasing after you and jump scaring you in the process! Again thank you for this in-depth look into a very important piece of history in my life! :)
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! In the years since this video was made, I've still been following and researching this park, and I've only found a small number of photos from the park's Halloween events. Most of them are of the park's entryway and main areas, but I've seen nothing about the haunted swamp. Thanks for sharing your experience!
I was shocked to learn that the launch towers were brought up to the Great Escape only an hour from my home. When I heard that, it created one of the most eerie connections I’ve ever felt. Knowing something was recovered from such a disaster. Any time I pass that park I will look at the towers by the road and think about their past!
Wow. Great narrative on Six Flags New Orleans! I feel fortunate that I was able to get on most of these rides the previous year to Hurricane Katrina. I rode the Jester, the Mega Zeph and the Batman ride, and the Big Easy just to name a few. It saddens me what eventually happened to the park but maybe someday they can get Jazzland started again. Best wishes! 👍
Dude... .this is Film Festival worthy. Start A Kickstarter page to see if you can get additional funds for interviews with city staff. You Already Have a good voice. And it's already festival worthy. Just expand with interviews, And show show show. You may be their hope.
Derek Mckean I Agree wholeheartedly do it rampaging rex. also rex if you want another documentary idea do a detailed on lake piegneur falling into the salt dome google "oil well falls in salt dome" on jefferson island. I wish you the best walt
Excellent documentary and much needed for those that didn't know the full story! There are some awesome urban exploration videos of the park out there but hardly any documentaries such as this one. Very well researched, edited and put together! Thanks for sharing this with the world.
Six flags helped out big time, before that the heat was tough. The location was the best they could do with what we had. It's about 20 miles away from downtown and the French quarter. There isn't much out there but apartments , houses and swampland.
The whole problem was the location. Too far from other NO attractions. In a crime infested area with lots of violence. People don't want to bring their families and spend money in an area like that. This park was never profitable, ever .
Coming back to this video for about the sixth time. It still makes me sad thinking of what could have been if Six Flags could have rebuilt or Hurricane Katrina hadn’t happened. And the fact that it just sits there slowly dying when it could be either gone for good or back in business hurts more than anything.
It is so sad of all the human hours and money for a theme park sits abandoned and left to rot and it looks spooky and six flags is just a huge corporation where jazz land was a independent company hopefully they can revive this park as I want to see it in the future.
Although Six Flags New Orleans did relatively well during his brief heyday, it was one of the least profitable parks that Six Flags owned. A big reason for that was it's location. It was built on the far east side of the city on cheap swampy land and a good distance from the city's main tourist attractions. It wasn't the safest area of town either. The park would've been more profitable and could've possibly even been rebuilt and reopened had it been located on the West Bank or in Metairie. This is a good example of how going setting up a big attraction or business on cheap, isolated land usually isn't a good idea.
I lived 5-15 minutes away and had season tickets I used all the time. I met people and led tours lol they thought I worked there but I was just always there. I loved it
Thanks for this video - it was very well done and brought back a lot of good memories of the gulf coast prior to that hurricane season. I did not realize how much damage the park endured and just chalked up the closure to big business “bean counting”. Now, as a construction project manager, I can only think it was no surprise that the park’s restoration was simply beyond the owner’s means. Even a corporation as big as Six Flags could not have saved it.
You forgot One park that was open back in 1989 and 1999. Blue Bayou/Dixie Landin' Water/Theme Park which is in Baton Rouge. This is now the only major Park open in Louisiana
Every time I pass it omw to New Orleans I have the hugest urge to go explore it, Katrina was so disastrous. It’s so cool seeing the rollercoasters peaking out through the trees.
@@RampagingRex oh yea ik, but i feel its worth the risks, i mean the pictures i could take, lol. And yea louisiana's wildlife is crazy and so precious at the same time.
I went to New Orleans for the first time a few months before Katrina. And we went to six flags. Crazy to think what happened. Wish I could walk through the park
Thank you for the very informative video while being extremely respectful of New Orleans heritage. I miss this park so much. The Zephyr or Mega Zeph was one of the best wooden roller coasters I’ve ever been on. I remember when Six Flags took over, they did an amazing job. We used to go there as much as we could cuz we knew attendance wasn’t all that great. That was supposed to be the original Disney World in Orlando, but Walt couldn’t get a deal done with Louisiana politicians. Knowing that it sucks cuz we finally get good theme park and couldn’t keep it open. Now all it’s used for is for movies and ppl to break into.
My heart dropped at 10:26 when he said this park seriously competed with Houston's Six flags Astroworld. Ive lived in Houston my whole life and a large chunk of my memory is saved at Astroworld. Its so very sad that neither this nor my park exist anymore. :(
this video makes me both happy and sad. this park was a huge part of my childhood and a really big reason i love Disney World to this day. not to mention i had forgotten what exactly was in Jazz Land. hit with a lot of memories and nostalgia there.
Thats sad that they choose to leave Jazzland like that . We have NOTHING to do down here . Because Katrina took everything from us . They need to bring back SFNO ( Jazzland ) give us some fun down here .
+Cody Clark I'm from California, and I find Orleans to be more interesting than here. Man, Disneyland is so expensive and the museums are good-for nothing here.
+Sean Flaharty I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I'm a huge fan of your videos. Lots of very high-quality footage of rides and parks that are no longer around.
Well... Here we are 10 years later! So sad to see the park has not been rebuilt or reopened but we can just hope that one day someone will come and rebuild and reopen it to the public!
+RampagingRex Productions awesome job man hah i just seen a couple pics of the abandon park, then after some mindless searching, i came across this, good work!
Although I've never been to Louisiana to visit Six Flags New Orleans, but I very much love theme parks and this video was the most spectacular video of the memories of Six Flags New Orleans I have ever seen. I loved it. Very informative and breathtaking. Thank you.
Thank you so much, everyone. The amount of attention and positive feedback that this video has received is just incredible. I know I made a few slip-ups in my research, such as how the Zydeco Scream came from Spain, not France, but I am beyond happy that you've all enjoyed it. Let's hope that the Paidia Company can secure the property that the park sits on and bring it back to life in the near future. Oh, and I'll make sure I pronounce "Zydeco" the right way if I ever do a follow-up video to this!
As on now May of 2019 the park is still abandoned all plans have fallen through and no new proposals have been submitted thank you for making this video it really brought back memories for me from my teenage years it is really missed
Who would insure it ? who would lend the money to rebuild ? The location is horrible. Nobody wants to bring their family to an area with that much crime and violence. This park was never profitable, even before Katrina. Locals can't support anything like this and certainly couldn't support the mall idea.
This is a great video. I have been interested in this since 2005 and even tried to do my own exploration of the abandoned park a few years back, but a film crew stopped me. Nice work on this. I hope the park can come back - Six Flags or not.
Nah i was born in 87 thats old hunny. I worked ay six flags on opening day! I went to high school down the street..my friends and future husband worked together. Katrina ruined everything..i had just made 18!
Thank you so much for uploading this ! I'm a New Orleans native and enjoyed watching every min of it. Brings back so many awesome memories of my childhood. Peace and love. 👍🏼
Dude I live in New Orleans and it brings tears to my eyes whenever I pass by here I was one month away from turning 5 when Katrina hit I remember that storm to this day I went to six flags the week before it closed I still remember those memories plz plz plz somebody reopen jazzland I want do relive my childhood
Please make one for Kentucky Kingdom! The park just reopen last year by Six Flags leaving after 2009 season and the once owner of the 90's came back and reopen his kingdom once again!
I’m from Louisiana and six flags New Orleans was an awesome theme park and this is where I learned I loved roller coasters and the mega zeph was my absolute favorite ride. Six flags/ jazz land will always be part of my childhood. My love for rollercoasters came from jazz land/six flags New Orleans and i really wish that somehow they would rebuild the park and build some levees so that it wouldn’t flood again. Praying that one day the abandoned amusement park will one day be rebuilt
Tbh this makes me sad I don't live in New Orleans but I feel really bad because a lot of people died and a lot o people want it back but it's just gonna sit their and rot I hope they rebuild it for the people of new orleans
Great video!! Loved Jazzland and Six Flags New Orleans. Great times, now I got to take photos of the abandoned park. And I even remember riding the original Zephyr RollerCoaster! Pontchatrain Beach was a must every summer!
My parents wanted to take their kid to six flags (because they didn’t have any kids because I wasn’t born yet) when I was about 10 (a year ago) she told me she wanted to take me to New Orleans but they were still trying to rebuild their lives. Makes me so sad💔
The mega zeph is still standing..named after our baseball stadium Zephyr Field Stadium. I haf a season pass to Jazzland every year and worked at Six Flags.
I think it is very unlikely that this park will open since hurricane ida is hitting Louisiana again 16 years later after Katrina, This park has been through so much pain
Living in the area from 2003 - 2007 I can say the park had left an impact for me even if I was only a kid. I'm super hopeful that Paidia Company will get this park up and running soon. They said May could be the final decision. I'm anxious to see what becomes of it.
This has made me so sad and devastated! I'm originally from New Orleans and also was able to escape from Hurricane Katrina with my parents. We have been living in Atlanta ever since Katrina's destruction and my mom has no plans to return to New Orleans anytime soon. I only went to Six Flags New Orleans once when I was 3 years old and it was pretty fun riding most of the children's rides, although now I would've loved to ride Batman or other thrill rides now that I'm 18. I would LOVE for Six Flags to possibly reopen this park or perhaps build a similar theme park in the Louisiana area since Carousel Gardens and Blue Bayou are old and in need of repairs!
The park was a victim of extremely bad timing. Had it opened 15 years earlier even a Hurricane the size of Katrina might not have scared away Six Flags, but to have so much of its investment destroyed so early in its lease probably made the risk look ridiculous. Although the damage to the region was so substantial that the organization probably projected even greater losses due to the regional economy’s depressed population and economy. I’d like to think that Katrina was a 100 year storm perhaps even a 200 year storm, but if you look at where it’s other parks are located, this was clearly one of its most exposed locations at the time of the storm. Also, W’s mishandling of the aftermath probably didn’t help.
W's handling ? You sound like a brainwashed leftist , is this what your media told you ? This park was built in a crime infested area , to far away from other New Orleans attractions. No one wants to go to an area with crime and violence , or take their families there to spend money . This park was never profitable, even before Katrina. I know that probably doesn't mean a lot to a leftist, but the locals couldn't support anything like this. The location was horrible. Period
Wish I could’ve been there to see jazzland. It seemed like an amazing park at the time. If it weren’t because of Katrina, it’s possible that Six Flags New Orleans would still be around and the water park expansion would be there. R.I.P Jazzland 2000 - 2005 😢😢😢😢
![Six Flags AstroWorld: A Cyclone of Thrills [PART 1]](/img/n.gif)
Looking back on this video almost four years later, I know I made a lot of mistakes. I mispronounced Zydeco and I'll agree with most of you that the intro is way too long. I don't know what I was thinking, and don't get me started on my obvious lack of a microphone pop filter. Still though, this was a starting point for the rest of my amusement park documentaries, and I hope you all can look past the errors I made in this video because I still consider it a comprehensive history of SFNO. Thanks for sticking with me all these years, everyone.
RampagingRex Productions it’s an awesome video and now I know Sasquatch is in our six flags! Pretty cool!!
RampagingRex Productions wow thx for this information... I live somewhat close to this area and have been wondering what the future, if any, was in store for this abandoned park. What a tragic event Katrina was! Thx so much for this post. You answered a lot of questions I had. Godspeed
You will be okay, you'll get it. We must learn to crawl before we walk... and I think people that don't understand that are thick. Have fun!
Think nothing of it. Your video had me interested the entire time.
agreed make a new one
To be honest, this park was in a downward spiral before Katrina...the storm finished it off....I worked there the summer before Katrina, and besides Saturdays, the park was so empty they had to send employees home often.
Really, wow! I don't remember it being that empty. I guess the zoo and aquarium were cheaper and closer.
Do you have any other memories of the park?
Was another Pontchartrain Beach in the making. New Orleans just never was the city for such a thing, sadly. Everyone just wanted to go to Florida or Mobile or Cancun.
Blame Six Flags. They bought small amusement parks, overbuilt them, loss money over several years, and then either sell off the park or shut it down. Screw Six Flags
Six flags Atlanta is better anyway..
I always get sad for some reason when I see abandoned landmarks that were well known before. Besides that, great video. Very well detailed!
Six Flags plans a water park
Nature: all the park is a water park now
I feel bad for laughing
My father owns an electrical company thats with the city. We've been in the park and its beyond repair. All the systems are shot, the concrete buildings are the only things somewhat worth anything.
Cant they just bulldoze it and start from scratch
Until the next super-hurricane runs through it again? A risky investment for anyone
I'm confused can't be just demolish and start scratch??
Why would any company with any intelligence build a theme park below sea level? Dumb dumb dumb!!
@@jimroscovius you are correct, partially. Who would insure it ? who would lend the capital ? Katrina didn't kill this park, it was the location. This park was never profitable, even before Katrina. People didn't want to go to this location because of the crime and violence Locals couldn't or wouldn't support this park. When local youths took over the park , jumping turn styles to rides and causing problems all over the park, it was doomed and attendance never reached expectations . Nobody wanted to go to this area after just one visit.
The fact that this guy is still in his comments 6 years later is iconic, I've been looping this vid for whenever I'm studying since 2018 thank you for this blessing man
I'm glad you've enjoyed it! I just did a commentary video of this documentary if you're interested. Working on a new one about a different park too!
@@RampagingRex 8:12 what is this song?
@@rowdyruffboy120hi
Exactly ten years ago today, August 21, 2005, was the final day that Six Flags New Orleans was open to the public.
Very sad to see. I remember having season passes there. i cannot believe it has been 10 years. Wow :/
+RampagingRex Productions No its 3650 days!!! *snort* no jk thats actually pretty cool to know!
what about fright fest?
+RampagingRex Productions Thank you for the video. And by the way, what are these music?
so six flags is jazzland?
The city needs to get off its ass and bring this park back
Chris Treadaway they were still trying to recover from a major hurricane that destroyed most homes in the city, now that most everything is repaired I hope they’ll try to revamp it
Seems like every time someone bids on it, it goes wrong.
We would have loved that but there was so much electrical damage that many rides were beyond repair. As of now it’s just another abandoned theme park 😢
The problem is it's in New Orleans east. Terrible neighborhood
true but who bout to do that with all them alligators and shit 😂😂😂😂
Man, this place would fit perfectly in some sort of horror film.
Zombieland 3
Actually it was in fact used for Jurassic World
Well unfortunately it was in Percy Jackson:Sea of Monsters
So it probably won’t ever be used in a movie
Amy Y it was
Paintball Field... if you didn't have Karen's kids & ambulance chasing lawyers
As a theme park fanatic, this makes my heart hurt. Obviously, Katrina was a tragedy all around and I don't mean to belittle that, but amusement parks strike a particular nerve with me and really hit close to home.
Now, the flip side of that coin, who knows how long the park would have lasted even if Katrina hadn't struck. SIX was going through some major financial trouble right at that time, and went bankrupt a few years later. They downsized dramatically in the following years. Being one of the less profitable parks, SFNO would have surely not lasted, at least not as a Six Flags park.
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abandoned by omér
True but they Held through it, Great America by me wasn't affected aside from price hikes. Had katrina not destroyed the park, at worst it could have been sold off and at least still open. Funny think about Amusement parks, you build it, they will come.
It might have suffered the same fate as Astroworld.
JCBro2014 but Astroworld had a better fate, at least it didn’t get demolished by a hurricane
@@richardbagley3139 no it was demolished by Six Flags to make money by selling the land even though they only got half of what they estimated
The abandoned amusement park scene of Percy Jackson & The Sea Of Monsters all makes sense now! 😨
i rember going to this six flags as a kid before katrina it was hot af that day i threw up the hot dogg i ate
Lol
How was Katrina? Not being irrogant or anything just asking?
A sad falcons Fan terrible, my house had like 6 ft of mud in it, and I had someone’s house in my front yard. Wasn’t a fun experience
Isabella Degueyter sorry about that man.
Nelson Charles I was going to eat a hotdog before reading this thanks
i’ve ridden sasquatch so many times and i didn’t know it was relocated from new orleans. that’s actually so cool knowing they were able to be salvaged into a ride i love
2019 now. I don't think it's ever going to come back. I just wonder if it will finally be torn down one day. This park has become so iconic.
What’s crazy is movie directors said the lights still turned on for the rides too
We drove by this 1 year after it happened and it was so sad. Completely destroyed and abandoned.
Coaster Craft how is it now in 2018
truthseeker89 for life As of now, nothing is happening with it. It's still abandoned and in extremely poor condition. I may be wrong but I hear New Orleans still hasn't fully recovered from Katrina.
Dionna Kemp no we haven’t. Still recovering
Lakeith & Tionna wow
Kemp Fine Art it’s not abandoned now and they are fixing the rides
Six flags new Orleans :exists
Hurricane katrina: I'm about to end this theme park's whole career
I went there spring 2005 for my Senior school trip.. gosh the memories I had.. sucks I didn't take any pictures.. I was having too much fun and rode that Batman ride countless times!
13:21 "Finally Six Flags removed their giant lighted sign from the park, indicating their plans to never return" 😔
Dark clouds saying "The End"!
You guys should See how it looks abandoned, go see Jason lanier's video on it when it's abandoned, it's pretty sad.
***** yes I know! Which is why I love it 😂
Sashalicious glad you like it. Thanks for sharing!
+Jason Lanier love the video, seems so sad that's what happened to the beautiful park
Themoshimonsterstiger thank you! Yes it is so sad what's happened to the park..
Jason Lanier yeah no problem!
I miss this park. My family had season passes the whole time it was open, up til Katrina hit. I do hope New Orleans gets their act together and allows this company to revamp the park and reopen it
This video made me cry man. I remember going to jazzland and six flags as a child. It was the field trip you didn't wanna miss during school and at summer camp. It hurts that a part of my childhood is gone and looks so terrible. Driving pass it on the highway you'd never know it was that bad
I’m so sorry
Was it a good childhood
Closed for Storm is a great documentary that shows the rise and fall of the park in great detail. This channel is brilliant as well. Very interesting and informative. 👍👍
I think the park struggled before Katrina for several reasons. 1) It offered family entertainment whereas New Orleans is not a family entertainment town. 2) It was way off the beaten, tourist path, and on the opposite side of town from the airport. 3) New Orleans is full of poor people who don't have the money to frequent theme parks. The wealthy of New Orleans live in the center and west of the city, and they don't like going to N.O. east. 4) It's just too freakin' hot and humid in the summer to engage in extended, outdoor activity. 5) I'm sure the city was extorting the park in some way. They do that to any outside company with deep pockets. Trump tried to build a hotel/casino there, but he walked away in disgust.
He walked away because no one wants to do business with a failure.
Trump is a pos
@@isaaccutlip5815 Especially a failure who expects to be bribed. :-p
There were also plans to add a waterpark during the 2005 offseason, which was sorely needed. But Katrina had other plans.
And in terms of Six Flags-type park revenue, this park was never going to be a success. But in terms of a family theme park-type revenue, this park was a success.
Even had Katrina not happened, Six Flags was going to cut bait anyway as they were heading towards bankruptcy.. And the park probably could have been repurposed under a re-invented Jazzland-type name.
Gotta agree with everything cept the New Orleans is not a family town part. People just only think of Bourbon St. When they come here but we have so much more!
Back here again somehow, and every time it just takes me back. Starting school, sitting in Science class, learning about the oncoming hurricane. Just everything. We were so sure it would be a small storm until they said it was above a Category 3, heading for Mississippi and Lousiana... and all hell broke loose trying to get out of the states.
This turned out really well, Jonathan. Wonderful script, and excellent use of footage. I really hope that Jazzland will re-open one day.
They'd have to build it from scratch.
B JC good.
The nostalgia I felt watching this video.. I was a kid when this park was operating and went countless times. I think of it often and get sad any time I come across a video about it. I would have had season passes if it was still open once I became an adult. It's crazy that the park is still there with the rides. I always hold out hope that one day they'll reopen a theme park there, although I know it's highly unlikely.
This young man did a very good job on telling us about what happened to the Six Flags history. Thank you, well done video, you show and tell how tragic this was for all those people in New Orleans. It’s a very sad story.
I don’t know what is sadder this closing or geuga lake closing.
Fury 325 This
I’ve never been to New Orleans but it does hit close to home for me because I grew up going to Geauga Lake/Six Flags in Ohio. It’s sad to see an amusement park left abandoned.
Reminds me of all those Japanese theme parks that were abandoned in the 1980's after their economy tanked. Which reminds me, you never did mention that Joker's Jukebox was repurposed from a Japanese theme park, or that it killed a grandmother.
Oh my gosh that story was all over the news. when it happen and that was on of my fav rides besides cat woman's whip.
Batman was also repurposed from a Japanese theme park. It killed a grandmother?
@@DannytheTourist IIRC Joker's Jukebox had an electrical malfunction that shocked an elderly woman and caused her heart to stop? Though I might be wrong, and confusing my accidents.
Edit: I was wrong. Here is an excerpt from a Wiki Page full of incidents relating to Six Flags Parks: "On July 10, 2003, a 52-year-old grandmother was strapping her 4-year-old grandson in when the ride started up. She later died at Lakeland Hospital from blunt-force internal injuries after being struck by a ride vehicle.[112] The park added mirrors to the ride for ride operators to view around the blind spot where the accident occurred, and then introduced a safety announcement which notified the guests that the ride was about to start."
Thanks for taking the time to share something positive, unique, & special about my hometown! If it wasn't for brave & thoughtful people like you, SFNO would be long forgotten about by now. :-)
Biloxi13 SFNO really is an incredible site, and I don't think it ever will truly be forgotten. Besides, the more well-known the park becomes, the greater the chances of it re-opening one day!
I completely agree! Keep up the great work! Thanks again for making this movie, it is one of my most favorites now!❤️
@@nateberkes5458 ha, how did that go.
Left a tear in my ear of so many memories of this park. Great documentary. Thank you. I remember my dad taking me to Jazzland when it opened. R.I.P Harvey
300,000 views. Wow. I never thought this video would get this popular. Thank you to everyone who watched this for not only supporting the legacy of Six Flags New Orleans, but my channel as well. The timing of this is great because my next documentary-style video is coming very soon: Geauga Lake: Worlds Once Adventured! I hope you all look forward to it.
cringe intro
When Are You doing six flags astroworld
You are as impressive at creating documentaries as Six Flags is at world-class theme parks. Very enjoyable. Excellent choice for music as well.
They are WOW I can't wait till it opens next year or the year after
hope they reopen jazz land
This makes me sad. The devastation new Orleans went through was unbelievable. It goes to show that we should be thankful for all the things we have... even our theme parks. Great documentary!
6 years have passed since this video, which was one of the first I saw in English and it taught me more of that language because I am Mexican and did not know English, you should make a new version of this video with everything that has happened with the park in the last 6 years, greetings from Mexico
It opened the day I was born. Im proud to share a birthday with this amazing abandoned theme park. I hope someone buys and restores it. But even for the moment, its amazing to explore (or watch others explore) and is a piece of art in a way
Thank you sooo much for this! I am a New Orleans native and visited SFNO when it was Jazzland and Rebranded as Six Flags New Orleans. I didn't know much of the origins and a lot of what happened afterward like it being a film location. So thanks for bridging that gap for me. I loved that place and only got to visit 3 times out of it's 6 year existence and planned to go more often as I matured into a Freshmen in High School, but we all know the story.. I do want to add that another experience Jazzland/SFNO was known for was it's Haunted Swamp it had for October! NO other theme park could pull off that experience of literally veering off a dirt path from the Theme Park into the Haunted Swamp Tour with people really chasing after you and jump scaring you in the process! Again thank you for this in-depth look into a very important piece of history in my life! :)
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! In the years since this video was made, I've still been following and researching this park, and I've only found a small number of photos from the park's Halloween events. Most of them are of the park's entryway and main areas, but I've seen nothing about the haunted swamp. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Jazzland theme said I,am go to fixed jocco is next new ride is back evebody Jocco is come soon
Imagine they fix it up and call it "JazzFlags" for what it was before katrina
I was shocked to learn that the launch towers were brought up to the Great Escape only an hour from my home. When I heard that, it created one of the most eerie connections I’ve ever felt. Knowing something was recovered from such a disaster. Any time I pass that park I will look at the towers by the road and think about their past!
This was a great video! Didn't know this happened when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans.
Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Wow. Great narrative on Six Flags New Orleans! I feel fortunate that I was able to get on most of these rides the previous year to Hurricane Katrina. I rode the Jester, the Mega Zeph and the Batman ride, and the Big Easy just to name a few. It saddens me what eventually happened to the park but maybe someday they can get Jazzland started again. Best wishes! 👍
Dude... .this is Film Festival worthy. Start A Kickstarter page to see if you can get additional funds for interviews with city staff. You Already Have a good voice. And it's already festival worthy. Just expand with interviews, And show show show.
You may be their hope.
Derek Mckean I Agree wholeheartedly do it rampaging rex. also rex if you want another documentary idea do a detailed on lake piegneur falling into the salt dome google "oil well falls in salt dome" on jefferson island.
I wish you the best
walt
you sure love telling people how to live their lifes
Derek Mckean agreed
Derek Mckean u
No it's not lol. Lol. 😂
Excellent documentary and much needed for those that didn't know the full story! There are some awesome urban exploration videos of the park out there but hardly any documentaries such as this one. Very well researched, edited and put together! Thanks for sharing this with the world.
I wish there was volunteer group that could bring Jazzland back to life. I would love to help.
Six flags helped out big time, before that the heat was tough. The location was the best they could do with what we had. It's about 20 miles away from downtown and the French quarter. There isn't much out there but apartments , houses and swampland.
I think it's admirable what they did to upgrade the park, but they were stuck with a location that was less than ideal.
The whole problem was the location. Too far from other NO attractions. In a crime infested area with lots of violence. People don't want to bring their families and spend money in an area like that. This park was never profitable, ever .
Coming back to this video for about the sixth time. It still makes me sad thinking of what could have been if Six Flags could have rebuilt or Hurricane Katrina hadn’t happened. And the fact that it just sits there slowly dying when it could be either gone for good or back in business hurts more than anything.
It is so sad of all the human hours and money for a theme park sits abandoned and left to rot and it looks spooky and six flags is just a huge corporation where jazz land was a independent company hopefully they can revive this park as I want to see it in the future.
Although Six Flags New Orleans did relatively well during his brief heyday, it was one of the least profitable parks that Six Flags owned. A big reason for that was it's location. It was built on the far east side of the city on cheap swampy land and a good distance from the city's main tourist attractions. It wasn't the safest area of town either. The park would've been more profitable and could've possibly even been rebuilt and reopened had it been located on the West Bank or in Metairie. This is a good example of how going setting up a big attraction or business on cheap, isolated land usually isn't a good idea.
McIntosh1581 imo they should bulldoze all the buildings on the Ponchatrain Beach site and rebuild there.
If you know anything about the geography , your literally building on water
I lived 5-15 minutes away and had season tickets I used all the time. I met people and led tours lol they thought I worked there but I was just always there. I loved it
It worked for Magic Mountain - back in the day Valencia was the boonies. It is still quite a haul from LA though it does have I5 running next door.
Thanks for this video - it was very well done and brought back a lot of good memories of the gulf coast prior to that hurricane season. I did not realize how much damage the park endured and just chalked up the closure to big business “bean counting”. Now, as a construction project manager, I can only think it was no surprise that the park’s restoration was simply beyond the owner’s means. Even a corporation as big as Six Flags could not have saved it.
You forgot One park that was open back in 1989 and 1999. Blue Bayou/Dixie Landin' Water/Theme Park which is in Baton Rouge. This is now the only major Park open in Louisiana
Yep so true it's close to me in piarravile
Love Blue Bayou
Every time I pass it omw to New Orleans I have the hugest urge to go explore it, Katrina was so disastrous. It’s so cool seeing the rollercoasters peaking out through the trees.
It looks incredible, but security still patrols the park. There's also wildlife on the property so there's a lot you'll need to be careful about.
@@RampagingRex oh yea ik, but i feel its worth the risks, i mean the pictures i could take, lol. And yea louisiana's wildlife is crazy and so precious at the same time.
@@RampagingRex unless your jake that did a documentary you’re most likely not gonna go there legally
They just announced that the park will start demolition in September 2024
I went to New Orleans for the first time a few months before Katrina. And we went to six flags. Crazy to think what happened. Wish I could walk through the park
Thank you for the very informative video while being extremely respectful of New Orleans heritage. I miss this park so much. The Zephyr or Mega Zeph was one of the best wooden roller coasters I’ve ever been on. I remember when Six Flags took over, they did an amazing job. We used to go there as much as we could cuz we knew attendance wasn’t all that great. That was supposed to be the original Disney World in Orlando, but Walt couldn’t get a deal done with Louisiana politicians. Knowing that it sucks cuz we finally get good theme park and couldn’t keep it open. Now all it’s used for is for movies and ppl to break into.
This is what I call a documentary
Came here from Bright Sun Films and I loved this! I like how professional and detailed it is. Subscribed, can't wait for more content!
Thank you very much! My next documentary video is going to be about Six Flags AstroWorld. I promise it will be worth the wait!
RampagingRex Productions I honestly don't know much about that place, can't wait to learn about it!
My heart dropped at 10:26 when he said this park seriously competed with Houston's Six flags Astroworld. Ive lived in Houston my whole life and a large chunk of my memory is saved at Astroworld. Its so very sad that neither this nor my park exist anymore. :(
this video makes me both happy and sad. this park was a huge part of my childhood and a really big reason i love Disney World to this day. not to mention i had forgotten what exactly was in Jazz Land. hit with a lot of memories and nostalgia there.
The spongebob ride was my jam.
Erin P. SAMEEEE
It ain’t meant to have a park there in that spot. It’s just never going to work
Living in Louisiana... amusement parks are so far away. It makes me so sad.
Thats sad that they choose to leave Jazzland like that . We have NOTHING to do down here . Because Katrina took everything from us . They need to bring back SFNO ( Jazzland ) give us some fun down here .
+Cody Clark I'm from California, and I find Orleans to be more interesting than here. Man, Disneyland is so expensive and the museums are good-for nothing here.
please do
What about jazz fest?
Jjjj Llll we want rollercoasters
At least we still have Blue Bayou in Baton Rouge.
Cool video! Thanks for the video credit!
+Sean Flaharty
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I'm a huge fan of your videos. Lots of very high-quality footage of rides and parks that are no longer around.
Well... Here we are 10 years later! So sad to see the park has not been rebuilt or reopened but we can just hope that one day someone will come and rebuild and reopen it to the public!
100,000 views?! Thanks so much, everyone!!
+RampagingRex Productions awesome job man hah i just seen a couple pics of the abandon park, then after some mindless searching, i came across this, good work!
Although I've never been to Louisiana to visit Six Flags New Orleans, but I very much love theme parks and this video was the most spectacular video of the memories of Six Flags New Orleans I have ever seen. I loved it. Very informative and breathtaking. Thank you.
Thank you so much, everyone. The amount of attention and positive feedback that this video has received is just incredible. I know I made a few slip-ups in my research, such as how the Zydeco Scream came from Spain, not France, but I am beyond happy that you've all enjoyed it. Let's hope that the Paidia Company can secure the property that the park sits on and bring it back to life in the near future.
Oh, and I'll make sure I pronounce "Zydeco" the right way if I ever do a follow-up video to this!
Hey I really like you're video! Have u ever been to Six Flags New Orleans?
This is a great video regardless! Loved it. Good job.
this video is incredible. very well done.
this video is incredible. very well done.
Hey did the zydeco scream come from the park in Benidorm
As on now May of 2019 the park is still abandoned all plans have fallen through and no new proposals have been submitted thank you for making this video it really brought back memories for me from my teenage years it is really missed
I tried to end this video on an optimistic note, but now it seems like nothing will ever become of SFNO.
I still miss it too. Sadly I only got to go when it was Jazzland and I was too scared to do too many rides.
Who would insure it ? who would lend the money to rebuild ? The location is horrible. Nobody wants to bring their family to an area with that much crime and violence. This park was never profitable, even before Katrina. Locals can't support anything like this and certainly couldn't support the mall idea.
sirhogin1 Which part of the city would better suit it, if New Orleans ever decide to rebuild it?
@@sirhogin1 which is why they should just demolish it
that's my luck. the only state I live in has absolutely no amusment parks lololol
Kityena What State?
What about Blue Bayou. If you're from Louisiana anyway
Kityena same here but I live close to cedar pointe couple hrs away
This is a great video. I have been interested in this since 2005 and even tried to do my own exploration of the abandoned park a few years back, but a film crew stopped me. Nice work on this. I hope the park can come back - Six Flags or not.
All these people saying that they were kids in the early 2000s and are now adults make me feel old. I was born in 2002.
...
I was born 2004 lol
Victor Cornejo same!
I was 15 when katrina hit
Nah i was born in 87 thats old hunny. I worked ay six flags on opening day! I went to high school down the street..my friends and future husband worked together. Katrina ruined everything..i had just made 18!
Thank you so much for uploading this ! I'm a New Orleans native and enjoyed watching every min of it.
Brings back so many awesome memories of my childhood.
Peace and love. 👍🏼
Wow. I was not expecting to hear Knuckles Chaotix when I clicked on this. Liked.
Dude I live in New Orleans and it brings tears to my eyes whenever I pass by here I was one month away from turning 5 when Katrina hit I remember that storm to this day I went to six flags the week before it closed I still remember those memories plz plz plz somebody reopen jazzland I want do relive my childhood
i hope the rebuild it. its just sad to see a nice theampark sit and be destroyed. :'(
There need to be a remake of this documentary!
Please make one for Kentucky Kingdom! The park just reopen last year by Six Flags leaving after 2009 season and the once owner of the 90's came back and reopen his kingdom once again!
Six Flags jazzland needs to come back but it needs to be hurricane proof.
So sad that it happened. Hate to see abandoned parks
I’m from Louisiana and six flags New Orleans was an awesome theme park and this is where I learned I loved roller coasters and the mega zeph was my absolute favorite ride. Six flags/ jazz land will always be part of my childhood. My love for rollercoasters came from jazz land/six flags New Orleans and i really wish that somehow they would rebuild the park and build some levees so that it wouldn’t flood again. Praying that one day the abandoned amusement park will one day be rebuilt
Tbh this makes me sad I don't live in New Orleans but I feel really bad because a lot of people died and a lot o people want it back but it's just gonna sit their and rot I hope they rebuild it for the people of new orleans
I'm sorry....the "Zoo-deck-ko" scream SENT me. 😂😂😂
It's "Zy-di-coh" my guy. Awesome video.
Katrina struck on my 10th birthday...
Oh my god dude
Also, on mine.40th.
It struck a month before my 3 birthday 😖 but I'm from Ireland and I'll always remember watching it on the news 😞
Struck more than a month after I was born.. Man, 2005 was both a lucky and unlucky year.
I was only 4 years old, but I still remember it vividly
This is my fav video to watch on a rainy day
"Proper People" brought me here.
Great video!! Loved Jazzland and Six Flags New Orleans. Great times, now I got to take photos of the abandoned park. And I even remember riding the original Zephyr RollerCoaster! Pontchatrain Beach was a must every summer!
This was such a great park, I had season passes prior to Katrina
My parents wanted to take their kid to six flags (because they didn’t have any kids because I wasn’t born yet) when I was about 10 (a year ago) she told me she wanted to take me to New Orleans but they were still trying to rebuild their lives. Makes me so sad💔
Nice video. Liked the part at the end too :)
5 years after this was uploaded new orleans still hasnt fully recovered and the park is still at a standstill
Yano pass by it everyday
@@nolaadat4615 Have you ever visited it, either opened or abandoned?
@@owivictin4878 I wish I can go but, it’s closed and cars and security block it. And I’m also kinda of scared of the alligators and snakes lol.
The mega zeph is still standing..named after our baseball stadium Zephyr Field Stadium. I haf a season pass to Jazzland every year and worked at Six Flags.
I think it is very unlikely that this park will open since hurricane ida is hitting Louisiana again 16 years later after Katrina, This park has been through so much pain
Could Ida completely destroy the park for good if a flood happen again?
at this point maybe its best to just demolish the rest of this park it cant be saved
I have seen this video so many times I don't know why I keep enjoying it
same here
Living in the area from 2003 - 2007 I can say the park had left an impact for me even if I was only a kid. I'm super hopeful that Paidia Company will get this park up and running soon. They said May could be the final decision. I'm anxious to see what becomes of it.
Been there a few times since its been abandoned. It’s insane
This has made me so sad and devastated! I'm originally from New Orleans and also was able to escape from Hurricane Katrina with my parents. We have been living in Atlanta ever since Katrina's destruction and my mom has no plans to return to New Orleans anytime soon. I only went to Six Flags New Orleans once when I was 3 years old and it was pretty fun riding most of the children's rides, although now I would've loved to ride Batman or other thrill rides now that I'm 18. I would LOVE for Six Flags to possibly reopen this park or perhaps build a similar theme park in the Louisiana area since Carousel Gardens and Blue Bayou are old and in need of repairs!
Bet they were kicking themselves for selling Geauga Lake instead of this park.
The park was a victim of extremely bad timing. Had it opened 15 years earlier even a Hurricane the size of Katrina might not have scared away Six Flags, but to have so much of its investment destroyed so early in its lease probably made the risk look ridiculous.
Although the damage to the region was so substantial that the organization probably projected even greater losses due to the regional economy’s depressed population and economy.
I’d like to think that Katrina was a 100 year storm perhaps even a 200 year storm, but if you look at where it’s other parks are located, this was clearly one of its most exposed locations at the time of the storm.
Also, W’s mishandling of the aftermath probably didn’t help.
Who's W?
W's handling ? You sound like a brainwashed leftist , is this what your media told you ? This park was built in a crime infested area , to far away from other New Orleans attractions. No one wants to go to an area with crime and violence , or take their families there to spend money . This park was never profitable, even before Katrina. I know that probably doesn't mean a lot to a leftist, but the locals couldn't support anything like this. The location was horrible. Period
Six Flags New Orleans is the Rolling Acres Mall of theme parks.
Or would Dixie Square be more accurate?
Wish I could’ve been there to see jazzland. It seemed like an amazing park at the time. If it weren’t because of Katrina, it’s possible that Six Flags New Orleans would still be around and the water park expansion would be there. R.I.P Jazzland 2000 - 2005 😢😢😢😢