# I went and saw Centralia, PA yesterday... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 8, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-centralia-pa-yesterday/484946 "2009-02-08T19:01:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-centralia-pa-yesterday/484946/21 "2009-02-09T16:19:57Z")
> [@TheScogg](#): > > It reminds me of that show on the History channel that speculated on the deterioration of our impact after we were gone (I forget the name; After Man?). [_Life After People_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_After_People) > [@brix11](#): > > And I second WishIHadACoolName…go to Knoebel’s! You won’t regret it. Thirded – we’ve been going to their annual Phall Phun Phest every October for…mmm…11 years now? Always a good time. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-centralia-pa-yesterday/484946/22 "2009-02-09T19:10:22Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > There are also outright lies. One PA UrbEx site has photos posted that are claimed to be an “abandoned amusement park.” It is abandoned only in the sense that there are no customers; the photos are clearly and obviously taken during the off-season. One could take very similar photos at any amusement park in the northeast right now. > Abadonments are fascinating places, but let’s just say that many of the people who investigate them are prone to “embellishing” their stories. There is Jazzland in New Orleans, a rather large abandoned amusement park owned by Six Flags. Anyone know of a site that has pix of it? And Knoebels is awesome, like stepping back in time. Not too many amusement parks feature pierogis, birch beer, and pickles on a stick! ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-centralia-pa-yesterday/484946/23 "2009-02-09T19:14:11Z")
[Jazzland.](http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/abandoned-six-flags-orleans) ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-centralia-pa-yesterday/484946/24 "2009-02-10T01:07:31Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > [Jazzland.](http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/abandoned-six-flags-orleans) Thanks! I’ll be driving by there in a couple of weeks and am tempted to check it out, but with my luck, I’d get busted. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-centralia-pa-yesterday/484946/25 "2009-02-10T01:47:53Z")
Here’re a couple tips to avoid trouble with the law: 1. Trespassing is a minor offense and usually brings you no more than a “get off the property now!” Anyplace youcan just walk right into is unlikely to be a risk of more than trespass. 2. Breaking and Entering is much more serious. If you can’t get in without using tools, you’re unequivocally into B&E. Scaling fences and suchlike is questionable. 3. Taking souveniers (i.e. stealing) and tagging (i.e. vandalizing) make it much more likely you’ll land in shit if the law dogs catch you there. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-centralia-pa-yesterday/484946/26 "2009-02-10T02:04:17Z")
Would wearing a high visibility jacket and rolling a trundle wheel help? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-centralia-pa-yesterday/484946/27 "2009-02-10T02:53:45Z")
Generally looking like you have a legit reason for being there goes a long way toward deflecting unwanted attention. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-centralia-pa-yesterday/484946/28 "2009-02-10T12:37:07Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Generally looking like you have a legit reason for being there goes a long way toward deflecting unwanted attention. So for an abandoned amusement park, would wearing a hockey mask and carrying an axe make me look legit 😃 If you’ve never driven that stretch of I-10, there is nothing in the area but swamp. They literally have overgrown exits that disappear into a swamp. They should have made it a halloween themed park. I think I would draw suspicion just getting off the highway there. Thanks for the advice. I might scope it out and see how secure the place is. If I can just walk in, then maybe… ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-centralia-pa-yesterday/484946/29 "2009-02-10T13:02:12Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > I recently went to a similar place in Azerbaijan. The photo on [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanar_Dag) doesn’t do it justice, but there’s a pretty good [You Tube clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2IJNEIfNVE&feature=related). that is the strangest sight I have seen is a long time. I guess it is better that the gas is burning rather than building up in some hollow to erupt at the first spark-but dang it looks like a B movie. I wonder how many places like that exist on the earth? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-went-and-saw-centralia-pa-yesterday/484946.md?page=1)