# Touristy things you went to that don't exist any more **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 14, 2026, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073 "2026-05-14T17:32:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/141 "2026-05-15T17:31:23Z")
That may have been Storytown, which was a fairytale-themed amusement park in Lake George, NY. It opened in 1954. In 1983 it was renamed The Great Escape. Six Flags bought the park in 1996. They’re still operating the park, now Six Flags Great Escape, on the site of the original Storytown, with some of the original attractions still around. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/142 "2026-05-15T17:51:25Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > Wild West City in Netcong, NJ is also inexplicably still in business. How is that possible? We lived in the area for almost a decade and never met anybody who had been there. Also went to the World Trade Center, back in the early 80s. The wax museum in Victoria closed in 2010 - another place I visited many times in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/143 "2026-05-15T18:26:28Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Oh yeah, there was a crappy little amusement park on I-5 between Eugene and Portland called the Enchanted Forest. Even as a child I found it distinctly underwhelming, There was an Enchanted Forest west of Baltimore in Ellicott City, Maryland, that was storybook-themed: Mother Goose, Cinderella’s Castle, the houses of the three bears, etc. It was aimed at little kids, and I loved it back in the mid-1970s. It lasted into the 1990s, and apparently many of the structures have since been moved to Clark’s Elioak Farm, an historic farm and petting zoo nearby. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/144 "2026-05-15T18:30:58Z")
Still there. [Enchanted Forest|Oregon|Official Site-https://www.enchantedforest.com](https://www.enchantedforest.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/145 "2026-05-15T18:32:36Z")
😮 I just assumed it must have fallen down by now, it looked pretty ramshackle in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/146 "2026-05-15T18:43:04Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > > [@Thumper668](#): > > > > Wild West City in Netcong, NJ is also inexplicably still in business. > > How is that possible? We lived in the area for almost a decade and never met anybody who had been there. I honestly have no idea. I remember going when I was 10 or so and being really disappointed. 30 years later my sister and I decided it would be funny to take our kids for a laugh. It was more nostalgia than I thought it would be because the exact same creepy guy was playing the train robber. That was 15 years ago. I’m betting that if he’s still alive, he’s still robbing trains every weekend. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/147 "2026-05-15T19:10:14Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’d completely forgotten about Vegas as one big Tourist Trap. The Luxor originally had some very cool attractions, with the Nile River boat ride among the best. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/148 "2026-05-15T19:15:30Z")
> **[Roadside America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadside_America)** > > Roadside America was an indoor miniature village and railway covering 8,000 square feet (740 m2). Created by Laurence Gieringer in 1935, it was first displayed to the public in his Hamburg, Pennsylvania, home. The miniature village's popularity increased after stories were published about it in local newspapers, which prompted Gieringer to move it to a recently closed local amusement park called Carsonia Park. This location, which supported more visitors, was open from 1938 to about 1940. To ac... ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/149 "2026-05-15T19:16:40Z")
Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/150 "2026-05-15T19:17:20Z")
Yer too fast for me. I’ve been told my paternal grandfather went there in the ‘40s. From Baltimore. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/151 "2026-05-15T19:28:55Z")
> [@Eureka](#): > > I grew up East of St. Paul, MN. In December, we’d always go downtown to see Dayton’s Christmas show, where they’d make some storybook come to life. I remember “the Polar Express” and Santa Bear in particular. > > It’s possible that’s still a thing, but Dayton’s itself is long gone. They continued on with in in the Minneapolis Dayton’s even when it became Marshall Fields and the Macy’s (up on the 7th floor I believe) until about 10 years ago when Macy’s left. The Santa Bear is still a thing though. The lady who’s family designs and has them made runs a gift shop around 50th & France and she’ll talk your ear off about it if you let her. They sell them at the Christmas market that they open each season on the first floor of the old Dayton’s building. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/152 "2026-05-15T19:36:01Z")
Good to know. I’m glad it isn’t as long gone as I thought it might be. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/153 "2026-05-15T19:41:01Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > I visited Marineland in Saint Augustine in about 1993. I also got to be part of the dolphin show! i got to hold up fish for them to grab. (It was a very low crowd day and I was the first one they asked who said yes.) Marineland is still around and in the town of… Marineland! It is part of St.Augustine proper somehow but about 30 minutes down the coast from St.Augustine. Still doing dolphin shows. > **[Marineland Dolphin Adventure](https://www.marineland.net/)** ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/154 "2026-05-15T19:51:13Z")
Add me to the list of folks who visited Wisconsin Dells before it became water park central. In contrast Bay Beach Amusement park has added a bunch but still has the giant slide. I wonder how many rides I went on at Great America (the one in Gurnee, Il now 6 flags GA) are still there – The Whizzer still is. I remember when Tidal Wave was the new ride (made way for Batman) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/155 "2026-05-15T20:19:05Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Marineland out on Palos Verde peninsula is long, long gone. I preferred Marineland to Sea World. They seemed to treat their animals better, at least it appeared to me the customer so. If I remember right, they had a swim trough aquarium that looked great, but at the time I didn’t think I swam well enough. And for various degrees of “don’t exist”, I nominate the dinosaurs at Cabazon, CA, most notably featured in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. Oh the dinos are still there, but they have been taken over by christian nut jobs that claim dinos as we (science based) understand them never existed. The EAT cafe that was there, where Large Marge dropped Pee Wee off, is long torn down. I liked that place as much as the dinos. I think Universal Studios’ courthouse square burned down. My one and only tour of the place coincided with filming there and I couldn’t see a thing. I didn’t even know what I missed! > [@ricepad](#): > > I’m predicting that it may not be long before it’s a thing of the past Nope, didn’t stop even when Roosevelt Lake was at 15% capacity. That is one of Mesa’s water sources, and it must flow. If the river stopped flowing, we’ll all be in trouble. MGM Grand in Vegas had a mini Disneyland/Busch Gardens-like park with shows and rides. I liked it a lot. I guess there weren’t enough of us likers, as it is long gone. The LA Museum of Science and Industry used to have an annex in the back with additional displays including a nice model railroad illustrating CA agriculture. I thin it was destroyed in an earthquake (The Northridge?) > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I also went to the Automat in NYC when I was a kid. Lucky! So yes, for me, touristy! ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/156 "2026-05-15T20:27:01Z")
One place I was just thinking about was a stately home near where I grew up in the UK: Littlecote. They had all the standard stately home touristy stuff,:tours of the home with lurid ghost stories, English civil war reneacters, Roman legionary reneacters (there was a Roman villa on the site)… and also weirdly a recreation of an American old west town with gunfights. I remember thinking even as a kid this made absolutely no sense at all (though obviously loved every minute of it). It was brought up by a international hotel chain years ago and is now just an extremely upscale hotel ☹ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/157 "2026-05-15T20:32:38Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I preferred Marineland to Sea World. They seemed to treat their animals better, at least it appeared to me the customer so. I had been to Marineland as a young kid (\<8?) a few times before we first went to Seaworld San Diego a year or so after it opened. It seemed to kidly me that Marineland was serious about animals and science and similar stuff while Seaworld was all about cartoons and cuteness & souvenirs. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/158 "2026-05-15T21:40:06Z")
The Mirage in Vegas. Stayed there years ago to see _Love_, it was also the former home of Siegfried & Roy. They had a decent aquarium and a fake volcano. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/159 "2026-05-15T21:42:08Z")
How about the Memphis Pyramid? It was a sports and entertainment complex, now it’s a Bass Pro Shop. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073/160 "2026-05-15T22:19:55Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > We stayed at Circus Circus because it was the cheapest and it is definitely down at the heels. The circus acts under the hard top big tent are long gone and everything is visibly worn. As seen in the Circus Circus elevator some years back; [![](https://img.ifunny.co/images/0ff32b4b80ce10475d2249472d28a5e3cc842abc73a125f7dbca5d78e50f7989_1.jpg) ](https://img.ifunny.co/images/0ff32b4b80ce10475d2249472d28a5e3cc842abc73a125f7dbca5d78e50f7989_1.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touristy-things-you-went-to-that-dont-exist-any-more/1030073.md?page=9)