About 100 years ago, this was a bustling amusement park, but today it's in ruins.

Abandoned Places

I think something is fascinating about abandoned places. Seeing something manmade being reclaimed by nature is a stark reminder that nothing lasts forever.  Many abandoned places you can only visit in photographs, but this once busy amusement park is now a part of a trail you can hike inside of an Indiana State Park.  Allow me to tell you about Rose Island.

Rose Island Amusement Park

Inside some unassuming woods in Southern Indiana is the ruins of what was once a premier vacation destination.  Rose Island was a popular amusement park, but it was more than just rides.  Rose Island also had a zoo, swimming pool, cottages, and more.  According to VisitIndiana.com the land where abandoned Rose Island sits today was purchased in 1923 by a businessman named David Rose (not to be confused with David Rose of Schitt's Creek).

A Once Popular Destination

When Rose Island opened, it was a hit with locals, and people would travel from all over to visit. What made Rose Island especially unique was that people could travel to the park by car or boat. Unfortunately, a flood and the Great Depression took their toll on the park.

According to Visit Indiana, once the Great Depression hit, guests slowly stopped visiting the amusement park.  Then, in 1937, Rose Island's final blow happened when a massive flood devastated the area.

You Can Hike to Rose Island and Explore it In Pperson

What makes this particular abandoned location especially interesting is that 100 years later, you can still explore the ruins of the park.  What's left of Rose Island is now a part of Charlestown State Park, and if you want to see Rose Island in person, you can! Take Trail 7, and it will wind you through the woods to what remains of Rose Island.

Indiana DNR says that the Rose Island Loop is about .9 miles long.  They say it's relatively easy to reach Rose Island, and if you need ADA assistance, you can arrange transportation to the Rose Island Loop Trail. You can check out the trail and more information here.