Nara Dreamland was a theme park in Japan that opened in 1961 and closed forty-five years later in 2006.
To say the park was inspired by Disneyland would be an understatement. It was more of a cheap knockoff than anything. The amount of flat out thievery that went on here is astonishing. The rides and structures lifted directly from Disneyland include a nearly identical train depot, a big white mountain with skyway cars passing through it, and a castle at the center of the park.
Train Depot at Nara Dreamland
Photo by Theme Park Review
Train Depot at Disneyland
Photo from Wikipedia, released into the public domain by the copyright holder
When Nara Dreamland Was Open
These photos give you an idea of what Nara Dreamland was like in it’s final years. The park was apparently pretty nice in it’s heyday, but it looks pretty sad in these photos. Honestly, it looked abandoned while it was still open.
Abandoned
Nara Dreamland closed nearly six years ago, but the park is still there. The owners have posted warning signs, hired guards and installed barbed wired fences, but none of these have stopped determined photographers from sneaking in and taking some fantastic photos.