» Haunting photography series of abandoned theme parks is nostalgic roller coaster

Offbeat 14th March, 2018

By Jack Williams

This haunting photography series is somewhat of a nostalgic roller coaster, as it brings to life abandoned theme parks from all around the world.

Seph Lawless’ series includes the likes of a yellow brick road in North Carolina; a gratified roller coaster in Berlin; and an overgrown dinosaur park in Michigan.

SEPH LAWLESS / CATERS: Dinosaur World, Michigan

The photographer, from Cleveland, Ohio, USA, came up with the idea for the series when working on his initial abandoned location project – a voyage that resulted in a book titled “Autopsy of America: The Death of a Nation.”

SEPH LAWLESS / CATERS: Six Flags, New Orleans

Throught that book – which looked to document the forgotten parts of the United States – Seph, 38, came across a number of deserted theme parks, which were a genre of location, he said, that fascinated him most, along with the likes of asylums and schools.

Continuing his Autopsy of America series, at home and abroad, Seph has traveled to 13 amusement parks in total.

SEPH LAWLESS / CATERS: Disney World, Florida

Theme parks, he said, are “a poignant look at United States,” adding, “America is like a ride at an amusement park. We’ll keep saying our country is great and fun until it stops working.”

SEPH LAWLESS / CATERS: Land of Oz, North Carolina

These images have since been made into a book, “Abandoned: Hauntingly Beautiful Deserted Theme Parks,” which was released in October of 2017.

They are also the type of shot that have gained the most interest on his popular social media channels. [Hyperlinks below – please include where possible.]