Beloved theme park open for 41 years 'now looks like Chernobyl' after being abandoned

Beloved theme park open for 41 years 'now looks like Chernobyl' after being abandonedA theme park loved by British families that opened 50 years ago in 1976 is now a shell of its old self after it was forced to shut following several incidents of anti-social behaviourCommentsNewsLiam McInerney Content Editor 04:00, 12 Apr 2026View 8 ImagesThe Children’s Pleasure Park now looks totally different (Image: The Bearded Explorer/YouTube)A theme park that first opened exactly 50 years ago is now completely abandoned — despite once being a favourite for British families.‌The Children’s Pleasure Park in Southampton was the brainchild of grandparents Donald and Betty Slater, who launched it way back in 1976.‌However, they both died in 2014, and the park, which was given to their two sons, later suffered arson attacks and became a hub for anti-social behaviour.‌It now stands eerily empty having closed in 2017. While many of the beloved 20 attractions remain in place, a lot of the infrastructure is rotting, and much of the space on Golf Course Road in Bassett, Southampton, is completely overgrown with plants.One urban explorer, Colin Smith, who is known online as The Bearded Explorer, took a trip to the once bustling theme park late last year, before documenting what he found.View 8 ImagesThe Bearded Explorer has 262,000 subscribers on YouTube (Image: The Bearded Explorer/YouTube)‌Sharing his thoughts, he said: “It’s quite sad actually. I should imagine there’s many happy memories that have been made in here when this place was active. But sadly, now it’s completely abandoned.”He soon added: “This is almost a bit like Chernobyl, you know the fairground that was in Chernobyl? Just how derelict it was. I mean, this is exactly the kind of feeling I’m getting in this place.”Despite this, he said the theme park was still incredible to see, and said some of the rides were exactly the same as he remembered from when he was a youngster.‌View 8 ImagesHow it looks now (Image: T...