Abandoned Appalachian Fairgrounds

Lake Shawnee Amusement Park: A Haunted Fairground's Dark Legacy

Rock, West Virginia, United States

By the Wicked Cool Places editors · Published Wed, Mar 18, 2026 · Updated Fri, Aug 28, 2026

Why it’s cool

This decaying fairground sits atop a site of tragic 18th-century conflict, blending the skeletal remains of 1920s carnival rides with a heavy, haunted legacy.

Southeast Scenic

A rusted, vine-covered swing ride stands in a grassy field surrounded by bare trees under a cloudy sky.

Deep in the Appalachian landscape, the skeletal frames of a long-silent carnival stand as a grim monument to a cycle of tragedy. Lake Shawnee Amusement Park doesn't just offer the typical aesthetic of urban decay; it occupies land with a documented history of violence that predates the first ticket ever sold.

Why It Stands Out

Long before the Ferris wheel arrived, this 800-acre tract was the site of a brutal 1783 confrontation known as the Clover Bottom Massacre. Mitchell Clay, an early settler, established a farm here that became the flashpoint for a deadly clash with a band of Shawnee people.

The conflict resulted in the deaths of three of Clay’s children and a subsequent retaliatory strike that claimed several Indigenous lives. In 1926, the land took on a new life as a recreational escape for local coal mining families.

For four decades, the park hummed with activity until two fatal accidents involving children led to its permanent closure in 1966. Today, the park is a graveyard of rusted machinery.

The site shares an atmosphere of reclamation with Mount Moriah Cemetery. A massive Ferris wheel and a set of circular swings remain frozen in place, slowly being reclaimed by the encroaching forest.

Similar themes of decay can be found at the Abandoned Virginia Renaissance Faire. The juxtaposition of carnival architecture with such a heavy past has cemented its reputation as one of the most haunted locations in the region.

A similar blend of history and folklore is present at The Witch’s Castle.

Before You Go

Access to the grounds is strictly controlled and requires an advance appointment for a guided tour. While the site is most popular during the seasonal tours held around Halloween, private visits can be arranged throughout the year.

Be prepared for a significant amount of walking through unmaintained terrain; the grass is often high and can be quite damp or muddy depending on recent weather. The park is situated at the junction of US Rt.

19/16 and WV Rt. 10, just north of Kegley.

Note that there is a fee for entry.

Questions worth answering

Can we just show up and walk around the rides?

The grounds are strictly off-limits unless you book a guided tour beforehand. We don't recommend driving to Kegley without a confirmed appointment.

What's the history behind the site's reputation?

The land saw a violent 1783 clash involving the Clay family and Shawnee people. Later, the park closed in 1966 after two children died in accidents on the property.

Is there a specific mood to the place?

It's scenic in a heavy, quiet way. Rusted machinery like the massive Ferris wheel is slowly being swallowed by the surrounding Appalachian forest.

What should we wear for a tour of the grounds?

Expect unmaintained terrain with high grass that's often muddy. We suggest waterproof footwear since you'll be doing a lot of walking in damp conditions.

Visit Snapshot

Visits are by appointment only. Contact the owners to schedule a tour, especially for the popular Halloween events.

Wear waterproof footwear for trekking through tall, wet grass. Entry fees are required.

Location

Rock, West Virginia

Know before you go

Visiting the park is by appointment only, so you have to call and schedule a tour before you go! "Haunted Tours" of the park, are usually held on or around Halloween.

The tour does require a good bit of walking, usually through high and often damp or wet grass. A fee is charged to participate.The park is located along US Rt.19/16, in the northwest corner of its intersection with WV Rt.

10, just north of the town of Kegley, WV.

Editorial source

Lake Shawnee Amusement Park

The skeletal remains of the small Lake Shawnee Amusement Park create an eerie atmosphere, which is appropriate given the site's dark history. Long before the amusement park was built, this was the site of a well-documented conflict between white settlers and the Indigenous Shawnee people.

In the late 18th century, Mitchell Clay moved his young family west, and they established an 800-acre farm near Lake Shawnee where they raised 14 children. In August of 1783, a Shawnee band killed three of the Clay children.

Mitchell Clay tracked down the band who had raided his farm and killed several of its members in bloody retaliation. The event became known as the Clover Bottom Massacre.

Many years later, the amusement park was opened in 1926 to cater to the families of nearby coal workers. After the death of two children on the park grounds, the funfair closed in 1966, leaving behind many of its rickety wood and steel rides.

The rusting Ferris wheel and children's swing stand like dead trees among the unkempt wildlife. The grounds have changed hands over the years, but the land remains abandoned while the overgrown rides accumulate stories of hauntings and vengeful ghosts.

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