Eerie. Abandoned. Famous as one of the most terrifyingly haunted spots in the world. And in West Virginia, to boot. Can you guess which infamous attraction we're alluding to? Hint: this eerie, haunted gem is an amusement park. If you guessed Lake Shawnee Abandoned Amusement Park, you know your haunted places in West Virginia. Not only does this area have a haunting history, but it is now famous for a totally different reason.
Have you seen the popular Netflix film, Leave the World Behind? In this end-of-the-world thriller, there is a scene when a map appears on a TV screen. If you look closely (I missed it at first), you'll see a hidden QR code. Read through to the end of the article and the movie's trailer to learn more about this wild Lake Shawnee hidden connection.
The history of what is now the Lake Shawnee area began over 2,000 years ago, with the Shawnee Indians, who lived -- and died -- here.
Modern archaeological digs have unearthed many artifacts bearing witness to the presence of this famous Native American tribe and proving that the earliest use of the Lake Shawnee Amusement Park property included a sacred Shawnee burial ground. What's more, many of the skeletons unearthed here belonged to children.
That's not all the tragic history this land has seen, though. Next up, the Clay family.
The earliest white settlers in Mercer County, the Clays moved to the Lake Shawnee area in 1775. Parents Mitchell and Phoebe raised their 16 children here -- three of whom were massacred by Shawnee attackers in 1783.
A stone on site still marks the graves of these young people. But there's even more: furious, Clay massacred several Native Americans himself in retaliation for the deaths of his children.
Fast forward a bit to the roaring 1920s, when Conley Snidow built an amusement park beside Lake Shawnee. Visitors flocked to the park for fun and games -- but it wasn't all fun and games.
In forty years, at least six people died at this amusement park, and at least two of those six were young children. Finally, in the sixties, the park was abandoned, as it is to this day.
All that to say, Lake Shawnee has an eerie history. According to Travel Channel, it's one of the most terrifying places in America. According to the folks at ABC News, it's one of the ten most haunted places in the world. And you can still visit it yourself, if you call ahead.
That's right, book a paranormal tour of this abandoned amusement park and see for yourself if this amusement park is as haunted and eerie as people say! Perhaps combined with a stay in nearby Bluefield, West Virginia?
And if you have yet to see the popular Netflix film, Leave the World Behind, definitely check out the trailer below. And at exactly :33 into the trailer, you'll see the map on the TV. Within that map is a hidden QR code (hint: look near West Virginia). Guess where that hidden QR code takes you? Right to our very own, very creepy, Lake Shawnee Abandoned Amusement Park.
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