Visiting an Abandoned Amusement Park in Elektrenai, Lithuania
Throughout my time in the Baltic states, I was keen to dig out some abandoned places in Lithuania. When I caught wind of a derelict amusement park close to the country’s capital, Vilnius, I jumped at the chance.
A short excursion out of the city to the small Soviet town of Elektrenai (Elektrėnai) reveals this fabulous deserted theme park.
I originally wrote this article about the abandoned Elektrenai amusement park back in 2019, when there were still plenty of things to see. Fast forward to today, and there is nothing left of what I’ve documented in this article.
This article serves purely as a bit of a reminder of what once stood there. If you’re fascinated by abandoned places and nostalgia, read how Elektrenai, Lithuania fell into demise.
Meet Me In Departures contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you make a purchase using one of these links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure Policy for more information.
Abandoned Theme Park in Elektrenai, Lithuania
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you’ll know I have a thing for ruins and abandoned places.
Usually, this is in the form of much more ancient places like Machu Pichhu and Petra.
It’s only recently that my addiction to abandoned places now spans into the 19-20th century. And the Baltic States are full of them! *little excited dance*.
Visiting Elektrenai Abandoned Theme Park
The deserted theme park is known as both Jet Star 2 (after its rollercoaster) and Children’s World (which translates in Lithuanian to Vaikų Pasaulis) was built in 1986 and closed in 2013.
Since its closure, it’s taken just a few years for nature to take over the site.
In its heyday, Children’s World was one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region, providing entertainment for the families living in the area. But several incidents regarding health and safety on some of the rides resulted in the closure of the park.
The abandoned amusement park in Elektrenai also makes a good alternative to visiting Chornobyl. So if you don’t fancy visiting an exclusion zone, or are shunning how a place of disaster has now become a top tourist attraction, then this could be for you.
Related Article: 9 Best Cities in Lithuania to Visit
Where is Elektrenai Amusement Park?
Unlike Vilnius and Kaunus, Elektrenai is one of the newer cities in Lithuania and dates to the Soviet times.
The small Soviet town is situated pretty much smack bam in the middle of Lithuania’s two largest cities, the capital Vilnius (50km) and its slightly smaller sister, Kaunas (55km).
The town of Elektrenai was built in 1961, during the Soviet reign. The building of the new town was for a large electricity plant – hence the name of the town!
With the building of an electricity plant, it meant a man-made lake was created, this was achieved by damming the River Strėva. The water is used for cooling down the power plant, so this man-made lake is slightly warmer than others in the area, and now is used for water sports.
The building of the dam meant the flooding of several smaller villages in the vicinity as well as engulfing surrounding smaller lakes. In place of these small villages, and to home the families who had been displaced as well as the workers for the electricity plant, ugly high-rise housing in shades of brown and grey were built. The plant is the biggest electricity producer in Lithuania.
Children’s World amusement park was built (although 20 years later) for use by the residents of the area. It’s by the waterfront that you’ll find the little wooded area where the abandoned theme park is located.
Map of the Abandoned Amusement Park in Elektrenai
Although nothing remains of the once popular family attraction, you can still see where it once stood. Although everything has now been developed, to date (Aug 2023) you can do a Google Maps search for the amusement park in Elektrenai, and see it!
Check out the map below on how to find the Elektrenai abandoned amusement park.
Getting to Elektrenai Lithuania Amusement Park
Elektrenai is located just between Vilnius and Kaunas. It’s easy to get here from both cities by bus and is a nic stop off to break up the journey.
There are plenty of buses – between 2 and 5 an hour! going daily via Elektrenai and it takes about 45 minutes and costs around 4 Euro. You can buy bus tickets to Elektrenai in advance online or just turn up at the bus station and purchase a ticket there.
The bus will drop you just outside of the main town. There is just a single drop-off point, this is also where you will catch the bus for the return journey to either Vilnius or Kaunas.
From the bus stop, it’s about a 10-minute walk to the Elektrenai amusement park.
When you see the large clamshell-looking building (which is actually an Ice Hockey rink) you are close. The abandoned theme park is in the wooded area along the waterfront.
What Can I See at Elektrenai Abandoned Amusement Park?
Since its closure back in 2013, nature has taken over the place.
As I mentioned earlier, it didn’t close due to a manmade disaster like the amusement park in Pripyat, Ukraine (Chernobyl). So it doesn’t have such a sad history and eerie feel to it. It just had a sketchy past on how safe it was, after several incidents, people began to lose faith in it and stopped visiting Elektrenai amusement park.
One of the rockets from a ride at the abandoned amusement park in Elektrenai dons the slight tongue-in-cheek graffiti #LTChernobyl
The nail in the coffin that sealed its fate was the Jet Star 2 ride leaving passengers abandoned at the top, a year before its eventual closure. Eventually, the park closed and it was left derelict ever since.
The site is pipped for being knocked down and developed at some point in 2020. At the time of visiting the abandoned theme park (August 2019), the site had fencing around it and a bit of demolition had taken place on some of the concrete buildings and some of the smaller rides.
How quickly the demolition of the remainder of the site happens anyone guesses, but if you are planning of visiting, I’d do it sooner rather than later.
Update: As of 2022, nothing now remains of the old park. You can of course still visit where it once stood, but it’s now been redeveloped.
Although there is no power to the abandoned amusement park in Elektrenai, the mechanism to make the carriages of the Ferris Wheel rotate still works!
However, pretty much all the big rides are still intact, and apart from a bit of rust and a bit of crumbling concrete, the rides look like they’d actually work! The Ferris wheel carts even still rotate using the big steering wheel in the centre.
Is the Elektrenai Amusement Park Safe?
Aside from some very flimsy fencing around the outside to ‘try’ and keep people out, there is no deterrent. The gate at the front of the theme park was open at the time of visiting, so everyone was able to just walk straight in.
There were quite a few other people around the Elektrenai amusement park, both locals and tourists. I didn’t feel unsafe at all.
For sure, make sure you are wearing some sensible footwear, the ground is a bit overgrown in places and there are some piles of rubble where some of the concrete buildings once stood, but overall the site is perfectly safe.
The iconic Ferris Wheel at the Elektrenai abandoned amusement park, after several years of neglect still looks like it could work.
Elektrenai Amusement Park – FAQs
Elektrenai Amusement Park was a popular recreational area in Lithuania for several years until it closed and was abandoned in 2013. This FAQ section will provide answers to frequently asked questions about the abandoned fairground in Elektrenai.
When Was Elektrenai Theme Park Built?
Elektrenai Amusement Park was built in 1986 as a recreational area for the residents of the town of Elektrenai.
Does Elektrenai Abandoned Park Still Exist?
No. Elektrenai Abandoned Park was closed and abandoned in 2013. I vivisted in the summer of 2019. At that time it was set for redevelopment in 2020. As of 2022, there is nothing left of the Jetstart Amusement Park.
What Happened to Jetstar Amusement Park in Lithuania?
A series of small accidents and the unreliability of the rides started to raise questions about the safety of the amusement park. In 2013, Jetstar Amusement Park was closed and later demolished to make way for a new development.
Are There Any Other Amusement Parks in Elektrenai?
No, there are no other amusement parks in Elektrenai at this time. However, there are several water parks and water sports activities on the lake.
Can I Visit Elektrenai?
Yes, you can still visit Elekrenai, it’s still a residential area. However, the only real thing to see here now is the clam-shaped Ice Rink.
What Was the Name of the Theme Park in Elektrenai?
The name of the theme park in Elektrenai was Jetstar Amusement Park. It was a highly popular amusement park for the residents of the town and its visitors.
What Types of Activities Were Available at Jetstar Amusement Park?
Jetstar Amusement Park had many activities on offer, including roller coasters, water slides, bumper cars, arcade games, and a carousel. It also had several restaurants and bars on the premises.
How Long Was Jetstar Amusement Park Open?
Jetstar Amusement Park was open from 1986 to 2013 when it was closed for redevelopment. During this period, it was one of the most popular amusement parks in Lithuania.
Why Did Jetstar Amusement Park Close?
Jetstar Amusement Park closed due to rising costs of operation, as well as the need for redevelopment. The local municipality decided that it would be more beneficial for the town’s residents if the land was used for other purposes.
The Fate of This Abandoned Fair in Lithuania
The abandoned Elektrenai Amusement Park was a fascinating glimpse into an essentially real-life museum from the Soviet times. It satisfied both my addiction to abandoned places and learning about the history of a country.
In my original article, I wrote – It’s certainly worthwhile taking a trip out to Elektrenai. Like lots of abandoned places, they mostly won’t be there forever. It might well be that by the time you read this article, the whole site has been flattened. (August 2019)
Unfortunately today, the whole area has been flattened. The only thing you can see of this old Lithuanian amusement park is the redeveloped area. Sadly, nothing remains of what’s in these photos, just the memories in archives and blogs like this.
Looking for more inspirational articles on travel in the Baltic States? read more articles here…