This is where your childhood dreams come to die.

Photographer Seph Lawless has been traveling around the US capturing abandoned theaters, racetracks and other urban decay. His most recent project has put him in some of the creepiest abandoned amusement parks across the US where he snapped striking images of their decay.

Of the many deteriorating parks he went to, one of the toughest to shoot was the Land of Oz in North Carolina. The theme park sat atop Beech Mountain, which has the highest peak of anywhere on the East Coast and is only accessible by ski lift. Getting there was "a challenge on a lot of levels," Lawless describes in his book.

Lawless also visited abandoned parks in Ohio, California and Louisiana where he found out that an alligator had taken up residence in one of the man-made pools. His photos serve as a reminder of the past and how even the happiest of places can turn nightmarishly desolate when given enough time.

Wizard of Oz theme park, North Carolina

Wizard of Oz theme park, North Carolina

Joyland, Kansas

Six Flags Amusement Park, New Orleans

Geauga Lake Amusement Park, Ohio

Enchanted Forest Playland, Southern U.S.

Chippewa Lake theme Park, Ohio

Shawnee Amusement Park, West Virginia

To see more of Seph Lawless's work, check out his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr pages.