
What was once a theme park filled with thrill flashing lights and screams of delight from excitable thrill-seekers has been left abandoned, suspended in time for more than ten years.

The Six Flags amusement park in New Orleans, Louisiana, shut down after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the region in 2005.

The 140-acre site was submerged under seven feet of floodwater for more than a month after the hurricane battered America's southern coast - and has been closed ever since.

The carousel has not turned in 12 years, the still ferris wheel creaks in the wind and the roller coasters are slowly reclaimed by nature as ivy snakes its way up the eroding supports.

The Six Flags amusement park in New Orleans, Louisiana, shut down after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the region in 2005, and the theme park has been closed ever since, making it a huge attraction for urban explorers

The 140-acre site was submerged under seven feet of floodwater for more than a month after the hurricane battered America's southern coast. The park was declared a total loss following the storm and has been closed since August 2005

The rides in the abandoned park have sat unused for the 12 years since Hurricane Katrina. The park is regularly patrolled as vandals often try to break in to graffiti the area

The park opened for the last time on August 21, 2005. It is no longer owned by Six Flags. Many companies have unsuccessfully tried to redevelop the park since 2007

Six Flags had bought the park from original owners Jazzland in the late 1990s, though the new owners were only able to operate for three seasons before Katrina. The organization terminated its lease in 2009, four years after the storm

In an image from 2004, the Six Flags theme park's main gate can be seen while the park was still open to the public. It was only open for a few years before Hurricane Katrina hit

It opened for the last time on August 21, 2005. It is no longer owned by Six Flags. Many companies have unsuccessfully tried to redevelop the park since 2007.

The space, 15 miles east of New Orleans, has since become an attraction for 'urban explorers'.

The city of New Orleans terminated the lease of Six Flags in 2009 and has been looking for a way to develop the 150-acre site.

Six Flags had bought the park from original owners Jazzland in the late 1990s, though the new owners were only able to operate for three seasons before Katrina.

The most action it has seen in recent years has been as a film set location for movies such as Jurassic World, Deepwater Horizon and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

In 2009 Six Flags planned to work with Nickelodeon to create the company's biggest-ever theme park, which would create 600 jobs, but the $165million project failed to materialize.

The most action the park has seen in recent years has been as a film set location for movies such as Jurassic World, Deepwater Horizon and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

In 2009 Six Flags planned to work with Nickelodeon to create the company's biggest-ever theme park, which would create 600 jobs, but the $165million project failed to materialize

The abandoned theme park is still a drain on the city's resources, with the Industrial Development Board having to pay a private security firm $500 a day for round-the-clock security because of persistent vandalism and trespassing

Photographer Matthew Christopher recently visited the site to shoot from upon rotting roller coasters; capture bumper cars and merry-go-rounds; and highlight the eerie dilapidation of what was once a bundle of noise

As such it has stood as a haunting memorial to the devastation caused by Katrina.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina left 1,800 people dead and was the costliest storm in US history with damage estimated at $108billion. It was a Category 3 storm when it made landfall over Louisiana.

The abandoned theme park is still a drain on the city's resources, with the Industrial Development Board having to pay a private security firm $500 a day for round-the-clock security because of persistent vandalism and trespassing.

Photographer Matthew Christopher recently visited the site to shoot from upon rotting roller coasters; capture bumper cars and merry-go-rounds; and highlight the eerie dilapidation of what was once a bundle of noise.

Christopher, from Philadelphia, said: 'There really is nothing like this place in the world right now; certainly there are other parks, but this is really a unique phenomenon and may not be around for much longer.

'Finding cheerfully colored rides being swallowed by weeds is a jarring juxtaposition and I think says a lot about the times we live in.

The 39-year-old photographer, whose Abandoned America series has proven extremely popular in recent years, said that he had to obtain permission to visit the park, which is patrolled to deter trespassers

Christopher was able to get up-close and personal with many aspects of the park and take photos of how the area has dilapidated over the years

Many of the attractions are rusting over and decaying, while trespassers have taken anything of worth from the abandoned area

Despite much of the park falling apart, some rides still remain in tact, with bumper cars still on tracks surrounded by rubble

Those rides without overhead covering have been rusted over and destroyed by nature, with overgrown trees and shrubbery taking over

'It also is a very dangerous location; alligators, water moccasins, and wild boards all roam the property and are very much a threat to people onsite.'

The 39-year-old photographer, whose Abandoned America series has proven extremely popular in recent years, said that he had to obtain permission to visit the park, which is patrolled to deter trespassers.

Christopher plans to shoot more abandoned theme parks in the future, he said, adding to his collections of 'Abandoned America: Dismantling the Dream' and 'Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences,' where he has chronicled his travels.

He said: 'The roller coasters were pretty spectacular, and I loved the art style of the rides - many of them had a music theme which is from the park's original days as Jazzland and which is a tribute to the history of New Orleans.

'It also is jarring, seeing something as fun and familiar as an amusement park changed by nature.'

Buildings in the area have been covered with graffiti by trespassers, while windows and doors have been completely destroyed over the years

The 39-year-old photographer who took the photos said: 'The roller coasters were pretty spectacular, and I loved the art style of the rides - many of them had a music theme which is from the park's original days as Jazzland and which is a tribute to the history of New Orleans'

Christopher said of the park: 'It also is jarring, seeing something as fun and familiar as an amusement park changed by nature'

Despite being closed for more than a decade, the theme park's entrance sign still stands outside, though it is faded and broken