Ever since 1998, Marshal Scottys Playland has been an abandoned theme park in El Cajon. It now has a new life. Or death. Every October it becomes The Haunted Amusement Park.
Marshal Scottys Playland operated from 1967 to 1998. It was a modest park for much of its run. Its heyday was in the late 70s through early 90s. Bill Lee took over the park. He tried to transform it into a world-class amusement and water park.
Bankruptcy led to declining popularity. The park was sold in 1995. It was renamed Frasiers Frontier. A summer camp operated on the premises for a few years. The change wasnt enough. It closed three years later.
Isolated efforts have come and gone to revive Marshal Scottys Playland. In 2015, new business stirred. New operators created a haunted trail. It utilizes part of the property as a naturally creepy setting. The shadows of the decrepit structures provide an eerie ambiance. Scotty’s Scare Trail became an East San Diego County favorite.
The haunt operated as Scotty’s Scare Trail for a couple of years. It changed names in 2017 to The Haunted Amusement Park. Its firmly implanted in the San Diego outskirts. This enhances the rundown feel. Its located in a woodsy location. Its very literally housed among ruins. The moody shapes of the old buildings carry a weighted history. Its the perfect setting for a haunted amusement park theme.
Marshal Scottys Playland once had a railroad. It had a 20 ft Ferris wheel. There was a water slide. A small roller coaster was there. Also a tilt-a-whirl ride.
The haunted scare trail takes you under the old Roller Coaster. It goes around the Ferris Wheel. It goes into the Bumper Cars where you will put on 3D glasses. You will experience out-of-this-world visuals. Find your way through the Circus maze before the side show freaks find you. Zig zag your way out of the sleep away camp cabin.
See the original haunted ride repair shop. Make your way through the old attraction Graveyard. See the broken down cars from the roller coaster. Theres a race car. Theres a ferris wheel gondola still waiting for repair. The Haunted Amusement Park features a house of curiosities. Its truly a Haunted House of Horrors. You find a cemetery. You find a slaughterhouse. All this on your nearly 1 mile walk.
Many visitors remember visiting Marshal Scottys as children. It was San Diego’s most popular spot to celebrate Children’s birthdays. Visitors recall having birthday parties inside of the old covered wagons. They remember the picnic area near the pool. Original attractions included a Train. There was a Carousel. And a Little Dipper Roller Coaster. You could ride the Bumper cars. Or the Go-Karts. There was a Waterslide. A Pool. A Playground. You could watch Wild West Shows. You could ride Ponies. There were 9 Kiddie rides. And lots of fun activities.
The days of playing on the Bumper Cars are long gone now. The buildings have been left in disrepair. The haunting look makes for a great setting for the Scare trail. Screams of excitement have turned into screams of Terror at The Haunted Amusement Park.
The rickety backdrop provides a chilling anxiety to the vibe. Many scareactors contribute energy to the haunt. They relish their roles.
The Haunted Amusement Park finds success by taking the nostalgic memories of Marshal Scottys Playland. It inverts them into the dread of the current day circumstances. What was once a sentimental dream has been transformed into a gritty nightmare.