Eerie pics reveal how abandoned 'gingerbread house' modelled on Hansel and Gretel fairytale has been
A CREEPY abandoned Gingerbread Castle appearing almost straight from the pages of the Brothers Grimm fairytale Hansel and Gretel has been captured in eerie drone images.
Spooky pictures show how the once popular tourist attraction in Hamburg, New Jersey, has been reclaimed by nature after shutting more than 20 years ago.
Fascinating images show the exterior of the colourfully painted tower while inside multi-coloured steps lead up to the top past painted figures of storybook characters.
Other old amusement park buildings lie in ruins beside the Gingerbread Castle while a sad Humpty Dumpty figure sits watching from a nearby wall.
The Unknown Cameraman, who took the incredible pictures, said: “The abandoned Gingerbread Castle reminds me of the scene from the movie 'Hook' where Tinkerbell takes the adult Peter Pan back to his childhood room which is now a mess, shuffling in the dark through the trash finding small nostalgic relics.
“Going in through the basement of the castle had a certain dungeon quality to it.
"Perhaps that's because the castle is built on the foundation of an old cement kiln.
“A long spiral staircase takes you to the upper floors which are much more 'magical' in architecture and design.
“I'm sure with the now missing railings in place the ascent would've felt much safer, but even then, I imagine for a child to climb to the top must have felt like being miles in the sky peeking over at the long, long way down.”
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The Gingerbread Castle was originally the centerpiece of an amusement park built around 1930 adjacent to Wheatsworth Mill by then-owner F.H. Bennett.
He was inspired to build the castle after seeing a production of Hansel and Gretel at New York's Metropolitan Opera.
He hired the opera's set designer, Austrian architect Joseph Urban, to create what became his children's amusement park where Grimm's fairy tales came to life.
“It was sad to see how much graffiti there was at this place,” said The Unknown Cameraman.
“Most of the old fairytale character sculptures on the property have been destroyed except for a Humpty Dumpty and several elves or gnomes.
“The run-down fairy tale amusement park and adjacent mill are a reminder of a time for New Jersey that has long passed.
“A site like this just doesn't have as much of a purpose or need in today's world, and the price to upkeep it isn't realistic for any investor or owner.”
The park remained in continuous operation for 50 years, closing initially in 1978.
In 1989 the castle re-opened, but lasted only a few years before once again closing.
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