The Insane Pripyat Amusement Park, Chernobyl

Exploring Pripyat Amusement Park

2023 UPDATE – Obviously it is not safe to visit Chernobyl or any where else in Ukraine at this time with the on-going war, please always seek Travel Advice before visiting Ukraine. This is my experience in 2016!

Introduction

Anyone who has heard of this nuclear wasteland may wonder, why on earth would anyone visit Chernobyl! Quite literally a radioactive wasteland located in Ukraine, the small town of Pripyet was the epicentre of the world’s most catastrophic nuclear disasters!

The most famous of all, the Pripyat Amusement Park that contains the harrowing derlict ferris wheel that has appeared in many games & movies. 

On 26th April 1986, a combination of inadequately trained staff and a flawed nuclear reactor design resulted in a huge explosion of reactor 4. Soviet Russia tried to keep this tragic event hidden from the world, but it was just too big to hide.

The clean up of the radioactive material was extremely dangerous but it was essential to stop a further explosion which could have wiped out Europe… if you haven’t seen the Chernobyl drama yet, I highly recommend it!

So, why would anyone want to visit the Pripyat Amusement Park in Chernobyl? That question could have many different answers, but for me, it was out of fascination after learning about it in school. Once I saw that it had opened up for tourism, or rather Dark Tourism, I just had to go! Here’s my experience.

I was a little pushed for time on this trip and only had 2 and half days in Ukraine but I aimed to visit the Pripyat Amusement Park in Chernobyl on the first day and it is about a 2 hour drive from the capital city of Kiev which makes it easier for a quick trip (Wizzair do (did) some great cheap flights)

Who To Book With?

I booked my trip to the Pripyat Amusement Park with a reputable company who had a good record, but I was pleased to see they were a little bit more lenient that other operators (more on that later) They were called SoloEast Travel – The guys are going to need a lot of support after the war is over!

They will contact you with a pick up location, mine was in the main square of Kiev near one of the hotels. Prepare for an early morning! This company preferred cash and it was about $96 which included transfers, lunch and the guide! As a side note, $96 feels like an insane amount of money in local currency due to the inflation, so bring a small bag… I reckon for a couple thousand you could fill a bathtub!

There are cheaper companies but this one felt slightly more legit… this is Ukraine after all and “licensed” things seem to be hard to find. After handing over what felt like an insane amount of cash (in Ukrainian currency) I was ready to start my tour if the Pripyat Amusement Park in Chernobyl.

Starting The Tour

Thus began the 2 hour journey to visit the Pripyat amusement park in Chernobyl and I liked how they played videos/documentaries which gave a lot more information about the history of the town. I hadn’t realised the tour covered a large area of Chernobyl, not just the Pripyat Amusement Park! 

This was years before the Chernobyl series was released so I’d be curious to know if they are playing that instead. There are also multiple military stops leading up to the exclusion zone which spans 30km!

Entering The 30km Exclusion Zone

Now the exciting part begins, we make our first stop to some very run down looking houses! This part was called Chernobyl 2, and is located further away from the reactor and the Pripyat Amusement Park. 

Trees are growing out of the sides of the flats and as you walk through the overgrown terrain, you will start to hear the harrowing sound of the Gieger counter, the radiation is high!

Before worrying too much about radiation, its good to know that during your trip here, the radiation you will be exposed to is less than what you’d experience on a transatlantic flight!

That being said, it depends if you follow the rules! The waiver you sign upon arrival goes into detail about what you should and shouldn’t do (including not eating the grass or any other vegetation…) it also says you cannot enter any of the buildings or touch anything… which no one sticks to when they get into the centre. 

Creepy Gymnasium

Next up we visited a place which isn’t for the faint hearted, an old gymnasium in a school! The buildings were decaying and it gave a real horror story vibe.

Be careful where you step as the floorboards are creaky and unstable! Although quite unnerving, I wish I could say this was one of the creepiest parts, but in truth, we had only just started. Dark Tourism is a little bit of a gray area, some don’t feel visiting these places is very respectful but in some ways, I think it is good to learn firsthand the results of disaters so it can be avoided in the future.

As I walked around the gymnasium, I couldn’t help being amazed at how rapidly the building was decaying.

Our tour guide seemed very knowledgable and although he allowed us in building’s, he kept a close eye of us wondering too far into unstable rooms.

Something I have done a lot in my years of travelling. I did manage to get a picture of the small theatre room however, although our guide almost dragging me by the ear informed me the area could collapse any time…

Spotting A Radioactive Wild Dog

Whilst clearing up the mess in Chernobyl, some “volunteers” were given the awful task of removing all the wild life in the area, which mostly meant the residents pets! Most of the cats, dogs and other species were wiped out but interestingly, years later wildlife had made an impressive come back. 

Deers, fish and many other animals have made the area their home! Again, I wandered off a bit to take a closer look at an interesting soviet-era gate. I took a couple pictures but in the background, a wild dog slowly walked across, stopping dead in the middle with his eyes fixated on me…

I had to take quick picture before slowly backing away to find the group. I was met with a stern look but by this point I think the guide seemed to accept it.

DUGA-4 – Missile Detection Antenna

Next up was an unexpected stop, an immense Soviet missile detection antenna (known as the Russian Woodpecker or DUGA-4) is ‘hidden’ in the forest. This thing is enormous and stands at 150 metres high and almost 700 metres in length.

Obviously, you’re not allowed to climb this as its incredibly rusted and dangerous, however ‘when in Ukraine’ rules are more of a suggestion! We climbed a few stories up and got some amazing views of the area!

We spoke to another group who did the 2 day tour and apparently some of them were able to climb all the way to the top! We did have that option too when we asked our guide but there was a lot more to see yet and time was against us… shame because what could possibly go wrong climbing a wobbly rusted structure without adequate insurance…

City Centre

Around the area there were more buildings to explore, including a very bizarre propaganda room with large pictures of Russian leaders. Walking around the main square was when it really hit home just how isolated and abandoned this place is. This was the build up to seeing the main site, the Pripyat Amusement Park. 

It’s truly incredible to see nature fighting back and retaking the area. Trees grow straight through the thick concrete and the whole area gives an ‘I Am Legend’ movie vibe! – I really wish I had invested in a good camera, at the time I was still quite new to travelling so I apologise for the bad quality and lack of good angles. 

In the main square there were a lot of very unstable buildings that were definitely off limits, including the supermarket which is barely standing as it is.

Inside The Buildings

It was here we found a building we could enter and go upstairs! As we walked through the very dark and half flooded hallways, our guide found a small supply cupboard where were given a… souvenir… a small wrapped up smoke detector!

We definitely weren’t allowed to take anything from Chernobyl so I felt slightly worried about trying to take it out! And taking it through customs on my next 2 flights was anxiety on another level. 

We were able to explore quite a few of the buildings in the centre of Chernobyl (there isn’t any buildings in the Pripyat Amusement Park) and some tour guides even take you onto the roofs. You’ll definitely need a tour to explore and sturdy shoes. 

Visiting Reactor 4

Finally, we came to where all this began, Reactor 4! Due to the tremendous amount of radiation that leaked from the reactor, a metal sarcophagus was cladded around the outside to try and contain as much radiation as possible!

This lasted 30 years but eventually another one was needed. Seeing the original container was quite haunting and the geiger counter was beeping none stop while we were in the area! It was amazing to see how by putting the geiger counter behind the stone statue it would stop beeping, and then start again once taken away.

It seems as if the radiation works in the same way sunlight does. The dome container was almost finished and due to be moved across on train tracks within the next couple of days! I was very happy to be able to see both the old and new containers side by side!

The area is fenced off and according to our guide, if you attempted to get nearer the fence, 2 officers would promptly arrest you before you get anywhere near! This is a much more restricted zone due to the nuclear reactor still being active (and for another few thousand years) 

Swimming Pool

Next up was another big location on the way to the Pripyat Amusement Park, the famous swimming pool! Once a bustling leisure centre with happy children learning to swim, it is now a decaying wasteland! The clock is stuck near to the time of the disaster and entire place feels like its going to cave in any moment. 

The Eerie Gas Mask Classroom 

However eerie it’s been so far, nothing compared to the next room. In one the schools, there is a room full of scattered child sizes gas masks! Most were left due to how quickly the population had to be evacuated!

This was a couple days later sadly as government tried to carry on as normal until it was clear (to the rest of the world) just how dangerous the area was!

Even more shocking is how children would play in the streets and on the bridge in what seemed like snow… tragically, it was radioactive waste!

Radiation at that time wasn’t understood by most of the population, even the incredibly brave firefights who were the first responders to the explosion were completely unaware just how dangerous the material was.

I thought the HBO series called “Chernobyl” truly captured the events incredibly well! 

The Red Forest

By far the scariest part of the tour. The Red Forest in Chernobyl is a section of forest that was in the wind path when the reactor explored. The insane amount of radiation mean this section of the forest has been turned red for over 30 years. 

Plants absorb radiation from the air to clean the environment making the wildlife quite deadly. This makes the red forest the most dangerous part (apart from the bridge which you absolutely cannot visit) 

Whilst we couldn’t stop for pictures, our tour guide pulled up to the start of where the road through the red forest begins. After telling us to get our Geiger counters ready, he said we need to get through as quick as we can, before flooring the van. 

We sped through the red forest as fast as possible, then suddenly all the geiger counters began screaming due to very high levels of radiation. Goodness knows what happens if you break down in this area as its dangerous to be in the red forest for more than a couple minutes. 

Ill never forget the piercing sound of 12 Geiger counters screaming at once, their high pitched beeping serving as reminder of dangerous radiation levels in the area.

After the stress of speeding through the red forest… and then back through… I was all but ready to leave. But there was one very important place remaining – The Pripyat Amusement Park.

The Pripyat Amusement Park 

Finally, the highlight and most recognised site in Chernobyl, the Ferris wheel and dodgems at the Pripyat Amusement Park! These are part of a small Pripyat amusement park area with a few other rides. For anyone who doesn’t know much about Chernobyl, including myself at the time, the pripyat amusement park definitely seemed to be the most anticipated part of the trip. 

The Pripyat amusement park did truly live up to the expectation and it was easy to see why this area has been used in so many horror games and movies. There are a few very similar looking Ferris wheels in the ex-Soviet countries, but this one is slowly decaying and falling apart.

It’s an incredibly sad to be stood in what was once such a happy place for families, now turned into a real life horror story setting. Please ignore my stupid pose, I hadn’t learnt to take a half-decent picture yet… and still haven’t! 

The Pripyat amusement park was the final part of the tour before we started to head back. 

So Should You Visit Chernobyl?

 I would definitely say yes (Although not currently in 2022 due to the on-going war) – But once that is over, I feel this type of experience is something truly shocking but mind opening at the same time.

Overall, Chernobyl was a very surreal experience, especially the Pripyat Amusement Park. The picture below is truly the most haunting I took that day. Looking back, it could just be a well placed tourism piece, however I just don’t think Ukraine is that type of place. It may have been moved, but I think it was a genuine find in Chernobyl as it wasn’t pointed out by the guide.

Walking around this real life horror game, you can’t comprehend the devastation that the nuclear disaster caused.

This is a dark tourism, something 99% of travellers wouldn’t even think of doing! It’s definitely not a fun family day out or even a particularly happy place, but it’s eye-opening!

Humans have the ability to generate electricity for millions of people around the world using nuclear power and most of the time there are no problems!

Now however, we know just how important safety is, and the dreadful consequences of when things go wrong!

Are you part of the 1% who are intrigued by the lessons to be learnt from the darker side of tourism & history? Check out another harrowing experience in another truly haunting place – Auschwitz & Birneau Death Camps!