Most Infamous Water Park In America Now Abandoned (Schlitterbahn Kansas City, Kansas)

In this video we explored the abandoned Schliterbahn waterpark.
This waterpark, was home to the world’s tallest water slide until a tragedy occurred there in the summer of 2016. In this video we walk you through the rise and fall of the Schliterbahn waterpark. While also showing you exclusive footage of us exploring it. Just as a disclaimer. the footage we have of the place is from November of 2020. We also did not have the best camera set up and we had limited footage.
The style of this video is also very different and unique compared to our normal videos, so if you enjoyed this video please like and subscribe and leave us a comment!!
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[@Jayohkay]

I rode the Verrückt and at the time was given a shirt that said "I survived the Verrückt" It was some cheeky marketing for the ride that was fun at the time but after the boys death, let's just say that shirt meant something different entirely

[@luna.crystals]

I live in KC and I remember this happening like it was yesterday. Whats crazy is that friends of mine said they were badly bruised and sore after riding on the slide. And then we heard about Caleb and I’ll never forget that feeling. Thank you for posting. Rest in peace, Caleb

[@jacobwillemsen6897]

Same I swear it was bound to happen eventually

[@johnsonwilliam1023]

He wasn’t even supposed to be on it because of his height. but because daddy was a senator and the park was closed off to them privately he got to go on it and you see what happened

[@keirengaming]

@@johnsonwilliam1023It was not closed off and he was allowed on the ride. As there were other customers present and other riders.

[@johnsonwilliam1023]

@@keirengaming I worked their when it happened so go away He shouldn’t even been on it. He was too short, but because his dad was who he was, they let him on it now, shut your mouth and go away.

[@johnsonwilliam1023]

@@keirengaming The park was too closed off. It was a private party. I worked there is for senator.

[@joelstapleton4033]

I worked there overnight security from 2012 till the year it closed. I still miss my job there as my fellow employees and all the bosses were amazing people. One thing I can say about the place is I have never had more fun working at a place than when I worked there. I still remember when they announced Verruckt was going to be built. Watching day by day the construction of the slide in awe of how tall the main tower was. The excitement when it was finished and watching the first people riding it. It was also very hard after the accident happened. Heartbroken for the family and all of my coworkers. Then again two yeara later when the park announced it would not open again.

[@exploretheabandoned]

Wow. Thank you for sharing that

[@RT-wp7oz]

Were you working the day of the accident

[@joelstapleton4033]

@R T no I was on my weekend when it happened but we were suppose to have our end of seaaon party that day which was canceled. I was driving in to be there when I saw all the news vana outside reporting on it. Didn't learn about the accident until I met one of my coworkers at the main gate.

[@cezinhacpm22]

​@@joelstapleton4033 Hey man, are you Ok? Sorry, I dont speak english, i'm brasilian guy. I have very curiosity the theme... You Can talk with me?

[@cezinhacpm22]

Today see park for Google Street View... People, Smiles, lives...

[@blakeharris4898]

I always wondered what this place looked liked after it closed. Thank you for sharing!!

[@exploretheabandoned]

Thank you for watching!!

[@flacsa636]

This used to be my family’s favorite water park when we still lived in Missouri. Shame what happened.

[@exploretheabandoned]

It is a shame. Lots of memories there.

[@ratlady8538]

I remeber my family talking about the incedint when I was younger, that’s why I go to oceans of fun 😩

[@jamielauro2623]

I didn’t even live there but it looked like a great park!!! I went to waterworld in Denver but the lines were too long I got to go down like two slides 🛝 cuz I was in line most of the day !!!

[@richardmemesgames]

Me too.

[@StillSwiftAF]

I only went to Schlitterbahn once or twice and never rode the Verruckt. I don't do rollercoasters or any kind of thrill ride, so it wasn't something I was interested in. It was a decent waterpark I guess, but nothing to really write home about. After Caleb's death it was not somewhere I ever wanted to go again. You could still see the Verruckt from I-435 for years afterward and it was always pretty weird when you drove by.

[@TheFox-yi3ys]

The young boys grave was right next to my uncles grave next to a church called “Hope alive” every time I visit my uncle I see his grave and it reminds me of what happened in 2016

[@ethanmurphy4501]

I always wondered what it looked like after closing thanks for sharing this!

[@exploretheabandoned]

Here ya go 🙂

[@yessimartinez4733]

Thank you for giving the back story to this place and letting us know what happened. That's something I always wonder when watching videos on abandoned locations.

[@exploretheabandoned]

We are glad you enjoyed the video!! Thank you so much for watching!!

[@yessimartinez4733]

Came here from tik tok btw 😁

[@exploretheabandoned]

Glad to have you over on KZbin!! Thanks for all the support!!

[@AddableStone13]

I remember getting on that ride the week it opened. Had a weird feeling something bad would happen.

[@cremmy_crem621]

i never rode the verrückt, and i'm honestly glad i didn't. my feeling is that they only built it for the looks. i didn't want to spend a long time going up the stairs just to go down a dangerous slide, cuz i knew it was pretty fishy.

[@benjamindroptiny5695]

Glad your having fun Ethan, also great job on the editing

[@exploretheabandoned]

Thanks Blake actually edited and put together this whole video.

[@notloganparker]

Really liked the incorporation of the news stories. Such a horrible tragedy, but great video

[@exploretheabandoned]

Thank you for watching!! And indeed a horrible tragedy.

[@ncaviationfilms]

That one incident shut down Schlitterbahn forever.

[@broken2gether]

Really enjoyed this video!!

[@exploretheabandoned]

Thank you for watching!!

[@smueller77]

Great video! Thanks for sharing

[@exploretheabandoned]

Thank you for watching!

[@lakerboy225]

GREAT VIDEO!!

[@exploretheabandoned]

Thank you for watching!!

[@anonmsones3263]

Impressive footage! True to every word reporting. Possibly a journalist future??? Either way I’m srsly gonna be subscribing!!! Luv it luv ur show!

[@exploretheabandoned]

Thank you so much!! We love the support!!

[@kirstenshaw4792]

It’s so sad what happened here, can’t even imagine :(

[@jmastro304]

and that is how you wind up with an abandon, most likely haunted water park

[@calebwillis333]

Very nice!!

[@exploretheabandoned]

Thanks for watching Caleb!!

[@coreysik872]

i grew up going here, after the boy died and the park was open for one more summer, the slide he died on was stained with the blood and I had to close my eyes so I diddnt see it while sliding down other slides cause it freaked me out

[@ladyaries]

That is awful! You think they'd at least try to cover it up.

[@martinxplo]

Sad story, interesting video. Just visited Kansas City KS last week. cheers from Switzerland

[@exploretheabandoned]

That’s awesome!! What was the occasion for stopping in town?

[@martinxplo]

@@exploretheabandoned I was on a Midwest roadtrip vacation and spent the night in Overland Park

[@exploretheabandoned]

Oh nice!! Did you come through Kansas City, Missouri?

[@martinxplo]

@@exploretheabandoned yes, took pictures of Union Station with the skyline, awesome place! West Bottoms was interesting too

[@exploretheabandoned]

That’s great!! Next time you ever come by, let us know!!

[@123Eyesonme30]

I used to go there with my family and go down the lazy river. It was super fun and this video brought back memories to me. What’s crazy is that I wish that they just took down the slide and not the whole park. Anyway thank you for posting this video.

[@stephaniethompson5307]

Crazy, my family and I were there the week before. My husband and my dad had gone down this slide a week before the accident.

[@stephanieg8545]

This park was always dangerous. I personally didn’t think that place was fun because of how I kept getting injured when I went.

[@exploretheabandoned]

Wow. What happened that got you injured?

[@stephanieg8545]

@@exploretheabandoned I was always falling off rafts in the river rapid ride. Scraping feet and legs on the bottom. Then when you were out of the raft someone else would come along right on top of you hitting your head and pushing you under. I actually think I may have had a minor concussion from that as I had head and neck pain for over a week! Bloodied toes and knees. Then the wave river ride (not sure of any official names) always scraped you against the side walls and also had an issue of being ran over. Always came out bruised, scraped up, and possibly concussed. On top of that the park was almost completely concrete. It just wasn’t appealing and a very confusing set up. I honestly did not like it at all and never understood why other people did! Lol. Surely other people went home banged up too.

[@exploretheabandoned]

That is insane. Thank you for sharing all of that.

[@danimayb]

@@stephanieg8545 You are not alone! Although it was a very popular park, Lots of people complained about all sort of issues similar to what you have said. I never complained but I too had annoying scrapes and bashes from their rides. What surprises me is this place was heavily invested in from being built onward, But it always felt a bit cheap... Do you know what I mean? And safety did play on my mind often when I went. It was a popular dig for my friends so I always tagged along but was vocal about my opinion on the place. As for Verrückt? I never liked it! I went on it once and it just felt wrong.. Again, Lots of money spent but it seemed primitive and not very safe imo - I say imo but I was actually proved right! Unfortunately.

[@stephanieg8545]

@@danimayb I never rode verruckt, but I understand the cheap feeling! I was never a fan of all the concrete. It just felt unnatural and almost industrial imo. Like everything was plopped together without any real rhyme or reason. I grew up always going to oceans of fun so maybe I was just biased!

[@liemdrake]

I actually did work there for 5 seasons as a Park service that had been on Verrückt 5 times and by now they had placed apartments on that site.

[@featheredfriend1310]

Thanks for the history..

[@exploretheabandoned]

Thank you for watching!!

[@Spartan85]

Nicely job, very good flow to the video!!

[@exploretheabandoned]

Thank you Spartan 85!!

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

Being the son of a state representative, the park was doubly doomed.

[@nate_the_great]

In 2014, Scott Schwab was part of the KS legislature that passed Senate Bill 311 capping non-economic damages in all personal injury and wrongful death cases at $300,000. Luckily for him, he was awarded $20,000,000 bypassing the Kansas law in a Kansas court by allowing Texas law be applied because of Schlitterbaum's Texas home office residence.

[@exploretheabandoned]

Thanks for educating us on that. I did not know that part of the story.

[@Joemobo]

Maybe if they removed the nets it wouldn’t Fuck with the boys neck and keep the park open!

[@winterburden]

What a tragedy. I wouldn't even hold puppet shows there, too sad.

[@aimeecook4228]

I went to that park 2 days before the accident happened, almost rode the ride but my party didn’t fit the weight requirements needed for the ride.

[@exploretheabandoned]

Wow. That’s crazy

[@jamielauro2623]

It’s great you didnt

[@fergman300]

amazing how one accident...completely destroyed this park.

[@Slimjim12347]

I went to there back in 2011 with my family when I was younger. I remember that place being huge and I remember being on that lazy river that was kind of a wave pool.

[@Cammi-Cat-XIII]

Great video! But why so long to release it?

[@exploretheabandoned]

The footage we had was not the best, we originally thought it was unusable. But we finally managed to make it work, by doing a different style of video then what we normally did.

[@NoGraphicsGaming]

I went here before it closed but now I want to go again, just to see how different the atmosphere is

[@exploretheabandoned]

It’s completly demolished now, I went before the accident. But never went again after when it was open.

[@NoGraphicsGaming]

@@exploretheabandoned damn, that’s really unfortunate

[@dirtydogfpv1159]

opening clip was a horrible sight to see on the news, with that young boys blood still in the water.

[@exploretheabandoned]

It really was. So sad and a tragic situation all around.

[@sabrina7960]

I rode that ride it was crazy.

[@ripcity5033]

I was able to ride it 3 times in 2016 it was indeed insane

[@jamielauro2623]

Glad you made out alive my gosh 😮

[@81silversiren]

I live around 25 minutes away from the park and I remember when they built the slide and tore it down, me and my husband drove by when they were building it and we were like nope lol but it was soo sad about Caleb poor kid (R.I.P.).... but what I heard about the park not surprising it closed down ..

[@KingdomofEvania100]

Apparently, Cedar Fair declined to buy this part. My guess is because there was too much bad press

[@tjminimoto]

Now locals probably use the water park site as their own skatepark

[@dominiquestrasburger8674]

It was completely demolished

[@beavis6157]

Dam I miss the wave pool even though I almost drowned in it when I was 7

[@xX_PhilMahar_Xx]

There's 2 shlitterbahns in my town in Texas. My dad told me the story of what happened I didn't go for like 2 years after😭

[@user-lt6uh7ql1z]

I LOVED FLOATING AROOUND THE PARK. WENT EVERY SUMMER. SAD IT WASN'T KEPT OPEN.

[@visionsofjanuary798]

Here's a lesser known fact: Those "other charges" on the owner had to do with drug possession. My spouse was working at the hotel he was at when he got arrested for methamphetamine possession.

[@exploretheabandoned]

I had no idea about that thanks for sharing!

[@joeyharper4976]

I remember when this case happened, But i didn't know they closed the entire park... Damn.

[@thewarhogclan171]

Like he said in the video, they tried to stay open but were struggling to stay open and were losing money.

[@dr.p0tat084]

I went once and went down veruct it was fast shure I was 11 at the time but I dont under stand how some one could have goten their heads taken off going down it

[@akw9606]

? You literally never watched the videos? All the weight was in the back. When it went over the hump, it launched him into the netting, snapping his head off his shoulders. It's quite easy to understand if you really look at from a 70mph speed and being flung into the netting. I've known people to get beheaded from way slower speeds than that on motorcycles.

[@Yugilover1]

I remembered Schlitterbahn I can't believe that they are gone forever it will be alive in my memories and those who remember going there for a fun time in the sun I ripped one of my long sleeve shirts while riding the lazy river and I remember an ex-friend of mine getting motion sick after getting off of the water tubes

[@Momma_Chai]

I rode this when I was 16. Was super duper scary but my stepdad really wanted me to go. All that stopped you from dying was a net

[@Notsoseriousguys]

The net is actually what ended up killing the kid and closing thy whole place!

[@joepeters4032]

I've read 4 attractions were closed throughout the 2018 season. Y not Verruckt, the most scrutinized 1, which was still there for the 2018 season?

[@mambofox4333]

Did they really just show the blood covered slide? Jesus

[@devbrew935]

I went once and it wasn't fun I prefer the one in New Braunfels TX

[@deedeeknutsson5205]

You could actually build that again (The Verrückt) BUT having guiderails for the rafts so they don't go flying high its that simple !!!

[@thog6573]

my cousins from Michigan flew into town to visit when I was in 5th grade. 5 days before this happened, we were all about to go on the slide where the kid got decapitated. But we chickened out because we had a bad feeling. Like the kid that died, my name is also Caleb, I was the exact same height, same age, and same weight

[@Overlandparkgirl]

I live right near here…just terrible 😞

[@jimrockford4968]

It was a bad location anyway. The city couldn't handle anything that big anyway. Attendance was in the dumps even before the death. They should just stick to BBQ

[@scotthayes4135]

Wild River Country in Arkansas suffered the same fate. Not because someone died however.

[@johnberry6895]

This park was the worst place ever not only did a little boy die but the people of Kansas City Kansas were over taxed because they got a 10 year tax break I’m glad to see it gone

[@treadwelljones]

Park Construction cost were 21 million phase 1 6.5 million phase 2 Netting was fabric. Guidance - from the committee was for dry side rides. Charges were dismissed because the court had determined that the Grand Jury was instructed to review the wrong set of standards.

[@RachelXKnight666]

Wow. I had no idea the entire park ended up closing. Karma

[@leviwright1310]

First Comment you already know it

[@exploretheabandoned]

So quick!!

[@frootluvr]

I remember when the slide first opened my sister's and I wanted to go so bad my mom said "Hell no! That's an accident waiting to happen." It's terrible what happened to that boy💔

[@Idc-y6h]

Yo but ppl say the Waterslide got torn off?

[@Inwhyseeb]

Someone should reopen it! Not to be lighthearted but a rebranded one would be just fine, that park had a lot more to give. May the kid Rest In Peace. Tragedy.

[@exploretheabandoned]

The park is now completly demolished

[@akw9606]

I've read hundreds of comments over the years and 90% of them says it was trash to begin with. I don't know. Never been.

[@BoSstudios-lx3xm]

I however didn’t live there at the time

[@antinatalistwitch111]

Was the boy 10 or 12? Hearing two different ages

[@exploretheabandoned]

I think he was 10 when that happened.

[@cournitooth6053]

he was 10, his brother was 12

[@TheAeroAvatar]

All it took was one fatal mistake. That slide NEVER should have seen the light of day. No thrill ride is worth losing your life.

[@6181green]

I guess they must have cancelled building the sports park because they are almost finished building a new camper/RV dealership where schlitterbahn used to be and it is scheduled to open July 15 2022 I am actually paving the parking lot as I type this comment 👍

[@SmokinBBQ]

I wanna buy it

[@Labyrinth1010]

Ugh. Those color bar glitch effects are the worst.

[@johnsonwilliam1023]

He wasn’t even supposed to be on it to begin with, but because his dad was a senator they let him go on it

[@nataliemoraes2033]

It would have deemed still unsafe. it was a ticking time bomb.

[@johnsonwilliam1023]

@@nataliemoraes2033 Well, I went on it twice. I live here in Kansas City, and everything was with. It was fine until this kid went on it. That wasn’t supposed to be on there because he was too short. Couldn’t stay in restraints. But since daddy was there with the rest of the Senators , the park was closed off to them only so they let them go on it and you see what happened

[@nataliemoraes2033]

@@johnsonwilliam1023 i get it. But like i said, bound to happen. With the ride only handling certain weight otherwise ppl would fly off regardless of age. The test dummies even flew off. And the ride after much inspection was deemed unsafe to standards. With that being said, another accident would have happened. I mean there needs to be certain weight on the ride and a certain distribution of weight on the ride. Sorry your ride you liked got shut down.

[@johnsonwilliam1023]

@@nataliemoraes2033 Apparently, you don’t get it because he left the raft he flew out of the raft because he was too short. nothing to do with weight. The Raft did not fly up in the air. The kid came out of it.

[@nataliemoraes2033]

@@johnsonwilliam1023 i am not sure if you get what i am saying. The park had many violations for that one ride. It's an accident waiting to happen.

[@JerryStigliano]

at 1:40 - the videos on the Travel Channel were fictional and a setup to make the ride appear scarier. The rafts had wheels and were launching into the air but it was all fake. This didn't happen (with any such degree) on the real ride. This is why the homicides charges were dropped when the the Travel Channel video was entered into evidence, therefore that part of the lawsuit was over. Check your facts, sonny.

[@Patbwoy]

Can none of you do some research about the correct pronunciation of the word "verrückt"?? I've watched a number of videos about the incident, not a single one came even close to the proper pronunciation!

[@madeleneandersson5875]

I guess it's pronounced "ve-ryckt" or something like that.

[@Rae_HairUAre]

@@madeleneandersson5875 Soft V, almost like an F, Vair-rookt

[@perthfanny3017]

​@@Rae_HairUArehi! I asked my German husband and this is not a OO sound. It sounds like a U in French (sound that doesn't exist in English )

[@Rae_HairUAre]

@@perthfanny3017 Hallo! True, it's -as in rook, the bird or chess piece, not oo as in cuckoo. It's the closest most English only speakers are going to get. I was raised in Germany also!

[@noahsullivan9018]

I’m from Olathe and i would like to say, Good Riddance to Schlitterbahn!