Netflix’s Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire is a 2021 documentary that recounts the horrific 1979 incident in Sydney’s Luna Park. On June 9, 2021, the park’s iconic Ghost Train ride caught fire with 35 passengers on board. Seven people died in the fire that day, as per Women’s Health. A subsequent inquest failed to produce results and was unable to determine the actual cause of the fire. Nonetheless, the renowned park remains open even today.
Is Sydney’s Luna Park still open today?
According to Women’s Health, Perth Now previously reported that Sydney’s Luna Park, which once witnessed a heartbreaking tragedy, is still open today. Moreover, it has become the oldest continuously run theme park in the world and is the oldest amusement park in Australia. Two branches, one in Sydney (where the Ghost Train fire occurred) and a second one in Melbourne, out of the original four still function.
The outlet reported that the one based in Sydney was temporarily closed after the June 1979 fire. They reopened the park in 1982 with “new and reconditioned rides.” However, the park closed a second time in 1988 due to an unsuccessful redevelopment project.
Ultimately, in the 1990s, a new management took over the theme park after closing temporarily again in 1996. Recently, it closed one more time in January 2021 for renovation. It reopened not long after and remains operative today. The establishment even hosts events and allows visitors to buy tickets in bulk for parties or other functions.
Luna Park’s official website states that the Sydney location does not have the Ghost Train ride anymore. However, visitors can find the iconic ride at the one in Melbourne.
Reportedly, Luna Park’s original inspiration was the same theme park based in Coney Island, which originally opened in 1903. In fact, as per the New York Times, the New York-based amusement park also closed once due to a fire-related incident in 1944. It only recently reopened in 2010 and now operates for limited hours during the holiday season.
