Five intrepid adventurers (Marcus, Angela, Rudhra, Nicole and I) spent a Sunday morning a couple of months ago exploring the ruins of Mimaland. It was reportedly Asia's largest theme park back in the 70s, and was hugely popular from 1971 to 1987 or so. It closed its doors for good in 1994 following several fatalities within its grounds. The place has been abandoned and boarded up and is reputed to be haunted, but hey, this is Southeast Asia! Everything from the upstairs bathroom and corner cubicle to your grandmother's larder is said to be haunted!
We trespassed into private property, took nothing but photographs and left nothing but footprints and memories of a simpler, happier time when Malaysians could be amused by mini golf, paddle boats, giant waterslides and fibreglass dinosaurs.
The entrance ticket used to cost only RM2.00 and then we would pay extra for all the different attractions. The paddleboats, water slides, mini golf and children's rides were very popular back in the day.
Mimaland from the outside: Metal fencing and a Keep Out sign.
The derelict old entrance. This is where the ticketing counter used to be.
A walk in the woods led by our Chief Scout Marcus.
The paths leading to the Ticketing Office are all overgrown now.
We entered what must have been a sort of rec room, because we found snooker balls, playing cards and stacks of tickets, now all reduced to ashes. Marcus says it wasn't burned down yet the last time he was here. Could this possibly have been due to arson?
The old tickets to the swimming pool. It used to cost only RM2 per entry.
Steps and bridge over a stream, all overgrown now.
The ruins of the old arcade.
This used to be the old boating lake where the paddleboats and swan boats used to be.
But wait, what's that on the dry shore of the lake?
Why, it's a little bi-plane, from one of the old rides!
Vandalised, graffiti-ed and mostly empty -- the old arcade.
The remains of two of the old kiddie rides are still here.
I rode on these very same horses as a child. I used to think these were life-sized horses. I felt a little shocked at seeing how tiny they actually are today.
The old Hall of Mirrors used to look so huge to me as a child. I saw with amazement today that it was actually no bigger than my master bedroom.
Hiking up the hill to the highlight of our day.
We found dinosaurs! We whooped and cheered like actual paleontologists. Well, actually, I did. I have no chill when it comes to dinosaurs.
This is what the same spot used to look like when I visited with my family in 1985.
Super-happy besties on an adventure, upon encountering an intact T-Rex!
Now let's see what the T-Rex used to look like back in 1985.
Poor forgotten Triceratops with a broken horn.
I swear it wasn't us who broke the horn back in '85. I am pretty sure it had remained intact for a good number of years until the park's closure.
What the heck is this anyway? Some kind of ancient Moa bird?
Poor pentaceratops with a split skull.
I still think you are cool, Pentaceratops!
Cool-ass stegosaurus.
Dimetrodon with a severed leg.
A random cute baby bear.
Woolly mammoth found!
And this was how imposing it used to look back in '85.
And yes, my brothers and I were hamming it up for the camera because our parents asked us to.
Petrified saber-toothed tiger.
Ankylosaur at the old archway.
An almost-concealed random Asian elephant. I think this used to be a stream.
Rudhra blowing an elven triceratops horn.
A cicada had moulted and left behind its transparent exoskeleton.
We continued exploring and found what probably used to be the old motel and chalets.
Vintage glass soda bottles left behind, as though the people just stood up and left in the middle of a party.
Nature taking over. Pretty soon the roots of the ficus tree would cover the walls, and we will end up with a modern day Angkor Wat here.
Old room rates engraved onto the walls.
What is probably part of the old swimming pool. This used to be a marvelously landscaped park but the secondary forest has taken over now.
The old Mimaland logo on the metal fencing, bringing back memories of a simpler, happier time.
Urban adventurers, out.
3 comments:
Was there once as kid but all forgotten. Thanks for the memories, guys.
Dear DJK,
Thank you for visiting! I heard they have a watchdog there now. I am sure it won't be a major issue for the security guards if visitors keep the place clean and do not remove or vandalise anything.
Been planning to visit there since I'm studying at setapak which is kinda near to gombak..so any tips/advice e.g like how to go in is very much appreciated hahaha
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