Zombie Theme Park Set to Rise Next Summer

Hard-luck Detroit may not have the best reputation these days, but one group wants to use the city’s urban decay as an asset. Enter “Z World Detroit,” a proposed zombie theme park. A group is raising money and hoping to turn some of the city’s abandoned areas into an interactive park. With zombies.

The creators argue that this project is a way to revitalize neglected sections of the city, bringing jobs and funds into blighted neighborhoods. Could Z World help Detroit rise from the (figurative) dead?

Right now, the team is soliciting donations for Z World on fund-raising site Indiegogo. Donate $100 and up, and you’ll get free overnight admission when the park opens. According to the group:

“This is not a project that takes pictures of once-beautiful old buildings, frames it as art and says, ‘what a shame.’ Instead, this is actually doing something by creating vitality, life, jobs and activity. When this project is successful, there is an enormous potential to create additional ancillary businesses in the area such as stores and restaurants. In this sense, this project transcends an ordinary business. It has the potential to literally transform a portion of the city and the surrounding area.

“As strange as a zombie-themed park might sound, there are many ways to get local community groups involved in the project. For instance, a space this size could be used for a variety of community and charity events. Imagine a 5K-run through the area to raise money for a local charity? Parts of the park could be transformed into massive, living art installation, done by aspiring artists and kids groups. Perhaps a unique partnership could be formed with the city to build and maintain sports fields that could be used for tournaments. In short, this could become the hub of a neighborhood and a real part of the neighborhood.”

Their vision: Visitors will enter an enclosed urban landscape overrun with the living dead. You and your friends will have to find supplies, avoid the zombies, and find refuge. Visitors will wear tear-away patches (kind of like flag football) and zombies will turn people by ripping off their patches. Once all the patches have been ripped off, the visitor will join the zombie side, hunting down survivors. 

If all goes well, the park will open next summer.

Would you visit a zombie-themed park? Tell us why or why not in the comments!