Located right off Hwy 90 the small town of Hampshire, Il there was a small theme park named Shireland which combined ponies and carousels in a fair like setting. It was only open, however from 1988-1989 and has since been vacant and exposed to the harsh midwestern elements. These photos are from a couple of years ago and not much remained by this visit – the merry go round and ferris wheel were long gone and remaining structures were derelict and had been vandalized or destroyed by fire. I had only been to Shireland once while it was still open when a first date took me there in 1989. Even then I thought it was a little weird, and the vibe was strangely heavy even while it was in operation. It is nonetheless, a cool little reminder of a different place and time, even as it’s being reclaimed by nature.