Candy Land DIY skatepark is a hidden skatepark I unexpectedly came across while urban exploring an abandoned building in Austin, Texas.
As I was driving out of Austin to head back home to Dallas, I noticed this abandoned building on the side of the road. I pulled over to go explore and photograph it. The building had shrubs grown all around it. I wonder if I would be able to get inside. The structure looks like it was a strip mall at some point. Or maybe it was supposed to be one but was never finished. The graffiti all over it immediately caught my attention. It definitely seemed like a place where people come to and hang out and vandalize. It was really easy to get to. There were no fences or signs or anything else preventing people from approaching it. As I got closer I saw an entrance to the interior.
The exterior of the building had a lot of damage, not sure how much longer it will remain standing.
Candy Land DIY skatepark
Once inside I was expecting to see rotted drywall, broken glass, and lots of trash. Instead, I totally surprised to see a massive makeshift skatepark. There were ramps, railings, flat rails, edges, and banks. Grafitti was also everywhere. It looked like such a cool place to skate. It made me feel a bit envious that I didn’t have a place like this to hang out at when I was a teenager. I walked around taking a lot of photos, I didn’t see anyone there at first. After walking around some, I encountered a guy sleeping on a couch with a tent near him, I quietly took and photo and walk off.
When I arrived home I did some research and learned that the place is called Candy Land DIY Skatepark. I couldn’t any history about the building or the name of the skatepark.
A cool bench made of skateboard decks.
An abandoned shopping cart, I couldn’t resist.
Here’s a video I found on YouTube of some guys skating at Candy Land DIY skatepark: