[1][2] It received public attention for urban legends regarding the park being haunted due to accidental deaths supposedly caused by "cursed land".

[4][2][5] In 1926, an entrepreneur named Conley Trigg Snidow, Sr. purchased the land and began developing an amusement park for the people of Mercer County, West Virginia.

The park, which featured a ferris wheel and a swing ride, was popular among locals in the county, particularly families of coal miners who resided in the area.

[6] The abandoned Lake Shawnee Amusement Park was also showcased on the part 5 episode of Most Terrifying Places in America which aired on the Travel Channel in 2010.

In 2019, Lake Shawnee Amusement Park was also featured in a haunted locations on the paranormal TV series, Most Terrifying Places which aired on Travel Channel.