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› Travel › Ghost Towns. Ghost towns in the USA · 1. Centralia, PA · 2. Custer, ID · 3. Bodie, CA · 4. Kennecott, AK · 5. Rhyolite, NV · 6. Cahawba, AL · 7. Glenrio, NM/TX · 8.
Most famous abandoned city in usa. The world’s most fascinating abandoned towns and cities
Shaniko was officially incorporated in , and that same year the town produced 2, tons of wool to service communities along the rail line. Around the same time, two fires in the business district destroyed any remaining hype, sending Shaniko on the path toward abandonment only 10 years after its founding. Finished in , it was initially a jack-of-all-trades gathering place, with guest rooms, a bank, and a dance hall. Other surviving buildings include the Sage Museum, Shaniko School, city hall, jail, post office, and a wool barn.
Want more Thrillist? Skip to main content Things didn’t bode well for Bodie, California. Things didn’t bode well for Bodie, California. Travel Ghost Towns. Kennecott, Alaska. Elmo, Colorado. Bodie, California. Cahawba, Alabama. Virginia City, Montana.
Rhyolite, Nevada. Batsto Village, New Jersey. Dawson, New Mexico. Garnet, Montana. Centralia, Pennsylvania. Ashcroft, Colorado. Mystic, South Dakota. Shaniko, Oregon. Kyler Alvord loves a good ghost and a good town. Find him on Twitter and Instagram. Sophie-Claire Hoeller has had frequent flyer status since she was born in a Lufthansa terminal. Follow her Sohostyle. Kastalia Medrano is a New York-based journalist and avid traveler. Follow her on Twitter.
Make Fun. Thrillist Serves. Subscribe to Thrillist Daily. Come along for the ride! By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy. Like something out of a nightmare, the coal fire under the town of Centralia, Pennsylvania has been raging since and may burn for another years. An attempt to clean up the local landfill lit the coal seams under the surface of this small Pennsylvania town. In the years the fire has burned, residents have slowly abandoned their homes fearing not only the fire beneath their feet but sudden sinkholes and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Eminent domain was used to take control over most of the homes in Centralia and the dozen or so remaining residents agreed to give their property over to the government when they pass away. The state government condemned Centralia in Founded in as a “nuclear city ,” a city specifically built to house the workers at a nearby nuclear power plant, Pripyat had more than 13, apartments , schools for 5, children, two dozen stores and cafes, a cinema, sports hall, cultural center, several factories and a hospital when disaster struck at the Chernobyl power plant, according to USA Today.
After the reactor blew on April 26, , releasing toxic radiation into the surrounding area, the entire city was evacuated. The people from Pripyat were relocated and the city of Slavutych was built as their new home. Since the radiation levels have decreased considerably in the years since the disaster and the reactor has been capped, people have been allowed back into the “Nuclear Exclusion Zone.
Hashima Island, colloquially known as Gunkanjima meaning Battleship Island , is an abandoned island located off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan. Originally developed as a residence for people working in the undersea coal mines in , Hashima Island quickly expanded into an island of concrete high-rise buildings housing over 5, people. In addition to the usual community buildings, this island fortress featured a clubhouse, movie theater, communal bath, swimming pool, rooftop gardens, stores, and even a pachinko parlor.
The mine eventually closed in when Japan moved away from coal power and with the jobs went the residents. As interest in the island grew because of its interesting history and striking architecture, travel to the island was resumed in Hashima Island was also featured as a villain’s lair in the James Bond movie ” Skyfall. Soldiers killed individuals and left few survivors. Post-war, the village became symbolic of German crimes against civilians and was declared a memorial and museum.
It remains preserved in its ruined state and every year on June 10, a commemoration ceremony is held to mark the anniversary of the massacre. In the late s, Bodie was a mining town packed with people trying to get in on the success of the California Gold Rush. For 17 years, it was a small mining camp that was filled with a variety of people. Rough winters, disease, and mining accidents led to the death of many of Bodie’s inhabitants — and Bodie’s high crime levels earned the town a reputation for lawlessness.
By , the population declined as mining companies became bankrupt and people sought out better opportunities. Over the next few decades, Bodie was built up and destroyed again by multiple fires. But, by , Bodie was a ghost town. Later, when coal production skyrocketed, people from across the country arrived in the Arctic region for its high-paying jobs. Towns and villages quickly popped up as the city boomed, as Insider previously reported.
In , the station was set to be demolished , but the historic building was saved. Lake Shawnee Amusement Park closed in The now-abandoned amusement park was built on the site of a Native American burial ground and the brutal massacre of the Clay family in by a group of Native Americans.
In the s, the old Clay family farm was purchased by businessman Conley T. Snidow, who developed it into a small amusement park with a swing set, Ferris wheel, and swimming pond. After six guests were killed over the years, Lake Shawnee closed for good in The rusty remains of the park’s rides are still standing and every year during the week leading up to Halloween, you can take a flashlight tour of the supposedly haunted area. The largest abandoned subway system in America is underneath Cincinnati.
In , plans were developed for a mile, city-wide subway system with six stops. The underground tunnels were completed by , but economic issues slowed the subway system’s development until the project was abandoned completely in Today, the abandoned subway tunnels are sealed off to the public, but occasionally the city will hold tours of the desolate stations.
Bodie is a gold mining ghost town that’s now a designated historic landmark. In the late 19th century, Bodie was a booming town with nearly 10, residents, 65 saloons, gambling halls, brothels, and opium dens.
Today, you can visit the buildings of Bodie that are in a perpetual state of “arrested decay,” and maintained by the state of California. Nicknamed “Terrible Tilly,” this lighthouse off the coast of Oregon was in operation from until Ironically, just a few weeks before the lighthouse opened, a ship sailed too close to the shore because of low visibility, and crashed, killing all 16 crew members. When the Tillamook lighthouse was in operation, conditions for workers were notoriously rough, and one lighthouse keeper even allegedly went insane.
Decades after the lighthouse was decommissioned in , it was turned into a columbarium — or a storehouse for urns of cremated remains. To this day, the remains of 30 people are still stored inside the lighthouse. The park was then transformed into a thrill park, but that did not last, and the grounds closed for good in Dogpatch USA is a favorite visit for urban explorers, as many of the park’s rides and attractions still remain relatively intact.
The park was later purchased by a developer who had dreams of refurbishing the park. In December, conservative entertainment company Heritage USA expressed interest in buying the land and building a resort, but nothing has been finalized. Read next. Joanna Fantozzi. Facebook Icon The letter F.
Email icon An envelope. It indicates the ability to send an email. Share icon An curved arrow pointing right. Facebook Email icon An envelope. Email Twitter icon A stylized bird with an open mouth, tweeting. Twitter Snapchat icon A ghost. Snapchat Fliboard icon A stylized letter F. Flipboard Pinterest icon The letter “P” styled to look like a thumbtack pin. Pinterest Link icon An image of a chain link. It symobilizes a website link url. Copy Link. Ohio State Reformatory — Mansfield, Ohio.
Six Flags theme park — New Orleans, Louisiana. Elkmont Historic District — Elkmont, Tennessee. Kaluakoi Resort — Molokai Ranch, Hawaii. Letchworth Village — Thiells, New York. Garnet, Montana. Holy Land U. City Methodist Church — Gary, Indiana. Santa Claus, Arizona. Cementland — St. Louis, Missouri. Salton Riviera — Salton City, California. Kennecott Mines — Kennecott, Alaska. Home of Truth — Utah. Dome Home — Cape Romano, Florida. Millions of people flocked to the park, and the free zoo was an immediate success.
In , the city of Boston set up a commission to revitalize the historic park. Attempts at modernization were made, and a new, more professional staff was hired. A fence was built encircling the park, and admission was charged for park entrance. The zoo entered the modern era, but not all of it. Some of the original structures, such as the Franklin Park Zoo Bear Pens, were left outside the fence to rot. Plans made by the city to tear down the bear pens never came to fruition.
So they remain, left to the elements and curiosity seekers. One of the pens contains a highly detailed stone motif depicting the crest of Boston, surrounded by bears. The bear pens are connected by walking trails to the new zoo. Explore with caution as the structures are crumbling, covered in rust. The church is a 9-story piece of art featuring ornate stonework, countless molded arches, towering pillars, and of course, copious amounts of stained glass windows.
During its heyday in the mid 20th century, the church served over 2, congregants. Time passes, and fortunes change; as the US steel market faltered, so did Gary, Indiana, and by extension, this enormous cathedral.
In , with few parishioners left, church leaders hoped to save the church by leasing it to a nearby university. Despite rental income, the expense of maintaining the church proved too much, and in , the doors were closed for good. Vandals and the elements soon took their toll on this once magnificent edifice. Abandoned to this day, the church stands as a marvel of urban ruin.
It has been featured in films such as Nightmare on Elm Street and Transformers 3. The church, which is dangerously unstable in many places, remains a favorite of urban explorers. Unlike many abandoned sites, the lodge is a time capsule filled with discoveries, not a graffiti-encrusted empty shell.
After the ski lodge closed in due to poor management and increased competition between the slopes, the resort was left vacant but not empty. The hotel is filled with original paperwork, ski lift tickets, and everything needed to run a ski resort. The many rooms are full of furniture, lamps, TVs, even linens.
The site consists of the main ski lodge, a hotel with an outdoor pool, and a deserted ski slope complete with lifts eternally hanging in mid-air, awaiting riders. The sign on the ski hill proclaims the run has been plowed and is open for fun, but it has been many years since it has seen skiers. Walking around the lodge and peering into the windows, many of which have been shattered, you will find beds made, trash cans emptied, and everything covered in a thick layer of dust. The dining room holds empty pretzel carousels and slushie machines unplugged, ready for use.
The office is filled with guest information. Recently the place was purchased with plans to re-open but until then, check out this well-known urbex site. The facility quickly gained a reputation for cruelty and abuse. Many who visit here make claims of paranormal activity onsite.
Only a few cases of abuse are documented. In , the hospital admitted a year old boy for an unknown illness. It turns out the boy had been fed rat poison. In the Home made headlines again when a year-old dairy farm worker murdered a year old boy in his care.
The defendant confessed to beating the boy to death with a tire iron in a dispute over washing milk cans. Four large graffiti-covered structures still stand on the site, located at Southton and Farm Roads in San Antonio.
This site is a popular destination for paranormal hunters and organized ghost tours. It is also home to squatters at times — human and rattlesnake. So, exercise caution when exploring…and bring a first aid kit with Antivenin. Cameras, headlamps, respirators and more. Urban exploration can be very gear-heavy, especially when exploring abandoned places in the United States.
We recommend both the Osprey Packs Daylite for sling backpacks or the Mardingtop Tactical Backpack for a standard two-strap backpack. Alternatively, check out our comprehensive guide for far more options, tips, and tricks. The park opened in , and it has been closed since August when it sustained severe damage due to flooding from the infamous Hurricane Katrina.
Katrina smashed into New Orleans, breaking thru levees and washing out significant portions of the city. In Jazzland, the waters rose to over twenty feet.
Much of the property damage occurred when the corrosive seawater, combined with much rainwater, lingered after the hurricane passed, leaving the park to sit in six feet of salty water for months.
When the waters subsided, devastation was revealed. Looking like a post-apocalyptic Wonderland, most of the structures and rides were destroyed. One exception to the destruction was the famous Batman roller coaster built on an elevated platform. However, the park overall was too far gone for restoration. In , New Orleans sued Six Flags and took ownership of the property.
Since that time, the city has leased the property for use in several post-apocalyptic-type films, including Jurassic World , Deepwater Horizon , and Dawn of The Planet of The Apes. The Covid pandemic has been compared to the Spanish Flu outbreak, but few people recall the most devastating epidemic of the 19th century, the smallpox epidemic.
Though a vaccination was discovered in , it took over a century for smallpox to be eradicated in the US and even longer to be eliminated worldwide. Treatment for patients included isolation, and dedicated hospitals for smallpox patients were established. Accessible from Manhattan via subway or tram, few people visit the hospital now.
Known as one of the most haunted places in the US, the hospital has seen new infamy with urban explorers and paranormal hunters. Better known for Grace Church on Broadway and St. Between its opening in till , the hospital treated an average of 7, patients per year.
By the number of patients exceeded capacity, and the city smallpox hospital moved to a much larger facility on North Brother Island. The Roosevelt Island Smallpox Hospital was turned into a training center for nurses and was in operation until Left to the elements since that time, the colossal Gothic structure is a wonder to behold.
Glades Correctional Institution opened in as Prison Farm 2. Regardless of the designation, this institution gained national notoriety in when six inmates — all serving life sentences — dug a tunnel under the chapel and escaped.
One of the escapees was captured just outside the prison fence, but the rest managed to flee. A tip from locals led police to two more of the inmates, one of whom was fatally shot during the capture. Two more of the inmates were captured in Little Havana when an officer on patrol spotted them. The last inmate remained on the lam until when Mexican police shot him in a failed robbery attempt.
Glades Correctional Institution is the second oldest prison in Florida. Urban explorers will enjoy investigating the cell blocks, and other facilities left abandoned. If you love exploring old industrial sites, Fisher Flour Mill just outside of Seattle is perfect for your next urbex adventure.
The abandoned mill sits decaying, with 14 floors of interesting antiquated milling equipment now covered in graffiti and bird droppings.
After creating man-made Harbor Island in Elliot Bay in , a pair of flour-milling entrepreneurs was the first to build on the island. Fisher and O. Fisher officially opened the Fisher Flour Mill in The mill processed and packaged their ground grain mixture for sale on its own or as part of products like Fisher Scones. The Fishers, being savvy businessmen, expanded their empire over the next eight decades to eventually include 26 radio stations and 12 TV stations, all heavily promoting their products.
As their media businesses became more profitable, they decided to sell the mill. Oregon-based Pendleton Flour Mills bought the Harbor Island facility in but closed the site after only one year.
Since then, the abandoned site has become a legend with urban explorers. For more than 50 years, this acre site served as a correctional facility for non-violent criminals. The Atlanta Prison Farm opened in to provide vocational training and rehabilitation for men. Prisoners operated the dairy, raised livestock, and harvested produce, creating a self-sustaining facility while selling surplus to the public.
With little security and no armed guards, the City embraced it as a progressive idea. However, in reality, the chain-gangs who worked the farm were little more than indentured servants of the state. After closing in , the state abandoned the farm, and soon kudzu and graffiti covered the remaining buildings. In the site caught fire, and the fire department decided to let it burn itself out rather than risk lives to save the crumbling facility.
Proposals for the future of the property are complicated by the fact the owners are the City of Atlanta and Fulton County despite the fact the site is in Dekalb county. Visitors to the site should exercise caution as many of the structures are unstable. City leaders developed a plan for an underground mass transit system at a time when horse-drawn buggies competed with streetcars and the new automobile on the busy city streets.
– Most famous abandoned city in usa
This is a list of lists of ghost towns in the United States by state. List of ghost towns in Alabama · List of ghost towns in Alaska · List of ghost towns. 1. Calico, California. ghost towns in america california ; 2. Rhyolite, Nevada. Rhyolite Ghost Town near Death Valley ; 3. Goldfield, Arizona. 30 of the Most Stunning Abandoned Towns Around the World · Hashima Island, Japan · Oradour-sur-Glane, France · Bodie, California · Craco, Italy.
