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Abandoned Places You Won't Believe Are Real
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items A collection of abandoned places, ghost towns, deserted amusement parks, ruined buildings, forgotten attractions, and other fascinating places left behind around the world. I picked these for the photos, the history, and the sheer weirdness of seeing...
If you love abandoned places being completely reclaimed by nature, put this one on the list. The former fishing village is covered in thick green vegetation, with empty houses disappearing beneath the vines. A particularly good choice for anyone who ...
Houtouwan in Shengshan Island
This former diamond-mining town is being swallowed by the Namib Desert, with sand filling the interiors of abandoned buildings. The combination of old architecture, empty rooms, and desert sand makes it an especially striking ghost town to explore.
Kolmanskop Ghost Town in Karas
A medieval Italian village left largely deserted after landslides made it unsafe. Crumbling stone buildings, old streets, a castle, and the stark landscape around the town make this a great choice for anyone drawn to abandoned architecture and histor...
The Village of Craco in Province of Matera
The abandoned Ferris wheel is what most people recognize, but the entire amusement park is fascinating. It was only open briefly before the Chornobyl disaster, leaving behind rides, buildings, and paths that have been gradually overtaken by nature. A...
Prypiat Amusement Park in Prypiat
For anyone who wants more than a single abandoned building, Bodie is a particularly good ghost-town recommendation. More than 100 historic structures remain, including homes, businesses, and saloons, with interiors and belongings preserved in place. ...
Bodie State Historic Park in Bridgeport
This giant abandoned monument looks like a concrete flying saucer sitting on top of a mountain. Built during Bulgaria’s communist era, it is known for its unusual futuristic architecture and deteriorating interior mosaics. A great choice for fans of ...
Buzludzha Monument in Kazanlak
An actual ruined castle in the Hudson River is difficult to resist. Bannerman’s Castle was built for military storage and later used as a family retreat before fires and neglect left it in its current ruined state. Worth adding for anyone interested ...
Bannerman's Castle in Beacon
This abandoned amusement park has rusting rides, overgrown grounds, and a particularly dark history. The deteriorating Ferris wheel and children's rides give it a genuinely eerie atmosphere. A strong choice for anyone looking for abandoned places tha...
Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in Rock
An abandoned roadside attraction filled with giant fiberglass dinosaurs is exactly the kind of strange place that belongs on this list. The former park also featured a volcano, cavemen, a safari train, and a water slide, with some of the prehistoric ...
Prehistoric Forest Amusement Park in Onsted
An almost-empty Pennsylvania coal town sits above an underground mine fire that has been burning since 1962. Most of the buildings are gone, leaving streets and traces of the former community behind. This is a good one for anyone interested in abando...
Centralia in Aristes
This former Christian theme park once attracted huge crowds before eventually closing, leaving behind the enormous abandoned hotel tower and other remnants of the development. An unusual recommendation for anyone interested in abandoned amusement par...
Heritage USA in Fort Mill
This former prison is now a preserved historic site, but its enormous crumbling cellblocks still have the atmosphere of an abandoned institution. The unusual radial design, ruined corridors, and preserved cells make it worth exploring for anyone inte...
Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia
The former amusement park is now a public park, but remnants of its past are still scattered throughout the property. Old roller coaster supports, buildings, a pool, and other structures remain alongside the current park. A good recommendation for an...
Cascade Park in New Castle
A bizarre piece of old Florida: Bongoland was a short-lived roadside attraction featuring life-size concrete dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. Some of the sculptures survived and can still be found at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens. Definitely w...
Bongoland Ruins in Port Orange
An abandoned Western-themed amusement park with a replica frontier town, saloon, church, sheriff's station, and decaying animatronic figures. The combination of an American Old West theme and an abandoned Japanese attraction makes this one particular...
Abandoned Western Village in Nikko