Here is even more abandoned shit left to rot ...part 3.......enjoy ...........
101. Guignard Brick Works, Cayce, South Carolina
Location: Cayce, South Carolina
Year: 1932
Cost: Unknown
The Guignard Brick Works holds the distinction of not only being a protected historical landmark but also for being the oldest brickworks industrial plant in America. It was founded in Cayce, South Carolina in 1801, and, for centuries, Guignard produced the bricks for many of the buildings in not only SC, but the entire South.
Guignard consisted of four brick beehive kilns, a brick office, and more industrial features. The Guignard Brick Works got its clay from the nearby Congaree River Banks. Eventually, this historic business shut its doors as the times changed, but the site remains part of the National Register of Historic Places as of 1995.
102. Quinlan Castle, Birmingham, Alabama
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Year: 1927
Cost: $1.71 million to build*
Built in 1927 for an inflation-adjusted price of over $1 million, the Quinlan Castle is something you don’t see every day in America, a place with almost no castles. Bishop Quinlan of the Catholic Church purchased the land with the intention to build Birmingham, Alabama’s first Catholic Church.
William Welton designed the Castle, and he was inspired by the castles he had seen in Europe while in WWI. Immediately, Quinlan Castle ran into controversy. It was rumored to be a Nazi stronghold in the 1940s, but, when Birmingham Police raided the place, they found no evidence of that. Quinlan Castle never bounced back from its shaky past and, though privately owned now, the building has remained abandoned since the 1990s.
103. Fort Bayard Historic Site, Santa Clara, New Mexico
Location: Santa Clara, New Mexico
Year: 1866
Cost: $35 million* (2013 Proposed Renovation Cost)
Forty Bayard was established in the 1800s, and it was at first the site of security for settlers in the nineteenth century. African-American “Buffalo Soldiers” manned Fort Bayard against Native American attacks on colonizers during the Wild, Wild West era. After that, Fort Bayard became a tuberculosis sanitarium and, later, a VA hospital.
In the 1940s, it held German prisoners of war. Fort Bayard has had a lot of duties over the years, and, now, it is partially abandoned, though some of the facility functions as a long-term care residence, as well as a drug treatment center. The landscaping and Fort Bayard National Cemetery are all that remain of this colorful institution.
104. Harbor Island Abandoned Houses, St. Helena Island, South Carolina
Location: St. Helena Island, Beaufort, South Carolina
Year: 2000s
Cost: $112,000-$398,000* (2022 Home Value)
Harbor Island is one of several islands off the coast of Beaufort, South Carolina. Harbor Island was once a popular vacation spot for locals and tourists, and that led to condos, duplexes, and homes being constructed on Harbor’s three-mile-long beach.
There were not a lot of rules on where you could build homes when Harbor Island was inhabited, which led to homeowners making the foolhardy decision to construct their pricey beach abodes directly on the sand. Sure enough, when hurricanes hit, these homeowners realized their mistake, and they abandoned the homes, leaving the ruins in their place. The ruined beach houses remain a unique testament to the destructive power of nature.
105. Aladdin Coal Tipple, Aladdin, Wyoming
Location: Aladdin, Wyoming
Year: 1898
Cost: $1.5 million* (2014 Sale Price For Aladdin)
Aladdin, Wyoming’s Wooden Coal Tipple is one of the American West’s last remaining mining structures. It is an excellent example of the mining technology that was, at the time, considered cutting-edge in the late 1800s. The Coal Tipple was used to store coal that was coming out of the mines, sorting the resource as it coursed through the chutes.
At the height of Aladdin’s mining boom, the surrounding town had 500 people living there. But, when coal production faltered in 1911, people began to abandon Aladdin. Now, the hamlet and its Coal Tipple are a tourist attraction, where visitors can get a glimpse of times gone by.
106. Clifton Cliff Jail, Arizona
Location: Clifton, Arizona
Year: 1878
Cost: Unknown
In 1878, part of the Clifton Cliff, a stone mountain, was blasted out to form a bastille for lawbreakers in the Wild, Wild West. Gunslingers and old Western villains were captured and put into this living rock prison in Arizona, which was said to be inescapable.
The jail was founded because prisoners who were, originally, sentenced to hard labor in the copper mines ended up fleeing and escaping rather than going to work in Clifton’s subterranean tunnels. So, the Clifton Cliff Prison was founded. There were two cells—one for criminals who committed severe crimes and another for those who committed minor crimes. The first occupant of Clifton Jail was its creator, a man who got so excited at his feat that he shot his gun in the air while drunk.
107. Elberton Ghost Town, Garfield, Washington
Location: Garfield, Washington
Year: 1886
Cost: Unknown
In 1886, on a group of pastoral hills between Idaho and Washington, Sylvester Wait and his son, Elbert, founded Elberton. The town began to flourish in the West, adding on a black smile shop, general stores, a church, a grain warehouse, a flour mill, and a post office. By 1900, the population had hit 400.
But then, two tragedies struck. First was a fire that decimated the town, while a flood, two years later, sealed the deal on Elberton’s abandonment. The landmarks that have remained over the past century include an overgrown cemetery, abandoned homes, and the United Brethren Church.
108. Budville Trading Post, Cibola County, New Mexico
Location: Cibola County, New Mexico
Year: 1928
Cost: Unknown
The story behind the Budville Trading Post, located alongside a seemingly-quiet stretch of New Mexico’s Old Route 66, is nothing short of fascinating. Budville was founded by Bud Rice and his wife, two people known to have very aggressive personalities. The town grew quickly, and Rice named himself the “law West of the Pecos River.”
Rice was notoriously corrupt, often using his self-declared “law enforcement” position to exploit people traveling along Route 66. Eventually, Rice’s crooked dealings caught up to him when, in 1967, he was killed by a stranger named Billy Ray White who shot him and stole $450 from his trading post. Bud’s wife ran Budville until she passed in the late 1970s—after that, the Trading Post was abandoned, left to stand as a harsh reminder of the old adage, “You reap what you sow.”
109. Seaside Sanatorium, Waterford, Connecticut
Location: 36 Shore Road, Waterford, Connecticut
Year: 1934
Cost: $2.23 million* (Land Price, 1930)
The Seaside Sanatorium is a historical medical facility located in Waterford, Connecticut on 36 Shore Road. The facility is significant, as it was the first of its kind designed to heliotropically treat kids suffering from the formerly-fatal lung disease known as tuberculosis.
Built in 1934 and designed by Cass Gilbert, Seaside is now a Connecticut State Park. The land underneath the brick fortress, all 36 acres, cost $2.23 million (inflation-adjusted) in 1930. The facility ran well, helping children sun outside to relieve their TB symptoms. Luckily, modern medicine advanced and, in the 1940s, sanatoriums were no longer necessary and Seaside’s days as a TB ward ended.
110. Summit Greenhouse, Summit, New Jersey
Location: Summit, New Jersey
Year: 1920s
Cost: $5,000-$50,000 to demolish in 2018*
Alas, you can no longer visit the eerie Summit Greenhouse in Summit, New Jersey, as it was torn down in 2018 due to safety reasons. The gigantic greenhouse was a bit of a mystery, though the general consensus is that it was built in the 1920s, according to the dates on the bricks used to construct it.
The machinery and artifacts inside the greenhouse indicate that Summit was abandoned sometime in the 1970s. True to its purpose, the original owners, whoever they were, left the greenhouse to get taken over by nature. Until 2018, it was a hotspot for those looking to tour creepy, otherworldly East Coast ruins.
111. Spirit of Sacramento, Sacramento, California
Location: Sacramento, California
Year: 1942
Cost: $1.6 million cleanup cost in 2016*
The Spirit of Sacramento, a three-story riverboat, started its life as an Army Corps snag boat, operating under the name Putah. Then, actor John Wayne bought and renamed it for his movie Blood Alley, a 1955 film starring him and Lauren Bacall. The boat changed hands after that until the 1990s when a nasty fire struck.
At the time, the Spirit had been chartering people up the river on dinner cruises, but the fire reduced it to ruins. It was sold and repaired but never returned to its former glory. When it partially sank due to vandalism, the city had to pay around $1.6 million to clean up the ruins, lest the Spirit become a hazard once again (if it broke free and got into the river, it would smash anything in its path).
112. Palace of the Golden Orbs, Houston, Texas
Location: Overture Drive, Houston, Texas
Year: 1990s
Cost: $6 million to build*
Chong Hua Sheng Mu Holy Place, also known as the Palace of the Golden Orbs, is a Taoist structure located on Overture Drive in Houston, Texas. It sticks out among the Western suburbs, thanks to the gigantic golden sphere emerging from its roof. You can easily spot the Palace as it juts above nearby two-story apartment buildings and strip malls.
The Taoist Palace was abandoned when its creator ran out of money, abandoning the property in the nineties. Kwai Fu Wong’s plans were ambitious, and her work remains untouched. No one has torn the temple down, and it remains a monument to a dream unrealized.
113. Donner Pass Summit Tunnels, Truckee, California
Location: Truckee, Nevada County, California
Year: 1866
Cost: Unknown
Abandoned tunnels are, essentially, subterranean haunted houses, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find an abandoned tunnel creepier than the one in the Donner Pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Constructed in the mid-1800s, the Donner Pass tunnels were used for transcontinental train voyages. They took fifteen months of hard labor, mostly performed by Chinese workers, to finish.
These tunnels were dangerous from the get-go, and their construction led to many worker’s deaths, leading to rumors of hauntings. The Donner Pass Tunnels also have a haunted history thanks to the Donner Party, an infamous group of California explorers who became stranded in the mountains and had to eat one another to survive.
114. Queensboro Trolley Kiosk, Manhattan, New York
Location: Queensboro Bridge, Manhattan, New York
Year: 1907
Cost: Unknown
This forgotten relic lies beneath the Queensboro Bridge in Manhattan, New York City. The Queensboro Trolley Kiosk serves as a reminder of the area’s closed-down trolley system. At this Kiosk, which was built in the early twentieth century, trolleys would stop at the bridge to collect riders who would travel all around New York in these charming vehicles.
The Kiosk was adorned with colorful, glazed tiles, copper, and more. But, when trolleys stopped running in the 1950s, the Kiosk, as well as others around the city, were abandoned. The Queensboro Kiosk was the only one left in its original location, and the white-and-green structure remains empty, forlorn, fenced, and, for the most part, unnoticed.
115. Dawson Ghost Town, Raton, New Mexico
Location: Raton, New Mexico
Year: Late 1800s
Cost: $96 million (2020 Asking Price)*
There is just one road in and out of Dawson, New Mexico. This ghost town used to be a lively place, with amenities such as modern homes, a hotel, a theater, a baseball park, a golf course, a newspaper, a bowling alley, and more. But, two disastrous, deadly mining incidents would cause this Raton, New Mexico town to be shuttered for good.
Two mining explosions occurred in both 1913 and 1923, leading to the deaths of many mining workers. The town shut its doors officially in 1950 after years of derelict and rumors of hauntings. Now, Dawson’s sole road leads to its only remaining relic: a cemetery full of battered headstones and overgrown grass.
116. Canal Village, Rome, New York
Location: Rome, New York
Year: 1970s
Cost: $8.2 million to build*
Located in Rome, New York, Erie Canal Village was supposed to be a historic reboot of the Golden Age. The Village has museums and shops (all dilapidated and abandoned now) depicting the 1800s of the Erie Canal. The tourist attraction was created in the 1970s, but it was not maintained.
It was developed as a way to spruce up the nearby area, but it did the opposite. The buildings were dilapidated and abandoned, and Erie Canal Village became a political tool used by both sides to point fingers at the other for allowing Rome, New York to go to waste. The location is not open to the public, and it is chained off, so as to prevent further damage to this tourist-attraction-turned-wasteland.
117. Odd Fellows Home, Liberty, Missouri
Location: Liberty, Missouri
Year: Late 1800s
Cost: Unknown
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was formed in America in 1819, and the Order’s goal was to provide care and shelter to the most vulnerable members of society: widows, the elderly, and orphans. The Order came to Missouri in 1835, building the 240-acre complex known as the Odd Fellows home in the late 1800s. The complex had housing, a nursery, a hospital, a school and orphanage, and a cemetery.
Much of the Order’s “initiation rituals” have been shrouded in mystery, though it was known that they used human remains in these ceremonies. The Odd Fellows Home deteriorated in the latter half of the twentieth century, and the buildings are dilapidated, with damaged roofs, broken doors, and shattered windows.
118. Ruins of the McMillan Sand Filtration Site
Location: Washington D.C., U.S.A.
Year: 1986 (Bought By Government)
Cost: $720 million cost to buy in 1986*
This public work was built during the Industrial Era, and the McMillan Sand Filtration Site, as its name would suggest, used nothing but sand to filter water for the Washington D.C. area. McMillan was vital to D.C., which had been plagued by muddy, unfiltered, bacteria-laced water from the Potomac that caused a lot of sickness.
McMillan used Laurel, Maryland sand to filter water, and the filtration site helped improve Washington’s water reputation. As technology advanced and changed, McMillan was abandoned. Though the D.C. government bought the land in the mid-1980s, they neglected to keep McMillan in good condition, despite requirements by local historical protection societies.
119. Comet Diner, Hartford, Connecticut
Location: Hartford, Connecticut
Year: 1940s
Cost: $2 million* (2019 Redevelopment Plan)
This chrome and steel diner is an iconic piece of history in Hartford, Connecticut, though it is, currently, in danger of being demolished. The Comet Diner was built in the 1940s, and it would go on to be a Hartford hotspot, even serving movie stars like Zsa Zsa Gabor.
The Diner was built in the Paramount style, which was similar to diners you’d find in Oakland, New Jersey. The now-iconic vintage diner, sadly, was shuttered in the 2000s after decades in business. Now, the Hartford Preservation Alliance is in a constant battle to save this abandoned landmark from destruction.
120. Funtown Mountain, Cave City, Kentucky
Location: Cave City, Kentucky
Year: 1969
Cost: $5 million* (2016 Renovations)
Like most roadside attractions that have closed down, Funtown Mountain in Cave City, Kentucky has a colorful past. The amusement park opened in the late 1960s as a way to capitalize on tourists visiting the nearby Mammoth Cave. The Wild West theme park remained in operation for decades until its popularity declined and financial woes caused it to shut down in 2013.
Funtown has since remained abandoned, though there was an attempt in 2015 by a man named Will Russell to turn it into a creepy carnival. Russell even founded a promotional circus, which was fraught with drama, substance abuse, and allegations of safety issues, to attempt to raise the money. Russell’s disorganized (and often illegal) circus ended up failing, and Funtown has stayed abandoned.
121. Secret Apartment in the Fort Washington Library, Manhattan, New York
Location: Manhattan, New York City, New York
Year: 1920s
Cost: Unknown
The Fort Washington branch of the NY Public Library System is large and bright, with sweeping windows, all ceilings, and a light, airy feel. But, hidden within the walls of the Fort Washington Library, is a dark, musty, empty space that used to be a nice apartment. The abandoned apartment is dilapidated, and the NYPLS has never fixed it.
It is thought that this apartment once belonged to the library custodian in the 1920s. But, in the 1980s, when custodians began falling out of favor, no one lived in libraries anymore. Many of these library apartments vanished or were rebuilt. There are thirteen left, including this creepy, abandoned one.
122. Holland Island, Toddville, Maryland
Location: Toddville, Maryland
Year: 1600s
Cost: Unknown
A town can change quite a lot in just a century. This is certainly the case for Holland Island, a Maryland plot of land in the Chesapeake Bay. Holland didn’t just change—it disappeared. The Island was first settled in the 1600s, and, by 1910, it was a community of three hundred people.
On Holland were homes, a church, a schoolhouse, and a post office, and the majority of people living there were fishermen and their families. Alas, Holland was abandoned when erosion caused the Island’s west side to cave in. Sea levels forced the families out by 1918, and, now, all that remains are the ruins of one lone two-story house. Eventually, that will cave in under the Chesapeake Bay’s waters.
123. 18th Street Subway Station, Manhattan, New York
Location: Manhattan, New York City, New York
Year: 1904
Cost: $1-$5 billion to build*
The 18th Street Subway Station in Manhattan, New York City was part of the first NY subway. It opened in the early 1900s, and, though historically relevant, it was not really that important of a line. It had its platforms extended a few times, but, in the WWII era, the New York Board of Transportation decided to close this station.
The Board had been embarking on a platform extension program, but, when it came to the 18th Street Platform, they chose to close it rather than elongate it. That is why 18th Street still, to this day, has vintage double-short platforms, rather than one long one.
124. Rock-a-Hoola Waterpark, Newberry Springs, California
Location: Newberry Springs, San Bernardino, California
Year: 1962
Cost: $11 million* (2021 Asking Price)
In the 1960s, the Rock-a-Hula Waterpark was founded in San Bernardino, California. It was intended as a carnival-like oasis, but, now, it is just a reminder of why putting a waterpark in the middle of the desert is a bad idea. Rock-a-Hula did well during the 1960s and 1970s, but attendance dwindled in the 1980s. Finally, in 1990, Rock-a-Hula closed.
But, in 1998, millions of dollars were invested into the park to turn it back into a new 1950s-themed park called Rock-a-Hoola. Rock-a-Hoola lasted one year until an employee went down a slide into a partially filled-up pool. That landing caused the employee to become paralyzed, and they sued the attraction for millions. Rock-a-Hoola never recovered from the tragic events, and the park officially shut down, again, in 2004.
125. Whirlwind Mansion, Clinton, Tennessee
Location: Clinton, Tennessee
Year: 1970s
Cost: $800,000* (2017 Pending Sale Price)
Located in Clinton, Tennessee, this 20,000-square-foot mansion was incredibly opulent, and, in its heyday in the seventies, it was palatial. It was found by Jake Butcher, a banker whose main source of income was fraud. Using these ill-gotten gains, he built Whirlwind Mansion, which had forty rooms and everything from a swim-up bar to a helipad.
But, this opulence came at a price. The utilities alone cost Butcher tens of thousands of dollars a month. Butcher had no true wealth of his own, as his was all illegal, and he was unable to pay his bills. In the mid-eighties, he was arrested for fraud and sent to jail. Shortly after, Whirlwind was abandoned, as no one was interested in keeping up with its insane maintenance costs.
126. Centralia Ghost Town Church, Centralia, Pennsylvania
Location: Centralia, Pennsylvania
Year: 1986
Cost: $7 million to put out the fire*
Decades ago, a mine fire began in the small town of Centralia, Pennsylvania, and authorities spent around $7 million to put it out, to no avail. Local rumors suggested that the fire was caused by a pile of trash that lit coals aflame in the pit, but no one could be totally certain.
The town was abandoned, as the fire was causing deadly gasses to enter peoples’ houses. Now, the only thing left in Centralia is its abandoned, white church, Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary. As it turns out, this Ukrainian Catholic Church was spared because it was built on solid rock instead of coal.
127. Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital, New Jersey
Location: Ellis Island, New Jersey
Year: 1951
Cost: $53 for a tour*
As of August of 2022, one of the saddest, eeriest places in New Jersey is open to the public for tours. The hospital was the centerpiece of Ellis Island, a popular arrival point for immigrants during the early twentieth century. It was in operation from 1902 until 1951, and, now, the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital is part of the Statue of Liberty Monument.
It treated thousands of immigrants for various diseases until it was closed down for good. Still, though it was abandoned for many years, this Hospital stood as a monument to those who worked so hard to try to make it to the American Dream.
128. Rose Island, Charlestown, Indiana
Location: Charlestown State Park, Indiana
Year: 1937
Cost: $2.4 million* (Bridge Cost)
The Rose Island Abandoned Theme Park is a popular urbex destination in Charlestown, Indiana. It is located on a peninsula in an Indiana State Park, and the area was first founded in the late 1800s as a church camp. In the 1920s, Rose Island opened as an amusement park, and families paid $7 a car to ride the rides and enjoy the fair food.
In 1937, a massive flood destroyed Rose Island, washing away many of its structures and damaging others beyond repair. Covered in water, this former amusement park was abandoned, and you can hike through this century-old, eerie not-so-fun zone today if you’re brave. Indiana has embraced Rose Island, even building a $2.4 million bridge to connect tourists to the peninsula.
129. The Marconi Conference Center, Marshall, California
Location: Marshall, California
Year: 1913
Cost: $1.95 million renovation cost in 2008*
The Marconi Conference Center, built in California, was created by the same Marconi who invented the radio. This abandoned hotel has housed a lot of people in the past, from radio employees to military men to a dangerous cult known as the Church of Synanon.
The Church of Synanon took over in the sixties, and it had some wacky practices, including mandatory vasectomies and head-shaving for women. By 1980, Synanon was being investigated for weapon hoarding and its leader for attempted murder. The organization was shut down and the land was given to the state, who, after years of abandonment, renovated the Conference Center to put it on the path to a new, hopefully-brighter, future.
130. Fort Totten, Queens, New York
Location: Queens, New York City, New York
Year: 1862
Cost: $74 for a tour*
Fort Totten, located in Queens, New York City, is a former U.S. Army installation that is located on the north shore of Long Island. While much of this former Civil War Fort is open to the public, some of its structures are abandoned, full of decaying electronic instruments and stone arches.
During the Civil War, Fort Totten suffered immense damage, and it required a lot of rebuilding to turn it into a proper military stronghold. Centuries later, Fort Totten was divided up. Some portions were converted to a public park, while others were sectioned for use by the U.S. Army Reserve, FDNY, and NYPD. The remaining structures, after that division, were all abandoned.
131. Jumieges Abbey, Jumieges, France
Location: Jumieges, France
Year: 654
Cost: $5 to visit*
French leader Clovis II and Bathild, his queen, received Jumieges Abbey as a gift in the year 654. They, in turn, gifted the land to a French nobleman, Filibertos, who was exiled shortly after. Jumieges Abbey changed hands several times, and it wasn’t until 1067 that it received consecration from William the Conqueror.
The Abbey survived Viking Invasions, English Invasions, the Wars of Religion, the Huguenots, and more, but it was, eventually, the French Revolution that did the Abbey in. The Revolutionaries destroyed Jumieges Abbey, leaving ruins in its place that have lasted for centuries.
132. Track 61, New York, New York
Location: Manhattan, New York City, New York
Year: 1910s
Cost: $500 million-$1 billion to build*
Track 61 is located underneath Manhattan in New York City on a private railroad platform. Track 61 is, technically, one of NYC’s many abandoned train stations, except for one specific use. It is, allegedly, used as a secret way to transport presidents in an emergency (though, Secret Service officials have not confirmed or denied this, for obvious reasons).
Track 61 wasn’t originally intended for use as a station, but its location made it ideal for people trying to get to the Waldorf Astoria, one of New York’s most famous hotels, in the early 1950s. Track 61 has been used by some famous names, including John J. Pershing and F.D.R.
133. Gunkanjima Island, Nagasaki, Japan
Location: Nagasaki, Japan
Year: 1974 (Year Abandoned)
Cost: $65 to visit*
Gunkanjima Island, also known as Hashima Island, is an abandoned mining facility off the coast of Japan. It is an eerie place to sightsee, and visitors to the island can tour its overgrown concrete and industrial sites, as well as the super-creepy “Stairway to Hell.” The James Bond movie Skyfall was partially-filmed on Hashima Island.
At one point, Hashima/Gunkanjima was very highly populated, with 5,000 people living on just sixteen acres of land. When the coal reserves on the island were depleted in 1974, it was abandoned, becoming a barren, concrete-filled wasteland.
134. Cappadocia, Aksaray, Turkey
Location: Aksaray, Turkey
Year: 200s
Cost: $1,000-$3,000 cost to visit for a week*
Located in Turkey’s Central Anatolian region, Cappadocia is a region where whole cities have been carved into volcanic rock. The landscape looks like an abandoned alien desert, as its white rock formations were created millions of years ago. The human history of Cappadocia is just as intriguing as its geological one.
Two-hundred underground structures have been found in this mostly-abandoned city, and these underground structures, which are built eleven stories beneath the ground, are completely empty. Cappadocia’s underground tunnels and buildings were, originally, constructed to help families flee in the event of an attack.
135. Abandoned Virginia Renaissance Faire, Fredericksburg, Virginia
Location: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Year: 1996
Cost: $5 million to build*
The Virginia Renaissance Faire attempted to create a medieval paradise in Fredericksburg, VA, only to have those plans fail, with the festival turning into an abandoned husk. The Renaissance Faire constructed several Medieval buildings on stilts within the forests of Fredericksburg, with the idea that this would become an oasis for people who want to LARP being in the Middle Ages.
Alas, the Faire had several bad seasons with no profits and few attendees, so it was forced to abandon its Medieval town in the woods. Now, the eerie buildings look like a random time warp amid the green woods, and people do visit now, though only to explore these lonesome structures.
136. Glowworm Tunnel, Helensburgh, Australia
Location: Helensburgh, New South Wales, Australia
Year: 1889
Cost: Unknown
Glowworm Tunnel is an out-of-use, abandoned rail tunnel in Helensburgh, Australia that is famous for its haunted history and glow worm population. It has become a tourist attraction for both of those reasons, and it is far more visited than it was when it closed in 1915.
The tunnel has been closed since 2020, but the Glow Worms, also known as Fungus Gnats, are still very much there. The colony inhabits the interior of the excavated tunnel, creating a unique bioluminescence that lights up the area in the dark. Unfortunately, because of the visitors coming to see the glowworms, the population has shrunk. Now, the tunnel is locked tightly, and visitors who trespass will be prosecuted under Australia’s “Inclosed Lands Protection Act.”
137. Osaka Maritime Museum, Suminoe-ku, Japan
Location: Osaka Bay, Suminoe-ku, Japan
Year: 2000
Cost: $93 million to build*
For more than a decade, this giant, domed structure was the home of the Osaka Maritime Museum, which was dedicated to exploring the city’s history and culture. The structure was award-winning and weather-resistance, and you could access it through an undersea tunnel. The main attraction was a full-size model of an Edo trading ship.
Now, this French-designed building is empty and abandoned, thanks to falling museum attendance and a lack of funding. Residents and visitors can still watch the dome from the Bay, but they cannot go into this museum, which is a shame for Japanese maritime enthusiasts.
138. Baron Empain Palace, El-Montaza, Egypt
Location: El-Montaza, Egypt
Year: 1911
Cost: $10.9 million to restore in 2020*
This distinctive, historic palace was built by Belgian millionaire Edward Empain. Empain was a passionate traveler, and he loved Egypt so much that he decided to build the Empain Palace in 1911. That wasn’t his only plan. The Baron also wanted to create a new city in the middle of the desert, suggesting the name “Heliopolis” for this feat (City of the Sun).
Empain Palace is abandoned, and no one lives there now. There are also rumors of hauntings, as local legend says that, in some of the rooms in the Palace, Empain’s wife would worship demons, sacrificing animals to these dark forces. According to people who live near the Palace, sometimes, for no reason, there are screams echoing from its rooms, late at night.
139. Witley Wonder Underwater Ballroom, Godalming, England
Location: Godalming, England
Year: Late 1800s
Cost: $400,000 to build*
This rotting, underwater ballroom has a fascinating history attached to it. Called the Witley Wonder Underwater Ballroom, this subterranean smoking room was located beneath a lake. It had a roof aquarium, and, like everything on its surrounding estate, it was doomed.
Whitley Wonder was built by notorious criminal Whitaker Wright, who floated bonds and committed other white-collar crimes for a living. When the heat was on Wright, he fled in 1900, but he was caught. Four years later, he was tried by the Royal Courts of Justice and sentenced to seven years imprisonment. Before the police could take him away, Wright swallowed a cyanide pill, ending his own life. His estate has, largely, remained abandoned since this gruesome death.
140. Abandoned Dome House, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Year: Unknown
Cost: Unknown
In the middle of the woods in Fox Chapel, North Carolina, there is an abandoned dome house that is in bad condition. It is built in a similar style to the architectural fad from the sixties known as “Futuro Houses.” Designed by a Finnish architect, these prefabricated, dome-shaped homes sold like hotcakes after their ’68 debut.
The Chapel Hill Dome House is Futuro-inspired, but, alas, its owners’ plans don’t seem to have worked out. Locals have left it alone, and you can see its rotting, distinctive bubble shape along Jack Bennett Road. The roof has caved in, and the deck is rotting, so there is no real access into the home.
141. Big Bend Jai Alai Fronton, Chattahoochee, Florida
Location: Chattahoochee, Florida
Year: 1978
Cost: $22 million* (Total Estate Value)
This Florida arena has sat empty for decades. Known as the Big Bend Jai Alai Fronton, the arena was home to the world’s “fastest game.” It was also rife with gambling and danger. In the arena, jai alai, a notoriously dangerous Spanish sport, was played, and people would bet on the players at the Big Bend.
The Big Bend was founded by Stephen Calder, who died with a $22 million estate (the Big Bend included). His estate was disputed for thirteen years in probate court, and it was uncovered that Calder may have been a super shady businessman, hosting fixed games, encouraging gambling, and even, allegedly, hiding suitcases of gems and gold everywhere.
142. Santa Claus, Golden Valley, Arizona
Location: Golden Valley, Arizona
Year: 1937
Cost: $8,000* (2021 Sale Price)
The Mojave Desert is one of the hottest places in America, and it is the last place you’d expect to find a Christmas-themed town. Despite that, there is Santa Claus, a now-ghost-town founded by Nina Talbot and her husband in the 1930s.
Santa Claus was founded as the North Pole in the desert, and there were rides and other Christmas-themed buildings. For a while, Santa Claus was a popular tourist attraction, attracting even celebrities. But, Santa Claus started to struggle because no one bought land there, and Talbot sold the town in 1949 after making very little profits. The land has changed hands over the years, with the last sale price record at $8,000 in 2021.
143. Titanic Standard Reduction Mill, Genola, Utah
Location: Genola, Utah
Year: 1920
Cost: $580,000 to build*
The Tintic Standard Reduction Mill was built in 1920, but it was only in operation until 1925. Now, the refinery is abandoned, and people are discouraged from visiting it, as it has high levels of lead and arsenic, two substances that are deadly to humans.
There was a time when this Mill, which was built into the side of a mountain, was productive, producing 200 tons of ore per day. Despite that, the owners were not able to keep it open for a multitude of reasons, and it has since become a hovel filled with abandoned mining equipment and dangerous poisons.
144. Goldfield Hotel, Goldfield, Nevada
Location: Goldfield, Nevada
Year: 1908
Cost: $300,000-$400,000 to build*
In 1908, Goldfield, Nevada was the place to be, and it was home to a lot of people and the Goldfield Hotel. The Hotel was extravagant, as you would expect the lodgings in a Gold Rush town to be. The 150-room Hotel had a mahogany lobby, chandeliers, gold-leaf ceilings, and abundant champagne.
But, when the gold dried up, so did Goldfield and the Hotel. Now, the Goldfield Hotel is known not for its opulence, but for being haunted, and the hotel, admittedly, does have a lot of murders and suicides. Some visitors even, rather theatrically, claim that the Goldfield Hotel is a direct portal to Hell itself.
145. Smith Mansion, Cody, Wyoming
Location: Cody, Wyoming
Year: 1980s
Cost: $500,000* (2020 Purchase Price)
The Smith Manson is a psychedelic building that cost its creator $500,000 to build. Constructed by Lee Smith, an engineer, the home started as a locally-harvested abode for Smith and his family. But, Smith became obsessed with the project, and that obsession led to his wife divorcing him and taking the kids with her.
Still, Smith didn’t stop, adding more and more onto the home and sinking thousands into it. Tragically, while working on the house on an upper level, Smith fell to his death from a balcony. This put an end to his obsessive, strange project, which captivated Wyoming locals for years.
146. Steelcase Pyramid, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Year: 1989
Cost: $111 million to build*
The Steelcase Pyramid cost its developer $111 million to build. Steelcase, a high-end office furniture manufacturer, constructed the Pyramid as an R&D center. The seven-story pyramid housed office space and a fancy penthouse. In the interior, a huge pendulum swings over what was formerly a reflecting pool.
Though millions went into the building, Steelcase moved out in 2010, abandoning the Pyramid with it. Attempts to turn the structure into a charter school failed, and the impressive, strange structure sat uninhabited for years. Most recently, in 2016, the company Switch bought the Pyramid, moving in and reclaiming the space from ruin.
147. Abandoned Brach’s Candy Factory, Chicago, Illinois
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Year: 1923
Cost: $5 million to build*
Brach’s Candy is one of the most popular candy brands in the United States, bringing in millions of dollars in revenue a year. In Chicago, Illinois, the company built a $5 million factory to meet the huge demand for its candy. In 1923, that amount of money was unheard of.
The plant was finished, and, there, Brach’s produced more than 250 kinds of treats. The factory survived the Great Depression, but, when the cost of sugar spiked in the 1980s and 1990s, the massive candy operation was unsustainable. The factory closed in 2000, and it remained abandoned until demolition began in 2014.
148. Zelda Fitzgerald’s Abandoned Sanatorium, Beacon, New York
Location: Beacon, New York
Year: 1859
Cost: $16,680 per month to stay there in the Sanatorium’s heyday*
In 1859, this Sanatorium was constructed, though, at the time, it was not a medical facility—it was a gothic house made for a former Civil War general. Named Tioranda, the home was converted into a psychiatric hospital in 1915. It cost $750 a month to stay there ($16,680, adjusting for inflation), and it was a private place for the rich and famous to stay when they were having a mental breakdown.
The Sanatorium was the same place where F. Scott Fitzgerald took Zelda, his beloved wife, to try to find a cure for her depression. Other famous socialites included Frances Seymour and Rosemary Kennedy, both of whom suffered sad fates at the hospital. The Sanatorium closed years ago, though its interior remains perfectly preserved to this day.
149. Climax, Colorado, Leadville, Colorado
Location: Leadville, Colorado
Year: 1900s
Cost: $700 million* (2012 Upgrades To The Mine)
Climax, Colorado was a small mining town that sat over 11,300 feet above sea level (hence its name). It was located near a molybdenum mine, which, after $700 million in upgrades, was reopened in 2012. Climax has remained closed, however, and it is one of many abandoned mining towns out West.
At one point, the Climax Mine was the site of 75% of the global supply of molybdenum. It had high points and low points until it was closed in 1995 and its buildings moved to next-door Leadville. Now, all that is left of Climax, the town, is an old train engine and a few mining exhibits and relics.
150. The Lost Diner, Manhattan, New York
Location: Manhattan, New York City, New York
Year: 1956
Cost: Unknown
This is, perhaps, the saddest diner in all of New York. The Lost Diner is located off the West Side Highway in Manhattan, New York, and the Kullman car, though it may be hard to believe, was once a popular restaurant.
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