One thing that I firmly believe all human beings share is our inner yearning for adventure. We might try and satisfy this calling with good movies, awesome video games, or top-tier tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons (as a Dungeon Master of several years, I’m guilty of this). However, at the end of the day, there’s no real substitute for going out into the field with your own two feet and starting your very own adventure going into the abandoned and mysterious corners of the Earth.
There’s an awesome community on Reddit that documents gorgeous abandoned things and places. With nearly 1.2 million members, they post high-quality images that evoke all of our inner wanderlust. While we’d love to mention their name, our Social Media Overlords don’t take kindly to one of the words in the subreddit’s title, so a link right to their community will have to do! Go on and have a gander once you’re done with this list, they really are worth your attention.
Remember to upvote your fave pics as you scroll on down, dear Pandas! And be sure to let everyone know if you, just like me, get that burning desire to go on a real-life adventure after looking at these gorgeous photos.
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Found This Beautiful Tree Growing Inside An Abandoned Silo While I Was Exploring
I Lit Up This Spooky Abandoned House With My Drone And A Lume Cube Attached To It
Railroad Tracks In Forest
Taking beautiful photos of abandoned places means exploring abandoned places. That might sound obvious, but it sure isn’t easy.
Urban exploration (aka Urbex or UE) is a fascinating but difficult hobby to get into. While we’d just love to put on a pair of dirty old sneakers and rush off to a dungeon or some Elvish ruins, we really do have to consider our safety first and foremost. Precautions come first and foremost.
Abandoned Castle In Ireland Country
Sintra, Portugal
Not really abandoned, that's the number one tourist attraction in Sintra. It's called Quinta da Regaleira, you just follow the masses and pay a ticket to get in.
Abandoned French Chapel
Wearing gloves, getting a pair of thick shoes, and bringing a dust mask are all a must. You should also invest in a torch, put on heavy clothing, and consider wearing a helmet. Whether fashionably medieval or something more modern, anything that covers your head is a must. And for you ghost-believing fans of the ‘Supernatural’ TV show, bring a pocketful of salt. Just in case you meet some spooks.
Becoming an urban explorer means doing a bit of research, engaging with local Urbex communities a tad, and maybe even getting some basic gear to get you started before you go delving for doubloons and looking for magical artifacts beneath the rubble.
Norway, The Country Of Fairy Tales
Abandoned Stairway In The Woods: Madame Sherri Forest, Chesterfield, Nh
Found An Old Abandoned Diner While Driving Down Some Back Roads
How does this happen?? Do they just announce "we're closed! Everyone out!" and then just get up and leave?
Unlike a lot of hobbies that have a ‘just do it’ mindset, urban exploration demands that you prepare in advance so you don’t get hurt or, God forbid, get stuck or even killed.
One Urbex community in the UK that calls itself 28 Days Later (yes, just like the 2002 zombie movie) suggests doing research about the place you’re going to visit, then going in and taking some photos, getting your feet wet (metaphorically and maybe even literally). In their opinion, Urbex is all about joining a community.
Abandoned Party Mansion Deep In The Maryland Forest
Japanese WWII Warplane Lies Wrecked In Shallow Water Off Guam
Abandoned Gothic Church In Portugal
Being part of the urban exploration community means engaging with others, going to public Urbex meetings, and even teaming up with strangers from the internet that you learn to trust. Of course, all of this has become even more difficult what with the global pandemic and lockdowns: you have to consider your health and the health of your loved ones before meeting up with anyone outside your social bubble.
The Eerie Yellow Brick Road Of Abandoned "Land Of Oz" Theme Park In North Carolina
This Hotel In Europe
SS City Of Adelaide, Wrecked Off The Coast Of Magnetic Island
On the flip side, having someone by your side while you’re walking about abandoned, ruined places is vital. Sure, you could go it alone, but there’s safety in numbers: if somebody gets hurt, falls down, or if the ceiling caves in, you can help each other out or rush for help.
A Library Inside An Abandoned 19th Century Mansion
I’m genuinely surprised the bookshelves haven’t been looted. There has to be at least one or two worth value.
Turkey's $200 Million Ghost Town Of Castles - Burj Al Babas
Light Rays Making Their Way Into An Abandoned Theater
Abandoned Presidents Heads In A Rural Virginia Field
"here's all the giant presidental heads you ordered" "Yeah... That was actually a joke... But ok, put them out in the back yard"
Abandoned Asylum In Italy That Has Been Touched By Bob Ross
Abandoned Duesenberg
So having someone you trust ‘watching your 6’ is something that you should take very, very seriously (while also staying safe because Covid-19 won’t be going away any time soon). Adventuring is about the friends we make along the way, not just brilliant photos and weird loot that we find in secret chambers.
16 Mile Hike To An Abandoned Train Track Bridge In California
Nature Took Over
Abandoned 50's Restaurant
Something that you should also consider is, well, even if a place is abandoned, it’s still somebody’s property. You might be trespassing. We’re definitely not telling you to trespass and break the law. However, if you feel that the call of adventure is too great to ignore, remember to be considerate and treat any buildings you visit like you would your own home: you’re just a visitor here for some photos and camaraderie.
1930s Era Abandoned Orient Express Train
Not actually anything to do with the Orient Express. Would have been lovely still though. Actually 1930 Belgian Railways type 654 high speed diesel electric train inspired by the German "Fliegender Hamburger" Train."
This Cave Full Of Old Cars
Abandoned Funeral Home
Ms World Discoverer Was A German Expedition Cruise Ship. It Hit A Uncharted Reef In The Sandfly Passage, Solomon Islands 29. April 2000
House Abandoned And Retaken By The Desert In California
Popcorn Left In A Theater
So, dear Readers, which photos were your favorite ones? Have you ever delved into abandoned buildings before? Do you have any extra safety tips for all of us that you’d like to share? Got any exciting tales about your adventures and exploring abandoned places, whether in real-life or in tabletop games? Drop us a comment or two below and be part of the conversation.
Abandoned 400-Year-Old Estate In Italy That Was Home To The Youngest Sister Of Napoleon Bonaparte
This Casino In Romania
This is no longer true. While this casino from my home town of Constanta (and the place I had my prom back in the day) had been abandoned for many years following a long and drawn out legal battle over ownership, the building is now being restored: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJXxk2UxHQo
Took A Hike Out To The Ghost Trains Out In The Maine Woods Also Yay First Post
A Crumbling Sea Fortress In Peloponnese, Greece
Radioactive Cars From The Fukushima Disaster Slowly Being Eaten By Nature
Abandoned Colorado Mill
The Wyndclyffe Mansion. The 80-Acre Land It Rests On Was Purchased By The Wealthy Elizabeth Jones In 1853. The 24 Bedroom Mansion In New York Was So Grand It Prompted A ‘Building Boom’ As All Neighbours Started Upgrading Their Houses & The Saying “Keeping Up With The Joneses” Was Born
107 Year Old Records Sealed In A Courthouse Attic
Fall Colors From An Abandoned Minnesota Fire Watch Tower
I feel like this would be a place where all your troubles would disappear
Has Anyone Lost A Camera,like 80 Years Ago At Eagle Creek?
If you cleaned and restored it, you would have a great decorative piece.
Overgrown Roller Coaster
Abandoned Hard Hat Reclaimed By Goose Barnacles
Old Naval Base In Philadelphia Has An Abandoned Warehouse With A Flooded Basement Filled With Goldfish
Wait... where did the goldfish come from? AND HOW DO THEY EAT?! WHAT DO THEY EAT. HOW ARE THEY SO BIG?!
This Castle In Spain
Abandoned Bus In Svalbard, Norway
Probably not abandoned. It will have parked near the ocean when an ice storm came in.
Russian Space Shuttles Left Abandoned For 30 Years
Sunken Yacht In Antarctica
I find this creepy and fascinating all at once. You wouldn't find me anywhere near that in person, but the pictures are so hauntingly beautiful
Abandoned Castle In Midwinter
Abandoned “Planet Express”. Liege, Belgium
That's the Obervatroire de Cointe, build in 1882 by the University of Liège to house their Astronomy Department. Got out of use in 2002 when the department moved out. Currently there are plans to renovate it and house the regional govermental archeology services.
Crossville Tennessee
It wasn't abandoned. It was World's biggest tree house but was burned down to Earth in 2019. In 15 minutes it became a pile of ashes.
Telephone Booth Cemetery. Outskirts Of London
Abandoned Rail Bridge In Taiwan
Abandoned Symmetrical Greenhouses With Futuristic Design, Germany
Detroit In 2003
Soviet Era Tupolev 104 Jet
Ghost Town Somewhere In Russia
Beautiful Abandoned Theater Next To A Police Station. Definitely A Tough One To Do
The New World Mall, In Bangkok, Was Closed In 1997 After It Was Found To Have Breached Building Regulations
Abandoned Railroad Tracks In Forest
What Used To Be A Square Building Is Now A Parallelogram
An Abandoned German Tank Located In Veines, Norway
Abandoned Richmond Power Station
This Hotel Swimming Pool
Bioshock - Abandoned Palace In Hungary
Abandoned Drive-In Theatre
Plague Fort, St. Petersburg
Wwi Trench In France's Red Zone, Or "Zone Rouge". Large Swathes Of The Western Front Were Declared Uninhabitable No Go Zones After The First World War, And Highly Toxic Environments Remain. But For Much Of The Red Zone, The Land Has Recovered Its Natural Life
the ground is full of unexploded grenades and shells.... ans till today, bodies of soldiers are found...
Abandoned Intersection Near Ottawa
The Remains Of A Crashed P-38 Lightning On A Beach In Wales
Did you know that there are more planes in the ocean than submarines in the sky?
Tony Hawk Pro Skater Level
New York’s Abandoned Castle
An Abandoned Mill In Sorento, Italy
Abandoned watermills are pretty common. They used to be wealthy manufacturing places, then became completely useless and left to falling apart, which is a shame since they would make a cool low-tech alternative for small local industry now.
Abandoned Police Station. No I Didn’t Steal A Riot Shield
This Truck I'm About To Buy, Parked And Forgotten For 26 Years
Abandoned Man Made Island In Japan
This was built off the backs of Koreans and Chinese who were taken from their homes and forced into slave labor. They were beaten, starved, and worked to death. Their bodies were just thrown into the sea. They never kept an accurate record either, completely hid the war memorial in dedication to the Korean men that lost their lives on Takashima Island. Makes me sad that this was made into a UNESCO World Heritage Site which opposed by South Korean authorities on the grounds that Korean and Chinese forced laborers were used on the island prior to and during World War II. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashima_Island https://www.soompi.com/article/769975wpp/haha-takes-heartbreaking-trip-to-memorial-for-forced-korean-labor-workers-in-japan-on-infinity-challenge
Yes, this is Hashima island. Exterior shots of it were shown in Skyfall. During World War 2 it was a forced labour camp, prisoners of war and political prisoners were forced to work in the coal mines below it.
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Abandoned Boeing 737 In Bali
Like someone drove it there and just said: I'll ditch my Boeing here and no one will notice'
Close-Up: Needle Ice Overtakes An Apartment In Yekaterinburg, Russia (Anastasia Popelka)
Abandoned Gas Station. Janesville, Wi
I Found An Abandoned Warehouse Filled With Arcade Machines
Bus Stop In Kazakhstan
If You Travel Up To The Middle Of Nowhere In The UK, You Might Be Lucky Enough To Find The Remnants Of A Long Lost People
A Billboard For Spaceballs (1987) In Toronto, Still Standing Today
The Abandoned Swimming Pool At The University Of Rochester
What a waste...these could be repaired and given to schools in still-developing countries...I remember reading about a poor, outside school in India where the kids have to sit on the dirt ground due to not having desks/chairs...these would be a godsend to them.
Abandoned Swinger's Tiki Palace Overlooking Chattanooga
Old Aluminum Plant Still Has Workplace Injury Sign On 5 Years After Shutting Down. Keep Up The Good Work Guys!
Abandoned Home In Detroit
Island With An Abandoned Castle
The World Discoverer - A Cruise Ship Dedicated To Explore Polar Regions. Abandoned In 2000 On Solomon Islands After Hitting A Reef
As beautiful as the places and pictures are, the waste of material and craftsmanship drives me crazy - especially when noone emptied the places!
Exactly... What a waste of resources, energy and space.
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I would LOVE to see with my own eyes those abandoned places, especially the houses. We have loads of old castles in my country (Scotland), but more often than not, only the outside walls are still up. It's the inside of abandoned buildings that I'm interested in!
Great photos! I love the eerie beauty of abandoned places :)
So much could be reused and repurposed from these. What a bloody waste.
There was a closed-up mansion on a hill above my grandparents' house in Missouri. My cousin and I used to explore up there when we were kids but never could get inside. I imagine it's gone now. Pity, that.
If I had the money, I would love to fix up some of the houses and public buildings. Some of the the architecture is so interesting.
One of the better BP posts of late; much better than fluff about hairdos or 'artists' riffing on Disney characters. Handsome photography. A bit short on location details--perhaps intentionally, to keep them from being overrun by the selfie crowd. Some of these sites show off what Henry James (I think) called 'theediting of time.' What he meant was that the ruins lookbetter than they did originally. Imagine the Parthenon when bramd new and garishly painted. . .
As beautiful as the places and pictures are, the waste of material and craftsmanship drives me crazy - especially when noone emptied the places!
Exactly... What a waste of resources, energy and space.
Load More Replies... I would LOVE to see with my own eyes those abandoned places, especially the houses. We have loads of old castles in my country (Scotland), but more often than not, only the outside walls are still up. It's the inside of abandoned buildings that I'm interested in!
Great photos! I love the eerie beauty of abandoned places :)
So much could be reused and repurposed from these. What a bloody waste.
There was a closed-up mansion on a hill above my grandparents' house in Missouri. My cousin and I used to explore up there when we were kids but never could get inside. I imagine it's gone now. Pity, that.
If I had the money, I would love to fix up some of the houses and public buildings. Some of the the architecture is so interesting.
One of the better BP posts of late; much better than fluff about hairdos or 'artists' riffing on Disney characters. Handsome photography. A bit short on location details--perhaps intentionally, to keep them from being overrun by the selfie crowd. Some of these sites show off what Henry James (I think) called 'theediting of time.' What he meant was that the ruins lookbetter than they did originally. Imagine the Parthenon when bramd new and garishly painted. . .
