Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
This Facebook Group Is Dedicated To Sharing “Death Stairs”, Here Are 45 Of Their Best Pics
Interview
Going up and down stairs is a regular part of most people’s days. Whether you live in a two-story house, work on the fifth floor of an office building, or live in a city with lots of hills and stairs to climb, you probably don’t think much about them when you encounter a flight of stairs. But I’m sure we all know that feeling where you accidentally misstep while walking down them or think you’ve reached a last step a tad bit prematurely, and suddenly, your heart skips a beat and your life flashes before your eyes. Going up or down a staircase can be the most mundane activity in your day, or it can be the most frightening moment in an otherwise normal and safe day…
If you’re curious about all of the most dangerous and frightening staircases the world has to offer, allow us to introduce you to the Death Stairs Facebook group. This community, (whose witty name we are absolutely obsessed with) is dedicated to sharing photos of the most dangerous staircases members can find. From extremely long stretches of steps snaking their way up mountains to carpeted stairs covered in trippy patterns that will make your eyes hurt, we’ve gathered some of the craziest death stairs down below.
Keep reading to find interviews with both of the group's administrators, Lane Sutterby and Duffy Toler, and be sure to upvote the pics that you think deserve a death stare. Then let us know in the comments if you’ve ever encountered any particularly scary stairs, and if you’d like to check out another Bored Panda article featuring questionably designed stairs, look no further than right here!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Takes Some Guts To Step Onto Here! I Gather It's Tijuca Peak - Rio De Janeiro And I'm Not Planning To Visit Any Time Soon!
EP 3 years ago
My stomach dropped just looking intently at the picture. I have no clue how she is standing hands free without a worry. I feel nauseous looking at it. Wow
the Return of Bruno 3 years ago
Tipped camera angle. Look at the horizon.
Load More Replies...
Amused panda 3 years ago
My immediate reaction was nope, nope, nope, nope. Then I realised that there is probably a lot of distortion of the image going on to make the steps look much more treacherous and vertical than they really are. Then I realised I don't care, because even if there is a lot of visual distortion, it is still high and a long way down and I'm sticking with my nope.
juice 3 years ago
the tourism photos look a lot safer 2433724950...b179_o.jpg 
rio-hiking.jpg 
Jane Cortez 3 years ago
If I was her I would be inching down each step on my butt while simultaneously sobbing and praying!
Norm Gilmore 3 years ago
There are those like her taking photos and others like me where my fingers would be trying to bore into solid rock...🤢
RELATED:
#2
About 9 Years Ago, My Employer Put New Carpet On The Stairs. I Died 3 Times
Miriam L 3 years ago
At least it has handrails for you to grip on desperation. In my experience, the best thing for these kinds of stairs it to not look at your feet - trust the movement and hold on to the railing. At the really messed up stairs in my school, carrying too many books to look up or down, I'd tap each stair with my foot before I stepped up or down.
#3
And Yes: I "Tripped" When Coming Down Because I Thought I Had 1 More Step To Go
BOTW PANDA 3 years ago
ah yes. this is in a resatraunt in the rockies and my legs ALWAYS trip on it.
Darbanella 3 years ago
Was recently in this same predicament. It was not pretty as I failed wildly to stay upright and wound up crashing into a couch. This happened as I was bringing my mom to a post surgical follow up at her orthopedist. Good times.
Xaos Pheonix 2 years ago
You know what would look good at the bottom of these stairs? IMG_1201-6...7f09c.jpeg 
The Death Stairs Facebook group was first created on November 8th, 2020, and it has already amassed over 61k members. The group’s description welcomes visitors and members to the community, noting that Death Stairs is “where ascension is perilous and descending is deadly”. They invite people to share the “deadliest staircases” and to “tread safely”, as many of the photos shared there feature staircases that are certainly not for the faint of heart.
To learn more about the history of Death Stairs and what it’s like running the page, we reached out to the group’s administrators, Lane Sutterby and Duffy Toler, on Facebook. Lane, who created the page, shared that his original vision for the group was just for it to be a "tag group". "One where someone would comment and tag the group’s name in a relevant post in another group such as That’s it, I’m architecture shaming," he explained.
"I never could have dreamed of how large the group has become!" Lane told Bored Panda. "Running the group is a breeze, I have an excellent team of mods and admin that handle the very few issues that arise. Special shout-out to Duffy Toler, he stays on top of things, he’s the man!" Duffy also noted that running the page hasn't been too challenging. "Page is just very light amusement, so there's almost no flame wars or dumpster fires."
#4
Floating Death Stairs At Machu Picchu, Peru.... I'm Sure That Drop Off On The Left When You Slip Is Just Fiiiiiiiin
nerdy_panda 3 years ago
This is what would happen to me 100%: "Hey Linda, come look over here and take a picture of that alpaca! it's right over th-" *falls*
Fell Ripley(she, they, potato) 3 years ago
Linda: "What an idio-" *falls also*
Load More Replies...
Mona Stevenson 3 years ago
Aaaaand the tradition of human sacrifice continues, albeit in a slightly more subtle way.
Amused panda 3 years ago
I do hope this is like a sideways iceberg, with much more of each step within the wall than you can see. But even so if someone could reassure me of that and that they are stable pieces of stone, nope.
Barbara Ryan 3 years ago
This one I would NOT do! Holy Moly! nothing to hang onto! Nope! Not in this lifetime.
#5
Huntington Place Convention Center, Detroit
Crc 3 years ago
The best part is this is the gathering place for a lot of races, including the Detroit Marathon. Imagine trying to navigate these bad boys after 26.2 miles
Cal Jones 3 years ago
Having run a few marathons I can, all too well. The combination of wobbly legs and low glucose brain would not go well with these bad boys.
Load More Replies...
Margaret Hooper 3 years ago
The designer of this flooring should be shot - or given a couple of bottles of wine and told to go up and down these stairs 100 times
Arizona Cowboy 3 years ago
While everyone watches ... Maybe a new sport for Detroit 😂
Load More Replies... 
#6
Scary Stairs
Jason 3 years ago
Parent probably was saying "no" then before they could finish the sentence the kid was at the top saying "I'm stuck come help me"
Load More Replies...
Jamie Solt 3 years ago
I'm glad I wasn't the only one that thought that... lol
Load More Replies...
OmBoyGanesh 3 years ago
This seems like a Burning Man installation and if it’s the one I remember it’s not as high as this image makes it look. I could be wrong.
Powerful Katrinka 3 years ago
You're right. There's a picture of it further down in the Facebook comments.
Load More Replies...
Pink kitty 3 years ago
Make sure your life insurance is up to date before you try to descend them
Jessica Bower 3 years ago
Parent of kid gives 0 effs.. kid is wearing a jean jacket vest... Dad must be the Fonze and we know he jumped the shark
When it comes to why people are so captivated by these death stairs, Lane told Bored Panda, "I think because they make us all stop and think, 'Who thought that was a good idea? Who signed off on that design? Why does this exist? It’s potentially deadly!' It’s something that we all can relate to, when we see death stairs, no sane person thinks they’re fine to use. In a way, it disturbs the societal norm enough that it sticks in our minds for a while."
Duffy also shared his thoughts on why the page is so fascinating. “I think some people are attracted to the group because they had a pic of some bad stairs,” he shared. “Some have mobility issues. Some are from that mysterious ‘stairs in the woods’ thing from a few years ago.”
What he is referring to is a phenomenon of people finding random stairs in the woods that went viral last year. These random staircases that seemingly lead nowhere were found all over the world, in Cambodia, the United States, Sweden, the Philippines, Germany and Italy. Those stairs were mostly mysterious, rather than deathly, but I can see how they might attract similar audiences. They’re all captivating stairs!
#7
And That’s How Fred Flinstone Came To Have Two Hip Replacements
Max Robitzsch 3 years ago
They look almost like they'd be soft like a sofa / lounge suite tho.
Load More Replies...
Christos Arvanitis 3 years ago
It's not a staircase, it's an art installation... https://www.pinterest.com/pin/488640628328049484/
the Return of Bruno 3 years ago
"Alright, who stole the toilet seats from every bathroom on every floor?"
#8
The Frozen Stairs Of Death! Stairs Up To The Top Of Snowdon, North Wales, UK!
Mark Bayliss 3 years ago
The locals are very similar to what you would find in a Tolkien book.
Load More Replies...
Hannah Hudson-Lee 3 years ago
Yeah, it looks scary and remote, but it's only about 50m from a railway station and a cafe. A blooming awesome railway. (Also, we don't say Snowdon any more. It's Yr Wyddfa (pronounced Er-wiff-va)).
#9
No. So Much No
Tim Gearing 3 years ago
Gloucester Tree in Gloucester National Park. Western Australia. There were a network of 8 trees used for fire spotting built between 1937 and 1952.
Some Cool Guy 3 years ago
Yes and the view from the platform at the top is spectacular! Still amazed I climbed all the way
Load More Replies...
rodger coghlan 3 years ago
I would have no problem going up but backing down would be a killer
Mark Wilson 3 years ago
At least when she gets to the top she'll get to meet Galadriel and Celeborn
M. Brown 3 years ago
I did this same thing a number of years ago and it's definitely not for everyone. There is a wire mesh cage around the spikes so it can be hazardous but you're not up there 100% bare. 98% bare, yes, but not quite 100. Here is some additional pictures: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3342864/Dave-Evans-Bicentennial-Tree-Warren-National-Park-Australia-s-frightening-tourist-attraction.html
Mandy Delaforce (PC Girl) 3 years ago
I've been up there. they now have wire on the sides, so you can't fall straight down.
We also asked Lane and Duffy if they have a favorite set of death stairs that they've ever seen shared in the group or in real life.
"I’ve seen a couple different staircases in person that were way too steep, or the steps blend into each other walking down them," Lane shared. "But my favorite one was in a house my girlfriend Sam and I were walking through with her realtor once; steep and carpeted, and at the top they made a weird 90 degree turn to avoid a sloped ceiling that forced you to step up on the wall next to them, essentially. But if you started back down them too far to the left then you’d end up falling a couple feet and sliding the rest of the way down on your bottom!"
“There are a bunch of good ones, it's hard to choose,” Duffy added. “There was a picture of a tombstone that was a staircase. There are a number of comic but scary construction mistakes. Some pics show little more than rocks chipped from a cliff face in ancient times. IRL there were some sketchy stairs leading to makeshift docks for fishing boats on the coast of NC when I was a kid.”
#10
Death Stairs
Detroit Citizen 3 years ago
" Come with me, and you'll see, a world of OSHA violations" (W***y Wonka music intensifies)
Shyla Bouche 3 years ago
They have those secure wooden twigs holding them up.
Load More Replies...
M O'Connell 3 years ago
It looks like the install phase. The formwork was removed from the concrete before it had cured sufficiently. The strength of concrete is usually measured with a time factor involved. It may be hard in 6 hours, but has very little strength until the chemical reactions have finished up which could take weeks depending on the application.
Load More Replies...
#11
Nope
Shaba Ding Dong 3 years ago
Not sure if your being sarcastic but, https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fciprianicharlesdesigns.wordpress.com%2F2014%2F07%2F07%2Fstairway-to-heaven-the-300ft-spiral-staircase%2F&h=AT39dS38Ozf3Zt8d3jojYokWJVfHCAw5cghz8uBcJuCbLWKDWO82SI5PnlOcWc7nbHinlYm5Fvt_IeFIQccpOurnLEhgyi_n-f6CXs88GU5CKLX2s4cJcgNUBvY9Bfzl_Df962IP0R7yphuI_vTZTpQ I found this on the Facebook page that has all the stairs.
Load More Replies... Norm Gilmore 3 years ago
From the caption on the photo I read. "A 300-foot (91,5m) staircase along a mountain face in the Taihang Mountains in Linzhou, China, offer the thrill of mountaineering without the danger. The hike up the stairs provides a great experience one will not easily forget, and no special gear is needed." Ha Ha Ha, Nope...
Bob La Capra 3 years ago
The thrill of mountaineering without the danger....I thought danger was a high % of the thrill?
Load More Replies...
Raven Sheridan 3 years ago
Actually, out of all the "death stairs" on this list, this looks like one of the safest ones!
DuchessDegu 3 years ago
Strangely if it has railings or banisters I'm good. No banisters and I can't go up or down 3 steps
#12
Eah, Have A Few Drinks Upstairs At The Restaurant, Then Good Luck Navigating The Geometric Nightmare That Awaits
Alison Hell 3 years ago
I'm blind in one eye and have little to no depth perception.. I cannot imagine trying to get down these stairs.
Load More Replies...
Rylosalex 3 years ago
Yep....everyone will start luaghing at you but....better safe than sorry
Load More Replies...
GlamourGhoul 3 years ago
I don't think I could navigate those stairs sober, let alone after a few drinks.
Xaos Pheonix 2 years ago
Can I just put a few of these at the bottom of these stairs? IMG_1201-6...3dc05.jpeg 
Alsie Scofield 2 years ago
How many lawsuits have been filed over this monstrosity? Is there a running tally on the number of bones broken while navigating this? Do they accept wagers on daily fractures? Where are the warning signs? And, most importantly, WHERE'S THE ELEVATOR ?
Finally, we asked both administrators what exactly qualifies as “death stairs”. "I think that could be anything from extremely poor design to terrible build quality, and especially ones that instill fear due to their location, proximity to long falls, potential for ice or wet surfaces causing slips that could end up extremely harmful or deadly," Lane told Bored Panda.
“The wonderful members of the group have been exploring what ‘Death Stairs’ are in some creative ways,” Duffy shared. “Some stairs aren't really frightening so much as they are confusing, I like those a lot. Many of them are poorly constructed, a good one of these is a ‘When you see it…’ kind of thing. Art installations sometimes employ stairs in bizarre ways. Halloween brings stairs with skulls on them, winter brings stairs with ice.”
Lane also wanted to warn readers to tread carefully! "You never know when you might encounter death stairs in the wild."
#13
Slippery When Wet, Aguas Calientes, Peru
oktopus 3 years ago
On the right are incised the names of all who have died while using these steps.
Lawrencium 3 years ago
Unfortunately half the list is names of the poor workers who fell off while trying to add names to the list... It's a growing problem
Load More Replies...
Daniel Atkins 3 years ago
What is at the top that would make people want to use that? It better be good.
Khara Mei 3 years ago (edited)
This is one of the staircases to the summit of Putucusi, the largest of the three holy mountains of Cusco region, Peru. It's two smaller brothers are Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. Climbing Putucusi apparently provides some stunning views of Machu Picchu.
Load More Replies...
Sar ska 3 years ago (edited)
These are what we call ladder rungs, mmkay? Not stairs. Falling down stairs means falling on stairs below you. Falling from rungs means falling to inescapable doom and/or blacking out from sheer terror. Easily confused, I know, but I’m confident the latter applies here.
#14
Scary
Margaret Hooper 3 years ago
My clumsy a*s would hit my head on the corner of these steps before I even used them.
Load More Replies...
Shayne Randlett 3 years ago
Decisions, decisions. Do I want to burn to death in a fire, fall off the Staircase O' Death, or experience the brief thrill of death by electrocution? Nice to have options!
Epona 3 years ago
I had that thought too. They look too small for a human. An adult human anyway.
Load More Replies...
Hippopotamuses 3 years ago
Looks like someone wasn’t happy to have to instal a fire escape. Malicious compliance?
~MushroomFrog~ 3 years ago
At least they have strainers for you to fall into so the people who live here can make spaghetti.
#15
Huangshan Mountain, China
Amused panda 3 years ago
What is that supposed to be at the end of the (visible section of) staircase? A dragon bone?
Atreïdes 3 years ago (edited)
At the top of the mountain is probably some old hermit that will pretend to not have been expecting you and will always give vague, passive aggressive answers and will teach you sword fighting through chores/exercises that have nothing to do with sword fighting
Load More Replies...
Laura Robaer 3 years ago
Is that a dead end? So you just turn around and go back? But ... What with the people coming right behind you? Do you just push them off because you were the first one to reach the end or?
Despite its morbid name, the Death Stairs Facebook group is a lighthearted community. But unfortunately, in reality, there are plenty of death stairs around the globe. And they might not look any different from the stairs you encounter every day at home or in your office building. According to data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, approximately 12,000 people lose their lives on a staircase every year. And an astonishing 1 million people end up in the emergency room every year due to stair-related injuries. So if you're typically texting or playing games on your phone while walking up or down stairs, here's your friendly reminder to pay closer attention!
#16
Death Stairs
AmmoniteCat 3 years ago
At this point, I'd just close my eyes and hold on to the banister and go down the stairs like a blind person.
#17
This Is Jacob’s Ladder In Falmouth, UK On 3rd Nov 2022 During A Terrible Downpour
Rylee Evergreen🦋 3 years ago
I don't even know what that means but I don't like the imagery lol
Load More Replies... 
Ted B 3 years ago
It really does! I did some research and I believe that the stairs featured in Exorcist ( located in Washington) were created to look like these stairs (located in Saint Helena) which are actually named after a biblical story I guess. You learn something new every day!
Load More Replies...
Shayne Randlett 3 years ago
When you invent the water slide, but don't get it quite right the first time
#18
Abandoned Staircase, Croatia
Mila Preradović 3 years ago
Actually this was one of the most luxurious hotels on the Adriatic coast, but it suffered heavy damage during the war and was never repaired.
When it comes to what types of injuries people incur while trekking up or down stairs, Amstep Products notes on their site that the injuries vary greatly. The most common are sprains and strains, head and neck injuries, and fractures. But patients have also been treated for spinal cord damage, deep lacerations, brain injuries, injuries to the back or neck, broken bones, internal bleeding and lower extremity injuries. Yikes! Interestingly enough, most of these falls also occur in our own homes. So don’t run up or down, skip steps or ignore the handrail. And don’t let your own staircase become a set of death stairs!
#19
Death Stairs
Greta Kolding 3 years ago
At least there is a handrail to hold - or cling - on to.
Load More Replies... 
Hippopotamuses 3 years ago
On the plus side. If you slipped, you’d only go as far as the wall at the bottom.
Paul Brown 3 years ago
Reminds me of staircases on a aircraft carrier I was on. Many ships have stairs like these.
Mariele Scherzinger 3 years ago
These look quite safe though. Perhaps not to be used barefeet, though.
#20
To The Hell
Lucinda Speer 3 years ago
This is an ancient well. I guess you'd have to be pretty thirsty to brave this.
nini 3 years ago
I thunk you will be very thirsty again, once you climbed all the way back up
Load More Replies...
RafCo (he/him) 3 years ago
These are in India, and the stairs fill up during the rainy season. It's not really scary, except the thought of carrying a heavy jar of water all the way back up
Gabby Ghoul 3 years ago
This is much larger than it appears and not so bad, most steps are fairly wide. If only there were a banana for scale!
Arline Kay 1 year ago
Most of these ppl have no idea who Escher is ... he was a MASTER!!
Load More Replies...
#21
Uhhh Yikes!!
LynzCatastrophe 3 years ago
Something that is meant to be practical and used dozens of times per day should never be treated as an art installation! Stairs are for feet, not for looking at!
Flo Campbell 3 years ago
I was trying to imagine moving in or out, how do y get your furniture up there?
Mommitude Attitude 3 years ago
See, this is the question my practical mind keeps asking LOL!
Load More Replies...
Doreen Mary 3 years ago
Taking minimalism to a whole new level, like there is a minimal chance you will navigate these stairs unscathed.
There are certain factors that can make our staircases more prone to become death devices, though. According to MedLegal360, some of the most common causes of stair-related injuries are slippery steps, snow-covered or icy stairs, liquid spills, torn carpets, underlighting, improper handrails, uneven or missing steps and cluttered stairways. So be extra careful with outdoor stairs in the winter, and resist the temptation to store anything on the steps in your home. That Christmas tree might look adorable there, but you don’t want to regret it when you come tumbling down on top of it and shatter all of your precious ornaments (and perhaps a few bones!).
#22
You Too, Can Be Human History; With Death Stairs!
boredkoala 3 years ago
Reads like either an AI wrote it or it went through Google translate one too many times 😅
Load More Replies...
Echidna learns extreme ironing 3 years ago
Poor bloke - he's been stuck up there for 3 months as someone forget the bottom steps....
The other-other David Wong 3 years ago
Those people look clinically depressed. What is happening in this picture?
tmw 3 years ago
These people look malnourished and unhappy bc they have death trap stairs and don't know how to sit on chairs properly.
Lemonia Van Tongeren 3 years ago
Malnourished... Maybe the kitchen is upstairs?
Load More Replies... 
Parmeisan 3 years ago
I was wondering if I was the only one who noticed that. How has that chair not fallen over?
Load More Replies...
DumYum 3 years ago (edited)
Her thoughts: He insisted on those F’ing stairs. I haven’t been upstairs in 3 years.
Load More Replies... Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
So how did the movers get the bedroom furniture upstairs, then? How do you bring the laundry up or down? What if someone rings the front doorbell in the middle of the night and you have to go downstairs to answer it while you’re still half asleep? What if family is coming to stay with you and they have kids? Too many questions and potential problems with this design. I personally would sacrifice this pretentious aesthetic for plain old normal functionality.
#23
Philadelphia Trinity. Get Called To Look At These A Lot. There Really Isn’t Much Ya Can Do - The Houses Are Pretty Much The Size Of A Stairwell. Not Even Enough Room To Get A Photo But You Have To Duck As You Descend
Blaze Fitzwater 3 years ago
As a Philly native, I've only hit my head 91, 634 times descending these types of stairs. 😮💨 So glad I live in a rancher now.
Hippopotamuses 3 years ago (edited)
Does the ‘Trinity’ refer to your need for the Holy Trinity to help you make it down safely, or to look after you if you don’t?
Dolly_of TheCowboy 3 years ago (edited)
Is there a large problem in Philly requiring a tower to defend yourself against invading sword carrying hordes?
RandomFrog(He/They️️) 3 years ago
I stayed at an Airbnb that was built in 1800s Utah, when the first settlers came. Apparently it was one of the first houses to be built. Pretty much all the stairs in houses from there look like this. Slightly slanted and narrow af.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
There are stairs like this in the Edgar Allen Poe House in Baltimore. It’s probably about the same age as the houses in Philly with similar staircases. I’m only 5’6” tall and had to crawl up them on all fours, while my 6’4” tall boyfriend had to practically slither up like a snake.
Amused panda 3 years ago
So I guess those houses were designed for short people with small feet.
#24
Death Stairs
Hippopotamuses 3 years ago
Yep. Crossing the tracks is a hell of a lot safer. Even if there is a train coming!
Amused panda 3 years ago
Really, I think these should be titled Death Ex-Stairs. Looks like there is an old barrier at the bottom to stop people coming up. I'd wondered if they'd only left the sections they did because they are wider sections which should stabilise what is left of the railings - than I noticed that there is so much missing of that section in the middle of the photo, it does even extend as far as/connect to the left hand railings anymore.
Philip Moss 3 years ago
Does anyone read the bits inbetween the pictures that waffle on about nothing
Mariele Scherzinger 3 years ago
Obviously, these are abandoned stairs which are not meant to be used.
If I’ve terrified you from walking up or down the stairs in your home, first of all, I’m so sorry! And second of all, don’t fret. There are a few steps you can take to ensure your safety when going up or down floors. Amstep Products recommends that we all pay close attention when walking up or down them, remove any trip hazards, tread carefully, walk slowly, and if you so desire, install non-slip stair treads or stair nosing to create better friction. I have fallen on my rear end more times than I’d like to admit by running up wooden stairs in socks when I was a kid, so believe me when I say, some extra tread can make a huge difference.
#25
Stairs In My Grandparents House
Ithilia Harker 3 years ago
Well in Germany we call that a Raumspartreppe (space saving stairs) usually, and as it seems here too, they lead to the attic.
Load More Replies... Amused panda 3 years ago
Nah, I don't mind this for a loft ladder/stairs, it looks a lot more stable than a lot of ladders. I've got to wonder why the loft hatch was installed that way around though.
Sans Serif 3 years ago
De rigueur installation. Would be better rotated - easier on the old shoulders!
Load More Replies...
#26
Delightful
Amused panda 3 years ago
Nice of them to install the yellow trim to make it more obvious from above how bad that teensy little triangular step is.
Yeah, okay. 3 years ago
Is there something hiding behind those stairs to push it out that way?? It makes no sense!
Hippopotamuses 3 years ago
Perhaps the next set of lethal stairs to the floor below? It’s the only thing that makes a modicum of sense here.
Load More Replies...
#27
My Ankle Twisted Itself When I Found This Image
Lynn Dougherty Quin 3 years ago
Looks like the stairwells in medieval castles. I live in Ireland where there are castles galore with winding, steep stairwells like these.
Mrs Irish Mom 3 years ago (edited)
Goin down to get a bottle of wine, grand, goin down for a 2nd bottle, death
We hope we haven’t accidentally given you a fear of stairs from viewing the photos on this list. But continue to tread carefully when going up and down staircases, and if there’s a handrail available, don’t hesitate to use it. Keep upvoting the pictures that you think perfectly encapsulate what “death stairs” are, and let us know in the comments if you’ve ever encountered any particularly frightening stairs out in the wild. Then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring horribly designed stairs, you can find a few here, here and here! Watch your step!
#28
Bet Those Icy Nights Are Tough On The Pizza Delivery Guy!
Andrew Pugg 3 years ago
Why is he not holding onto anything why just why, is his hand in his pocket again why
Lemonia Van Tongeren 3 years ago
Pizza Guy is expecting you letting down a basket on a rope from the window!
#29
I’m Positive I Would Find A Way To Get My Foot Stuck And Hang Upside Down For Hours (Or Days) Until Someone Found Me
Headless Roach 3 years ago
It makes sense. Assembly instructions were crâp, so...
Load More Replies... Amused panda 3 years ago
I wonder how often they have to stand at the top thinking, now which foot goes down first, before they do it automatically.
Sue Nagata 3 years ago
What if you are on crutches? Do you drag yourself up the stairs on your butt?
Heather Talma 3 years ago
If your stride brings you to these stairs left foot first you have to stop and awkwardly shuffle to step up with your right foot. EVERY TIME.
#30
Nope
MonsterMum 3 years ago
These are space saving stairs usually for access to the loft (roof space sometimes used for storage)
Load More Replies...
Bill Swallow 3 years ago
Please tell me that each and every one of these "designers" / "architects" had the living $#!t beaten out of them...
RandomFrog(He/They️️) 3 years ago
K but acctualy these kinds of stairs are great space savers in mobile homes or micro homes, and I’ve seen ones where the stairs press back flat (bassically making them from diagonal to sticking out less at a parallel to the wall) and into a table. You could get used the them after a while and it might be nice.
#31
Death Stairs
Candy Cane 3 years ago
Death. Though someone pointed out 42. Which is obviously the correct answer to life, plus the universe and everything.
Load More Replies...
Barbara Vandewalle 3 years ago
Whoever designed this, I want to see them race down these stairs.
Rachel Arteiro 3 years ago
Is this a top view or a front view? The difference? Drunk or murderer.
#32
Imagine Going Back Down
Hippopotamuses 3 years ago
With that height and steepness, I’d be doing other toddler things on the way down.
Load More Replies...
tmw 3 years ago
i have been stuck on stairs like that. At Tulum. There is not space to scoot down on your butt. I had to come down backwards whilst crying.
Marek Čtrnáct 3 years ago
I've been to Yucatán in the summer. We went to some of the lesser-known pyramids that are not full of tourists. Mayan stairs are terrifyingly steep!
Load More Replies...
Rylosalex 3 years ago
You wish....I wish....THAT IS A BRILLANT IDEA!!! Why did nobody think of that??
Load More Replies...
Thomas Bentley 3 years ago
i would fall up them, then when i hit my head on the top, fall down them, hitting my head on every stone on the way down, exponentially increasing my IQ
Sexual Harassment Panda 3 years ago
I think the ones on the left are going down. Looks like it splits in the middle, one side for up and the other down.
Martin Usher 3 years ago
Ha! Mam cymraeg pinched my intended comment ('great minds think alike'j
Babsywabs 3 years ago
There is nothing up there I need to see badly enough that I would risk THAT.
Maggie Fulton 3 years ago
If you need to see the other side, I’m pretty sure that’s why drones were invented.
Load More Replies... Mariele Scherzinger 3 years ago
I wonder why they let all these tourists crawl up a world heritage site? Is it safe for the tourists? Is it safe for the building? I understand the notion of wanting to enjoy the view, but does that mean that you should?
Hugh Cookson 3 years ago
This is Azteca / Inca. At the top was a sacrificial altar where humans would be slain, then thrown down the steps to be butchered and eaten.
#33
Escalator In A Fancy Hotel In Dallas, Converted Into Stairs. No Idea Why. You Don't Realize How Conditioned Your Body Is To Adjust To The Movement Of An Escalator, Until You Step Onto A Fake One
Gregg V 3 years ago
No Cheep Progressive Green Cali Weenie who removes Trump's gold escalators with stairs... Lmao!
Load More Replies... Mrs Irish Mom 3 years ago
😂🤣😂🙈 id b standing der 4 atleast 10 seconds wondering why im not moving, love it
Šimon Špaček 3 years ago
I think that stopped escalator is one of the best things for childern to escape adults. They are not used to the movement yet, so they can run up like on normal stairs, while adults have to slowly walk.
#34
This Thing Bends From A Ladder To Stairs Near The Middle, If You Even Reach The Middle
Amused panda 3 years ago
A) I don't think a ladder is supposed to bend like that. B) Those aren't stairs. C) Was the person taking the photo supposed to be holding the bottom of the ladder to keep it stable? Wtf did they stop footing the ladder to take the picture?
Mrs Irish Mom 3 years ago
Omg ders a dude at d top 🤯 gettin down would b harder than gettin up
okpkpkp 3 years ago
I was a window cleaner so I climbed lots of ladders. I then became a painter and up and down ladders all day long. Now I'm retired and my back and legs have given out on me. No more ladders, please. And, atop a 40-foot ladder, I felt it bending all the time, even though it wasn't. I used strong ladders. They were heavier but safer.
D00FINSHMERTZ 3 years ago
No! This is two ladders tied together. I had to do this on a four story roofing job with a walk out basement. I do not recommend. We used chains.
Cybele Spanjaard 3 years ago
Well the chap on the top has reached his destination and I bet he does this type of work every day
#35
Death Stairs
Let’s Be Kind 3 years ago (edited)
This is the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, NM. Here’s the actual staircase - yes, there IS a railing. https://www.lorettochapel.com/
Elizabeth Bock 3 years ago
Thank you. It is gorgeous and now I can sleep at night, without nightmares of trying to get up it.
Load More Replies...
Marie Dahme 3 years ago
I am from New Mexico. There’s a beautiful story to this staircase. No one to this day knows the wandering carpenter who made it and it defies the laws of physics on how it’s built. Look up the Loretta Chapel in Wikipedia. It’s simply amazing but you aren’t allowed to go up them.
Amanda Rose 3 years ago
I've been in this chapel. It's beautiful in person and the stairs are not really accessible to the public.
Clint 3 years ago
It’s, Loretto Chapel, and the railing wasn’t added until the last 20130 years due to the Santa Fe County building codes. The added railing and a support brace. Unfortunately, this was a disastrous move as the alterations caused the stairs to become unstable and they can no longer be used.
Carole Reid 3 years ago
I love that so many people know the story of these stairs. New Mexico is really a land of enchantment.
Desiree McKinnon 3 years ago
Read the book The Staircase by Ann Rinaldi. It gives a very accurate account of the church, the choir loft, the carpenter and the convent.
Norman Beattie 3 years ago
When I first viewed this in Santa Fe I was fascinated and over the years I still find it a beautiful curiosity !
#36
Death Stairs
Khara Mei 3 years ago
Brain went "temple, archaeological", and yes! A staircase to the top on the north side of Tikal Temple V, a very archaeologically important Mayan pyramid in Guatemala. Beautiful pyramid! Death stairs are so that the main staircase doesn't get damaged.
Shayne Randlett 3 years ago
If there were a chair on each landing I think I could make it to the top in, oh, about three or four days
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
I'm so short that it's not the steepness that would be a problem, but getting my legs high enough to reach the next step!
#37
Some Nice Ladders To Escape The Fire Without Injuries
FakeOptimist 3 years ago
Thought the same thing. But that's a disease, so technically the titel is correct.
Load More Replies... 
#38
Death Stairs
Apachebathmat 3 years ago
Ahhh, the 2022 graduation picture of the useless bbq grill association
Arthur Waite 3 years ago
Every day, a little more rusty, a little weaker, a little more wobble. . .
Bored&InSchool 3 years ago
it just looks like a bunch of ratty outdoor tables. these aren't death stares, this is a mess.
#39
Death Stairs
David 3 years ago
No no. I said bring the OTHER mattress up. That's the wrong one. Take it back down and get the other one.
tara 3 years ago
And if you could grab that lazy-boy on your way by......
Load More Replies...
Susan Raskin 3 years ago
a towel drying rack maybe..... but I have big doubts about it being stairs hahahaha
Mrs Irish Mom 3 years ago
Its great 4 a tiny house but this house looks pretty big so d stairs r stupid
#40
The Stairs Going Down To "The Pit" At The Plant I'm Working On. Covered In Years Of Grease And Metal Punch Outs
hello Wendy 3 years ago
Well I think after the story that's been in the news with that factory that was busted by the government for illegal use of child labor, we've all discovered that OSHA is slow on the draw.
Load More Replies... 
M O'Connell 3 years ago
"the pit" probably just contains an auger for bringing chips to a central scrap bin and isn't frequented except for maintenance.
Load More Replies... Dawn Marie 3 years ago
I guess they never heard of a broom, scrub brush, soap, or a mop. Must be all men.
#41
Hope You Dont Have To Get Anywhere In A Hurry Here! The Water Running Down The Stairs On The Left Would Have Me Going A** Over Tit In No Time
Anyone-for-tea? 3 years ago
I don’t trust men with no nipples or belly button.
Load More Replies...
#42
Ben Youssef Madrasa, Marocco
Max Robitzsch 3 years ago
Its a pretty reasonable ladder. Not a stair tho.
Load More Replies...
#43
Driving Through Virginia This Weekend And Saw This Insanity..... They Lead No Where
Evan Martin 3 years ago
I don't think this particular one, but some football coaches use these as well during practice to get a Birds Eye view of what's going on etc.
Load More Replies... Max Robitzsch 3 years ago
Hose tower (to hang up / dry firefighting hoses) or ladder training tower for firefighters, is my guess.
#44
"Hold My Whisky, I Got This"
Pheebs 3 years ago
Can you imagine how much work it took to cut those angles just right?
Load More Replies...
Amused panda 3 years ago
It looks nicely levelled off, but it would make me pause and wonder how stable the wood supporting the wedges might be.
Dynein 3 years ago
This is on a beach. It's not the wood that's not stable, it's the GROUND it's standing on that's shifting. I bet the stairs don't have a proper foundation and the wooden posts just sink into the pebbles very, very slowly over the course of years and decades.
Load More Replies...
WonderWoman 3 years ago
In time the wood will weather and you won't see the stark differences as much
Lynne Stankard 3 years ago
This would be a doddle - look at the top of the stairs not the risers.
bill marsano 3 years ago
T5n is right. This is a well-done repair that saves a failing stair--for the time being, anyway.
#45
Florida
ohjojo (you/your's) 3 years ago
When the light hits it just right you can see yourself reflected a thousand times as you tumble in space to the bottom of the stairs
#46
Way Too Complicated
David 3 years ago
Once a day one of us has to climb up to "the room" to feed it. Bob is the new guy so this week it's him.
ohjojo (you/your's) 3 years ago
Wait. What? Bob isn't the new guy. Bob is the o.n.e. b.e.h.i.n.d. t.h.e. d.o.o.r.
Load More Replies... Amused panda 3 years ago
So many questions. Why? Is it my imagination or is that platform section at the top sloping? Why fit a platform when it barely underhangs the door? Why is there no handrail to aid the transition from steps to stairs? Why does the ladder only start partway up the wall? And just why?
ohjojo (you/your's) 3 years ago
Yes, parts available, funding, space, everyone can get up to at least the bottom rung if Bob helps.
Load More Replies... Hippopotamuses 3 years ago
Imagine checking your phone walking down the stairs
Load More Replies...
#47
Perusing Through Zillow And Run Across This. If You End Up Falling Off The Top Set Of Stairs, You Have Falling Down The Bottom Set Of Stairs To Look Forward To
a_smol_berry 3 years ago
I live in a split level (the stairs aren’t bendy) but we had to take our railings off to paint them and I took a fall from the second floor to the basement in one foul step.
Pheebs 3 years ago
Ouch. Hope you recovered from that well. I lived in a split level as a kid that had really flimsy, thin metal railings and I was always terrified they’d break if I leaned on them. I’m picturing both kids and pets falling off of these ones.
Load More Replies... ohjojo (you/your's) 3 years ago
Put a small trampoline at the very bottom and skip the last set of stairs.
#48
No Thank You!
Celtic Knotter 3 years ago
Ugh, this again?! It’s not the finished stairs. There are nice & wide wood planks that attach to each of these supports. Once completed, it’s just a regular staircase, clearly defined edges on each step, normal spacing, completely safe.
Amber.exe (She/They) 3 years ago
I had trouble going up ladders at the park how tf am I supposed to get up there
Hippopotamuses 3 years ago
If the bottom steps were hung from the top, the whole thing would probably be safer. But it would look absolutely hideous and uninspired, so the designer would have to burn the house down!
#49
Death Stairs
Amused panda 3 years ago
Never mind the stupid carpet choice. That handrail wants a good clean.
#50
Hmmm…
Amused panda 3 years ago
Me too. And the fact it is mid-build gives me hope that when the property is finished it might possible be given a handrail.
Load More Replies...
Tim Douglass 3 years ago
Based on the design I'm going to assume it will get a rail on the right side there. With a railing these will be very nice.
#51
Moveable Stairs To Make Room For The Car
#52
Not Sure If This Is Deadly Enough But Definitely Seems Pretty Darn Pointless
Amused panda 3 years ago (edited)
Door at the top, safety rail at the bottom to stop you walking left towards the tracks, leads to the walkway on your right by the side of the building. What is pointless about that?
#53
These Freak Me Out For Some Reason
Pheebs 3 years ago
This is basically a rope bridge. Looks a bit like one of the bridges at one of the local zip line courses near my house.
Load More Replies... Isabel Care 3 years ago
Had to deliver to a company where there were stairs built of this type of open mesh, up to the reception on the first floor (US 2nd floor). Anyone with heels or wearing a skirt was compromised walking up them, and everyone clinging to the rail and looking at the side edge to work out where each step ended on the way down
Shayne Randlett 3 years ago
When I fell (and I would) slamming into the truck at the bottom would be the definition of adding insult to injury
ohjojo (you/your's) 3 years ago
When you fall, I wonder what chords you would sound like
Load More Replies...
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Weirdest Bi You’ll Ever Meet 3 years ago
This is something not to tap on when you have a stomach bug!!!!!!!
Annie Persson 3 years ago
Most of these are quite handleable, as long as you keep your head switched on. The slippery, icy, weird carpeted ones are scary yes, and the very long steep ones are heck on my knees, but most of the house ones are just fine. But then, I live in a country where ancient houses are still common, and people used whatever they had available, and once you have walked a few of these stairs you get the hang of it.
Christof Irran 3 years ago (edited)
As scary as they may all be none are as horrific as the infamous "Heart Attack Stairs" at the Concentration Camp Mauthausen near Linz in Austria. Heart-Atta...78-png.jpg 
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Did a set of Death Stairs just his last week. Two hundred "oh sh*t" moments. And then I had to go down. They really needed to just make that a *slide*!
Weirdest Bi You’ll Ever Meet 3 years ago
This is something not to tap on when you have a stomach bug!!!!!!!
Annie Persson 3 years ago
Most of these are quite handleable, as long as you keep your head switched on. The slippery, icy, weird carpeted ones are scary yes, and the very long steep ones are heck on my knees, but most of the house ones are just fine. But then, I live in a country where ancient houses are still common, and people used whatever they had available, and once you have walked a few of these stairs you get the hang of it.
Christof Irran 3 years ago (edited)
As scary as they may all be none are as horrific as the infamous "Heart Attack Stairs" at the Concentration Camp Mauthausen near Linz in Austria. Heart-Atta...78-png.jpg
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Did a set of Death Stairs just his last week. Two hundred "oh sh*t" moments. And then I had to go down. They really needed to just make that a *slide*!
Related on Bored Panda
