fuckyeahghosttowns

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In Mexico. (by María Luz Bravo) 

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Abandoned motel in the Los Angeles area. (photo by J. Bennett Fitts) 

This photo is part of the photographer's series 'No Lifeguard on Duty', which features abandoned sites around L.A..

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Saint Hilaire du Touvet in Grenoble, France. (photo by Simon Alibert) 

An abandoned hospital, closed down in 2008.

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Abandoned factory in Kraków, Poland. (photo by sethcracow) 

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Catarina, Texas. (photo by mlhradio) 

Catarina was once one of the fastest growing boom towns in the United States during the 1920's, until the artesian wells dried up - now only a few dozen residents remain. Pictured is the abandoned Royal Palms Hotel, which was built in 1926.

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Picher, Oklahoma. (photo by Jason Lewis) 

Picher started out as a lead and zinc mining field in the early 1900’s. It was the most productive mine in the area. More than the half of lead used in World War I came from the Picher mine. As a result of this heavy mining activity Picher was left with huge environmental problems after mining ceased in 1967. Elevated lead levels in children’s bodies have caused learning disabilities and other problems. Lead and zinc also seeped into the groundwater, ponds and lakes.

In 2006 it was decided to close the town of Picher and a procedure to remove and relocate all its residents had been started. The town is considered to be too toxic to be habitable. In 2008 a tornado hit Picher. Twenty blocks were destroyed. The government did not give aid to rebuilt the damaged houses and businesses, though they continued assisting people in their relocation. The city ceased operations as a municipality on September 1, 2009.

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Hashima Island in Japan. (photo by Sébastien Tixier) 

This island is one among 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture of Japan, about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki itself. It is also known as Gunkanjima or Battleship Island thanks to its skyline. Mitsubishi bought the island in 1890 to begin a project to retrieve coal from the bottom of the sea. In 1916 they began building concrete apartment blocks to accomodate the workers and protect them from hurricanes.

In the 1960’s petroleum replaced coal in Japan, forcing all coal mines to close including the Hashima Island. Mitsubishi officially announced the closing of the mine in 1976. Since then the island has been abondoned and access to it has been prohibited.

On April 22, 2009 visits to the island have been re-opened for the public.

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West Pier in Brighton. (photo by Adream608) 

The West Pier is a pier in Brighton, England. It was built in 1866 by Eugenius Birch and has been closed and deteriorating since 1975, awaiting renovation. The pier did not have much of a superstructure until 1893 when a pier head was extended and a pavilion added. A concert hall was added in 1916 and a new top-deck entrance in 1932. In 1965 the pier was bought by a company that owned some seafront hotels and entertainment venues. They had ambitions for the pier but as maintenance costs increased the pier was closed in 1975. The pier was cut off from the shore for safety reasons.

In 1984 a trust fund, with the goal to renovate the pier, bought it, but has to date not been able to succes in that goal. Since 2000 the pier caught fire several times, destroying it even more, and parts of the West Pier fell into the sea due to heavy winds.

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Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan. (photo by presidentadow) 

Cass Technical High School closed it doors in 2005 after 83 years. A new building was built next to it. In the old building are still remaining desks, books, chairs, award-winning artwork and pianos to find.

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Ludlow, California. (photo by Dave van Hulsteyn) 

Ludlow is a small town located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County in California.

The town started as a water stop for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad in 1883. Ore, a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals, was found in the nearby hills, leading to a boom. By the 1940s, mining had ceased and the town was left with only the tourist traffic from Route 66. When Interstate 40 was built, there was little business and the residents departed, leaving empty buildings that still stand beside old Route 66.

A small portion of Ludlow abutting Interstate 40 is still inhabited, and contains two gas stations, a small motel, a restaurant, a Dairy Queen, and a small tire and repair shop. An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 on the Richter scale struck the Mojave Desert at Ludlow near Interstate 40 on December 6th, 2008.

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New York Central Terminal in Buffalo, New York. (photo by sandrajkammerer) 

The New York Central Terminal in Buffalo, New York was a key railroad station from 1929 to 1979. The 17-story Art Deco style station was designed by architects Fellheimer & Wagner for the New York Central Railroad. The terminal is located about 2.5 miles from downtown Buffalo, and consists of several structures, some of which are or were interconnected. The complex was designed for 3200 passengers per hour.

After World War II, the station again entered a state of decline, so the New York Central offered the terminal for sale in 1956 for one million dollars. No one took up the offer. A company called Buffprop Enterprises did negotiate a 25-year lease of the terminal in 1959, but it ended the following year. In 1961, the train service to Niagara Falls in New York ended. In 1966, the continuing decrease in passenger revenues caused the New York Central to demolish parts of the Terminal complex, including the Pullman service building, coach shop, ice house, and power station.

After closing to passenger traffic in 1979, the building was purchased by Anthony Fedele & Galesi Realty for $75,000. Fedele used the building for a variety of purposes, including gala events, markets, floor hockey games, and more. Fedele enjoyed the building so much, that he built himself an apartment to live in within the Terminal.

In 1986, Anthony Fedele defaulted on his taxes and US Bankruptcy Court Judge John W. Creahan ordered a foreclosure sale. The Buffalo Central Terminal was put up for auction and won by Thomas Telesco, the only bidder, for $100,000. Telesco began the process of selling the architectural artifacts and other items of value from the building.

This period was one of great decay for the Terminal. The Terminal’s main buildings were subject to extensive artifact removal. Once a truck was being used to remove ceiling lights when it backed into the famous plaster bison statue in the concourse, smashing it. Artifacts removed and sold included iron railings, signs, lights and mailboxes. Further, the building was not secured, and vandalism was extensive, and even included some arson attempts. It is said that the only thing that saved the building was the fact that demolition would have been too expensive, around 12 million USD.

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Abandoned farmhouse in Elva, Illinois. (photo by sweetestsoundofthunder) 

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Gibellina in Sicily, Italy. (photo by Vincenzo Messina) 

Gibellina was a small city in the mountains of Sicily. It was entirely destroyed during a massive earthquake in 1968. With many concrete ruins remaining it is referred to as Ruderi di Gibellina now. After the earthquake, a new city was build approximately 20 miles from the old one.

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Ruins in Berazategui, Argentina. (photo by Uchaimañé)

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Jeffrey City, Wyoming. (photo by Michael James) 

Jeffrey City is a town established in 1931, and boomed in the 1950's with the opening of an uranium mine. 40 years later the uranium market collapsed because of big incidents like Chernobyl. The mine closed in 1982 and more than 90% of the Jeffrey City population left the town to settle elsewhere. Although a little part of the village is still inhabited, many buildings lie shattered across the former mining town.

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Spreepark in Berlin, Germany. (photo by Evelyne Leveke) 

The park opened in 1969 as an entertainment park under the name Kulturpark Plänterwald. 20 years later authorities decided that Spreepark Berlin GmbH could convert the park into an amusement park to modern and western standards. Roller coasters were built, the ferris wheel was renovated and people had to pay an overall fee to get in, instead of paying for each individual ride before. This went on pretty succesful with 1.5 million visitors each year, until the end of the 1990's when the company announced they were in serious debts and increased the admission fee. The park closed in 2001, leaving 11 million euros of debts and the area fell completely in disrepair.

The head of Spreepark Berlin GmbH, Norbert Witte, flew to Lima in Peru after his company went bankrupt. He took his family, some close co-workers and six of the attractions of the park with him by ship, said so to repair them. Upon his return to Germany he was arrested for drug smuggling. He hid 180 kg of cocaine in the masts of an attraction called The Flying Carpet.

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Takakanonuma Greenland in Hobara, Japan. (photo by Kotarou Shibakoen) 

Takakanonuma Greenland was an amusement park located around 300km / 185 miles north of Tokyo. It opened in 1973, but was closed a few years later already because of a low number of visitors although some local myths speak of fatal accidents. In the 1980's some efforts were made and the park re-opened for about ten years, but it had eventually to close again because other new and modern amusement parks in the region were more popular.