There’s not much creepier than abandoned places, especially those that were once grand in either size or ambition. There’s something about seeing these one-time monuments to human ingenuity left for dead that is sure to send a shiver down anyone’s spine.
Whether hospitals, factories, or even entire cities, each of these abandoned places once represented the hopes and dreams of the people who built them, occupied them, or even called them home–but now they’re just empty shells, slowly crumbling back into the nothingness from where they came.
Whether contemplating this or simply imagining the fear that might strike you if caught alone after dark in any one of them, we hope you enjoy our list of the 17 creepiest abandoned places worldwide!
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Pripyat, Ukraine
Situated in northern Ukraine across the border from Belarus, this one-time city of nearly 50,000 people now sits completely abandoned. Though the name “Pripyat” might not ring a bell, “Chernobyl” most likely will–it was this nuclear power plant’s famous meltdown that caused the city to be abandoned. Nowadays, the city’s schools, hospitals, shops, gymnasiums, and stadiums sit totally vacant–though radiation levels have dropped considerably and most of the area is now considered safe to visit.
www.flickr.com
Hashima Island, Japan
Also known as “Battleship Island” and more recently as “Ghost Island,” this isolated rock some nine miles off the coast of Japan was once inhabited by over 5,000 people. The island was a center for coal mining, but when oil replaced coal in the Japanese economy the massive apartment blocks that comprised its residential section were swiftly abandoned. In 2009, access to the island was officially reopened after 35 years of closure. Now, tourists intrigued by the ruins are able to visit via a number of different tour operators.
abandonedography.com
Sanzhi UFO Houses, Taiwan
Originally conceived of as a vacation community aimed towards off-duty U.S. military personnel from around East Asia, the funding for this project soon dried up as a mysterious series of deaths and suicides occurred on the premises–or at least that’s how the story goes. What is known for sure is that the futuristic housing pods remained abandoned for some 30 years before being slated for demolition in 2008. As of 2010, the Sanzhi UFO Houses are gone and the area is being redeveloped as a resort. Let’s see how things work this time…
connecticuthistory.org
Holy Land USA, Connecticut
This odd theme park recreated Biblical scenes from Jerusalem and Bethlehem and also included a “catacombs” that delved over 200 feet down into the earth. It once attracted tens of thousands of visitors each year, whom owner John Greco often welcomed personally as he spoke about the religious views that inspired his construction of the site. However, during the 1980s his health failed him and he passed away. Several renovation attempts have taken place between 1986 and the present day, the most recent in 2013. Only time will tell if Holy Land USA will be returned to its former state or allowed to decay further into abandonment.
sometimes-interesting.com
Varosha, Cyprus
Once one of the world’s true luxury resort areas, this Mediterranean beach town now sits entirely abandoned as a result of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Turkey still occupies parts of the island and continues to hold the city of Varosha as a sort of bargaining chip to use with the Cypriot government. However, with each passing year the city becomes less and less of interest to the Cypriot people–most of the buildings, especially the grand seaside high rises, have long since decayed past the point of possible restoration.
www.gq.com.mx
San Juan Parangaricutiro, Mexico
Of what was once an entire Mexican village located in southern Mexico, all that remains today is the church–or the top half of it, at least. The rest was destroyed in a volcanic eruption that took place in 1943. Though the church itself is not so creepy, the knowledge that the homes, shops, and memories of all the people who lived in the town are buried deep under the rock beneath your feet might make you feel somewhat uncomfortable. If you try not to think about it though, this is actually quite a charming site to visit.
thefunambulist.net
Centralia, Pennsylvania
Once a prosperous mining town of nearly 3,000 residents, there are currently seven people left in Centralia. Why you ask? Coal deposits beneath the town have been burning since 1962, prompting the state of Pennsylvania to seize the entire town via eminent domain. Once the final seven residents pass away, Centralia will remain totally abandoned. Though most buildings have been demolished, the streets remain. Visitors can imagine the layout of the town as smoke eerily rises from the ground around them. It has been estimated that the underground fire will burn for at least the next 250 years.
www.huffingtonpost.com
Lehigh Acres, Florida
This is a more contemporary abandonment story–which, in a way, makes it somehow even creepier. The result of some underhanded real estate deals during the mid-20th century was a vast expanse of streets laid out in a grid and pieces of property sold to out-of-staters who didn’t quite understand what they were getting themselves into. Most lots remained vacant until the real estate boom of the mid-2000s, which bloomed into the housing bubble and financial collapse of 2008. Since then, a large number of homes remain abandoned or simply half-finished throughout this strange suburban landscape.
motorcitydisneyxd.wikia.com
Michigan Central Station, Michigan
Detroit has more than its fair share of once-great buildings sitting in states of abandonment, but this one is certainly near the top of the list. This Beaux-Arts Classical style building was once the tallest rail station in the world; it closed down in 1988 when Amtrak service was shut off for good. Since then, the building that once acted as a gateway to America’s greatest industrial boom town has been the subject of countless renovation plans, none of which have come to fruition. With each passing year, the building will only get more expensive to repair.
commons.wikimedia.org
Six Flags New Orleans, Louisiana
Opened as Jazzland in the year 2000 and becoming Six Flags New Orleans in 2003, this theme park’s plans for continued growth were thwarted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In the years since, the park has been purchased by the city of New Orleans but redevelopment efforts have yet to begin in full. As such, the park currently sits more or less in the state it was left in after the massive storm. During the past few years, the park has also been used as a set for a number of big-name Hollywood films.
kickassfacts.com
Danvers State Insane Asylum, Massachusetts
Opened in rural Massachusetts in 1878, this psychiatric facility is often credited as the birthplace of the pre-frontal lobotomy. Danvers was originally designed to house some 500 patients, but soon enough conditions of extreme overcrowding came to exist–over 2,000 patients lived in the facility, including some confined to living in the basement. The campus’s many buildings were also connected by a series of underground tunnels. Fully abandoned in 1992, the main building fell into extreme disrepair before being converted, strangely enough, into upscale apartments.
www.whatthehellnews.com
Poveglia Island, Italy
This tiny island located near Venice in northern Italy is often called the world’s most haunted island. Starting in the 1700s, Poveglia was used as a containment station for the ill–this resulted in “plague pits,” unceremonious mass graves for those who died on the island. It has been estimated that the remains of over 100,000 people rest here underground. Additionally, between the 1920s and the 1960s, the island was home to a massive insane asylum. Rumor states that the doctors here cruelly experimented on their patients… as if the island’s story wasn’t creepy enough already.
artofabandonment.com
St. Nicholas Coal Breaker, Pennsylvania
Once the largest and most productive coal breaking facility in the world, this massive building has sat abandoned since the early 1970s. A more modern facility constructed just a half mile away rendered this older facility obsolete. Nowadays, this one-time roaring center of industry is mostly quiet, save for the occasional brave soul coming to investigate one of the world’s most impressive (and creepiest) abandoned structures.
creepyabandonedplaces.tumblr.com
Staten Island Boat Graveyard, New York
Did you ever wonder where boats go to die? Well… us neither, but it still was certainly interesting to find out. It turns out that Staten Island is home to New York City’s only commercial marine salvage facility, and while that might make it sound like this place is doing a booming business it mostly appears that it’s a place for boats to sit and rot away their final days in peace. Surrounded by marshlands and very difficult to access by land, it’s possible to clandestinely kayak to the yard and explore–not that we would recommend doing such a thing…
marjetaistrefi.wordpress.com
Katoli World, Taiwan
For such a tiny island, Taiwan certainly has more than its fair share of creepy abandoned places. This second Taiwanese entry on our list was once a popular theme park–one of only two in the country with a full-scale roller coaster, in fact. That said, a massive earthquake in September of 1999 caused catastrophic damage to the park and forced it to be shut down. Nowadays, the remains of Katoli World sit rusting away. As far as we are aware, there exist no plans to renovate or refurbish the site.
marjetaistrefi.wordpress.com
Craco, Italy
Talk about a town that’s been down on its luck–Craco couldn’t seem to catch a break at any point since 540. Between plagues, foreign occupations, and droughts, things here generally spent time going from bad to worse–and in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a good portion of the town’s residents decided to try their luck in North America instead. Those who stuck it out faced more problems: a landslide in 1963, a flood in 1972, and finally an earthquake in 1980 that caused this ancient city to become finally and fully abandoned.
www.therichest.com
Kadykchan, Russia
Closing out our list is another abandoned Soviet city, this time Kadykchan in Russia. Once home to some 12,000 people, a loss of government subsidies after the collapse of the Soviet Union meant that this coal mining town’s operations became increasingly unprofitable. This, coupled with a series of mine-related deaths, caused the Russian government to begin relocating residents in the mid-1990s. This process was officially completed in 2010, but on an “unofficial” basis it’s been reported that there are, believe it or not, still a few people living here who refuse to leave. So who knows whether Kadykchan is technically abandoned or not? But there’s no doubt–the place is creepy.
Credit: http://www.traveltips4life.com/17-creepiest-abandoned-places-worldwide/17/
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