The Most Beautiful Abandoned Places In The World

Published on January 8, 2023
The world is adorned with breathtaking works of architecture. From the Louvre to the Taj Mahal, there are endless sights to take in, and certainly not enough time to see them all. But what happens when a place becomes abandoned? These abandoned places can appear hauntingly beautiful or simply creepy. It’s up to you to decide…

Rakotzbrücke Devil’s Bridge

Rakotzbrücke Devil’s Bridge can be found in Gablenz, Germany. This beautiful bridge can be traced back to the 19th century. With the right lighting and weather, the bridge and its reflection seem to form a perfect circle, making it a popular spot for artists, photographers, and couples in search of romantic viewpoints.

Rakotzbrücke Devil’s Bridge

Rakotzbrücke Devil’s Bridge

McDermott’s Castle

Positioned on Castle Island, a small Island in Lough Key, Ireland, McDermott’s Castle was built in 1184 by the Mac Diarmada dynasty. The impressive fortress was unfortunately destroyed by a fire that started by lightening hitting the castle. The castle was then rebuilt in 1235 and was put up for auction in 2018 for around $100,000.

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McDermott’s Castle

McDermott’s Castle

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Abandoned Supermarket, Fukushima

A magnitude-9 tsunami hit the Fukushima area in March 2011. As a result, the local nuclear power plant experienced nuclear meltdowns and a release of radioactive material, meaning very dangerous conditions and immediate evacuation. Over 300,000 people were evacuated, and it is estimated that the damage control will take nearly 40 years to complete.

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Abandoned Store In Fukushima

Abandoned Supermarket, Fukushima

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TU 144 Supersonic Passenger Jet

This jet that can be seen parked in a Russian backyard has caused quite a stir. The model type is said to be very dangerous, even called a death trap by some. Deemed unsafe due to a rush in the design process, manufacturing was cancelled in 1982, leaving the existing jets completely abandoned.

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TU 144 Supersonic Passenger Jet

TU 144 Supersonic Passenger Jet

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Christ Of The Abyss

This statue can be found in the Mediterranean Sea off of San Fruttuoso, Italy, and was actually meant to be placed underwater. The statue is made of bronze and was created by artist Guido Galletti. In 2003, it was taken to be restored as the bronze began corroding and many sea creatures began to nestle onto it.

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Christ Of The Abyss

Christ Of The Abyss

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Cottage In Stradbally, Ireland

This abandoned little cottage is hidden in a gorgeous yellow forest clearing near Stradbally, Ireland. It’s estimated that it was constructed in the 1800s, due to its cast iron windows and tiled roof. It seems odd that this cottage is abandoned. After all, it seems like the perfect spot for a getaway from life!

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Cottage In Stradbally Ireland

Cottage In Stradbally Ireland

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Kejonuma Leisure Land

If you want to head to one of the more creepy abandoned sites, then Kejonuma Leisure Land is the place for you. A once-popular theme park, it opened in 1979 and boasted over 200,000 visitors per year. However, by 2000 it was shut down due to a significant drop in visitors. The rides were left abandoned, a perfect backdrop for a horror film.

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Kejonuma Leisure Land

Kejonuma Leisure Land

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Tiki Palace In Tennessee

Billy Hull, famed strip club tycoon, decided to create a haven of debauchery for him and his wife, resulting in the Tiki Palace being built in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The elaborate mansion featured extensive tiki decor, many mirrors, and a Playboy bunny shaped pool. After Hull was convicted of murder, the home became derelict and was heavily vandalized until its demolition in 2017.

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Tiki Palace In Tennessee

Tiki Palace In Tennessee

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Cars Left By Soldiers

During World War II, American soldiers were stationed in a small village called Chatillion in southern Belgium. While there, they were provided with cars. However, once the war ended, the soldiers were faced with the choice of either paying for the cars to be shipped to the US or leaving them behind. Many chose to leave the cars behind, explaining this graveyard of abandoned cars.

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Railroad Bridge In Pittsburgh

Railroad Bridge In Pittsburgh

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Mount Sinabung In Karo, Indonesia

Mount Sinabung, found in Karo, Indonesia, has erupted several times in recent years. But in 2016, an especially devastating eruption claimed the lives on seven people. The area had to be evacuated, leaving homes and other buildings abandoned completely. Most recently, there was another eruption in April 2018, but luckily no one was harmed.

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Mount Sinaburg Karo Indonesia

Mount Sinabung In Karo Indonesia

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Abandoned Selma Plantation Estate

In its glory days, the Selma Plantation Estate boasted 20 rooms total. Standing tall on a 212 acre plot, the mansion was built somewhere between 1800 and 1815. After its owners died unexpectedly, it was passed from new owner to new owner. It eventually was abandoned, the disrepair taking its beauty and turning it into creepy.

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Abandoned Selma Plantation Estate

Abandoned Selma Plantation Estate

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Abandoned Hut By Obersee Lake Germany

Obersee Lake is tucked away between the mountains of Berchtesgaden National Park in Germany. If you look carefully, you’ll find an abandoned fishing hut right in the lake itself. The mysterious hut doesn’t have any signs of life or even any insight on when it was built. Regardless, both locals and visitors surely can agree that the whole site is gorgeous.

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Abandoned Hut By Obersee Lake Germany

Abandoned Hut By Obersee Lake Germany

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Yellow House In Nova Scotia

Not many people feel the need to match the exterior of their homes to the surrounding landscape. However, this yellow house located in Nova Scotia perfectly matches the dandelions scattered all around it. It still has this effect despite the fact that it is abandoned, but we can imagine that in its heyday the home was even more stunning to see.

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Yellow House In Nova Scotia

Yellow House In Nova Scotia

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VW Bug In Cancun Mexico

This underwater automobile can be found in the Underwater Museum in Cancun, Mexico. While this is quite convincing as the real thing, this is a replica and is one of 500 sculptures that can be found in the museum. These were created by sculptor Jason deCaries Taylor. All of the exhibitions are 3-6 meters below water, so make sure to bring your scuba gear!

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VW Bug In Cancun Mexico

VW Bug In Cancun Mexico

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Space Shuttle At The Baikonur Cosmodrome

The Baikonur Cosmodrome was kept a secret by the Russian state, and was even the location from which Yuri Gagarin launched into space in 1961 to become the first man to do so. When the communist regime fell in 1991, and since the site was located in Kazakhstan, it stopped being under Russian control and became abandoned.

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Space Shuttle At The Baikonur Cosmodrome

Space Shuttle At The Baikonur Cosmodrome

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Abandoned Farm In Ontario

You can tell that the now abandoned farmhouse was once a home large enough to house a family with many children. The wood is now rotting, the planks falling off the home entirely, and the trees around it are bare. Strangely enough, the lawn in front of it seems to remain perfect. Perhaps there are still neighbors nearby who are tending to the grass?

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Abandoned Farm In Ontario

Abandoned Farm In Ontario

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Railroad Bridge In Pittsburgh

The train was one of the most popular modes of transportation in Pennsylvania. As the rise of the automobile continued to take precedence, railroads started to be neglected and some have fallen into complete disrepair. The railroad bridge seen here is located in Pittsburgh. Since trains are still not a common mode of transportation, it seems unlikely that it’ll be revived.

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Railroad Bridge In Pittsburgh

Railroad Bridge In Pittsburgh

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Abandoned House In Nebraska

This abandoned home located in Nebraska was captured in this perfectly-timed photo in 2015. As if the fact that it’s abandoned wasn’t enough, the lightening behind the house only makes it even more menacing. The contrast of the worn down home and the bright bolt of lightening behind it gives the whole photo a surreal feel.

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Abandoned House In Nebraska

Abandoned House In Nebraska

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Police Motorcycle Graveyard In Lima

These old Harley Davidsons were once ridden by the National Police od Puente Piedra of Lima, Peru. Due to lack of budget, the bikes were retired and left abandoned in a parking site. As they’ve collected dust, they’ve decreased in value. If refurbished, their value could go from around $1000 up to $12,000! Worth a shot, no?

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Police Motorcycle Graveyard In Lima

Police Motorcycle Graveyard In Lima

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Abandoned Hotel In Colombia

What looks like it could have been a stunning vacation spot now lies abandoned in ruins. The formerly beautiful hotel is perched atop a cliff that overlooks the Bogota River. When the river was contaminated with industrial waste, the whole area fell into disarray, forcing the hotel to shut its doors.

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El Hotel Del Salto, Colombia

El Hotel Del Salto, Colombia

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Old Helensburgh Railway Tunnels

In the 1880s, a network of seven tunnels, named the Helensburgh Tunnels, were built in order to connect different areas in Australia. These tunnels cut right through the hilly landscape rather than travel all the way around. However, less than 30 years after being built, they were abandoned in favor of a two-way rail system. The old ones can still be visited today.

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Old Helensburgh Railway Tunnel

Old Helensburgh Railway Tunnel

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Michigan Central Station

The Michigan Central Station was opened in 1913, having over 200 trains running to and from it on a daily basis. During WWII, it was heavily by the military. The station began to steadily decline, as trains fell out of favor, and eventually the station was closed entirely. Though it hasn’t been revived, it has been named as a landmark and will not be demolished.

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Michigan Central Station

Michigan Central Station

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Abandoned Bug In Lagoon Beach

A completely abandoned VW Bug  is seen parked along the coast of Lagoon Beach in Milnerton, South Africa. It’s unclear as to why it was parked and left behind in this exact spot, but it clearly has been standing there for a long time, as is apparent from it’s peeling paint job and missing tires.

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Abandoned Bug In Lagoon Beach

Abandoned Bug In Lagoon Beach

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Abandoned Victorian House In San Francisco

This little yellow Victorian house sits wedged between two modern buildings that seem to tower over it. Found in San Francisco, the house is decorated in the classic styles that are characteristic of the Victorian style. Despite being abandoned, it has maintained the features that make it beautiful, such as the staircase leading to the house and the carvings decorating the windows.

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Abandoned Victorian House In San Francisco

Abandoned Victorian House In San Francisco

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SS America Wreck, Canary Islands

Built in 1940, the SS America was used primarily as a passenger ship. In 1994, the ship was caught up in a storm and nature did not spare it. It washed up ashore wrecked, and its condition continued to worsen as time passed. By 2006, it was almost completely collapsed into its docking port.

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SSS America Canary Islands

SSS America Canary Islands

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Half-Sunken Ship In Roatan, Honduras

Around the are of Roatan, Hoduras, you can find many sunken ships scattered around. The ship pictured below is the Dixon Cove shipwreck. It was destroyed in a storm in the 1970’s and drifted off into the channel. Many believe that it could have carried valuable goods, as the area as a whole was rife with pirates and sunken treasure.

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Sunken Ship In Roatan Honduras

Half-Sunken Ship In Roatan, Honduras

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Home Of Bulgarian Pancho Semov

Known as the Bulgarian Rockerfeller, Pancho Semov was known for his great wealth. He owned many properties, and wished that his home would become a retirement home after his passing. However, after he died in 1945, this did not happen, and his home was instead used as a ward for those infected with tuberculosis.

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Home Of Bulgarian Pancho Semov

Home Of Bulgarian Pancho Semov

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The Last House Of Holland Island

Holland Island, found in the Chesapeake Bay, was once a bustling coastal town and community. Victorian homes, churches, a school, and shops adorned the town. However, nature got the best of the community and slowly the sea wore away the town. This is the last remaining home from those days.

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The Last House Of Holland Island

The Last House Of Holland Island

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Shipwreck In The Red Sea

Deep in the waters of the Red Sea, many wrecked ships can be found. This particular ship is called the “Russian Wreck” and is believed to be the remains of a fishing trawler originally name Khanka. It was found in the Red Sea in 1988. It is believed that it may have been used as a spy ship since electrical equipment was found on the ship upon its discovery.

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Shipwreck In The Red Sea

Shipwreck In The Red Sea

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British Ship In The Great Lakes Of Ontario

Found in the Great Lakes, this former British warship was known as the HMS Ontario. It is said that it sank in 1780 and took 130 men along with it, all of which who perished as the ship went down. It was found in 2008, nearly 200 years later, and was amazingly almost completely intact.

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British Ship In The Great Lakes Of Ontario

British Ship In The Great Lakes Of Ontario

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Bannerman Castle, New York

Bannerman Castle was built by Francis Bannerman, a Scottish immigrant who successfully sold army surplus goods in order to make quite the mint. The castle has been through rough times, including a ferryboat crash, gunpowder explosion, as well as a fire that burned for three days long. Conservationists have been keeping the castle in decent condition since the 1990s.

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Bannerman Castle, New York

Bannerman Castle, New York

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Pripyat, Ukraine

In 1986, Ukranian city Pripyat was the worst affected city by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The massive amount of radiation that was released forced the city’s residents to abandon it, leaving it to become one of the most famous abandoned cities in the world. Its most famous feature is its decaying theme park, as well as schools and clocks that are all frozen in time.

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Pripyat, Ukraine

Pripyat, Ukraine

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Varosha Beach Resort, Famagusta, Cyprus

The once-bustling resort town of Varosha was then a popular tourist attraction and attracted the likes of Brigitte Bardot up until the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. While the city of Famagusta is experiencing a sudden boom in tourism, Varosha remains abandoned as it was when it was evacuated in 1874: with clothing still hanging in stores and model cars in garages.

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Varosha Beach Resort, Famagusta, Cyprus

Varosha Beach Resort, Famagusta, Cyprus

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Buzludzha Monument, Kazanlak, Bulgaria

The Buzludzha Monument by erected by the communist leaders during the Cold War. They built it to house the Bulgarian Communist Party and included posters of Lenin and Marx, as well as red stars adorning the ceiling. It was abandoned and closed off in 1989, but many people still sneak in to take a look at the UFO-looking building.

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Buzludzha Monument, Kazanlak, Bulgaria

Buzludzha Monument, Kazanlak, Bulgaria

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Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea

The Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyany, North Korea was built as a response to Singapore’s Westin Stamford Hotel, which was then the tallest hotel in the world. North Korean leaders wanted to prove that they could outperform Singapore, and so the 105-story hotel was built. However, 30 years and $750 million later, it stands unfinished to this day.

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Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea

Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea

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The Maunsell Sea Forts, England

These H.G. Wells-ian looking structures were built in order to protect England during World War II from air raids coming from Germany. Built on the Thames, the giant metal towers were actually decommissioned in the 1950s, and were later used by pirate radio operators. Now, most of the towers are a tourist attraction that can be seen by boat or from Showbury East Beach on a clear day.

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The Maunsell Sea Forts, England

The Maunsell Sea Forts, England

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Canfranc International Railway Station, Spain

This once glorious train station has truly been through a rough time. It was once the largest rail station in Europe when it was built in 1928, but a mere eight years after it opened it was affected by the Spanish Civil War as well as a WWII Nazi takeover. While there have been several attempts to restore it, it still remains abandoned.

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Canfranc International Railway Station, Spain

Canfranc International Railway Station, Spain

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Valle Dei Mulini (Valley Of The Mills), Sorrento, Italy

The buildings found in the Valley of the Mills in Sorrento, Italy were built in the 13th century out of stone but were abandoned many years later, in the 1940s. Due to the buildings’ location in a deep crevasse formed by a prehistoric earthquake, it quickly was overgrown with vegetation, giving it quite the abandoned look.

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Valle Dei Mulini (Valley Of The Mills), Sorrento, Italy

Valle Dei Mulini (Valley Of The Mills), Sorrento, Italy

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Michigan Theater, Detroit

The once-opulent Michigan Theater was built on Henry Ford’s original workshop in downtown Detroit in 1926. It included 4000 seats and seven stories, and cost a whopping $5 to build. It closed in 1967 and beginning in the late 1970s has been used as a parking lot – quite a fall from its former glory.

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Michigan Theater, Detroit

Michigan Theater, Detroit

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Dome Homes, Marco Island, Florida

These futuristic looking dome homes in Marco Island, Florida were built by a retired oil tycoon who wanted these to be an eco-friendly vacation home option. However, difficult weather led to eroding shorelines which meant the homes became unlivable. There are no plans to try to repurpose the domes, but they do look a little like Florida’s version of Stonehenge.

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Dome Homes, Marco Island, Florida

Dome Homes, Marco Island, Florida

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Kolmanskop, Namibia

Kolmanskop was once home to diamond mining and was quite the extravagant spot in 1908 Namibia. However, as diamond mining moved south, the town was completely abandoned and left behind. Its once bustling homes are now filled with sands and have appeared in films such as 1993’s Dust Devil and 2000’s The King Is Alive.

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Kolmanskop, Namibia

Kolmanskop, Namibia

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City Hall Subway, New York

Built beneath New York’s City Hall, this subway station featured vaulted ceilings as well as chandeliers. It was designed by Rafael Guastavino in 1904 but was closed in 1940 due to lack of use once the Brooklyn Bridge station became more popular. Now it can be seen during a visit to the Transit Museum.

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City Hall Subway, New York

City Hall Subway, New York

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Power Plant IM, Charleroi, Belgium

Once known for being the biggest coal burning power plant in Belgium, the Power Plant IM was built in 1921. It was able to cool down 480,000 gallons of water, but at a great cost: it resulted in 10% of carbon dioxide emissions in the whole country. After many Greenpeace protests, it was finally shut down in 2007.

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Power Plant IM, Charleroi, Belgium

Power Plant IM, Charleroi, Belgium

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Hashima Island, Nagasaki, Japan

The now-deserted Hashima Island was actually once the most densely populated island in the entire world. Its appeal was an underwater coal deposit located right under the island. However, once the coal ran out, its population began to dwindle and has since become an empty ghost town.

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Hashima Island, Nagasaki, Japan

Hashima Island, Nagasaki, Japan

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Teufelsberg, Berlin, Germany

Teufelsberg was once used as a listening station during the Cold War. The station lies on top of a 262 foot hill named Devil’s Mountain. It was built by the NSA in order to listen in on East Berlin, but once the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, it was abandoned. Now it is overrun and completely covered in graffiti.

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Teufelsberg, Berlin, Germany

Teufelsberg, Berlin, Germany

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Kangbashi, Ordos, China

Kangbashi New Area was meant to be a 130 square mile residential community area that was intended to house about 1 million people. It was built in 2003, but the outrageously expensive apartments were difficult to fill, and so the whole project was abandoned. The area can still be visited today, and many of the art installations and buildings are still intact.

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Kangbashi, Ordos, China

Kangbashi, Ordos, China

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Aniva Lighthouse, Russia

The Aniva Island was once a part of a lengthy custody battle between Russia and Japan that lasted about a century. After World War II, the Soviets gained control over the island and later added radioactivity to its stately lighthouse. Post-Soviet Russia, the structure was completely abandoned.

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Aniva Lighthouse, Russia

Aniva Lighthouse, Russia

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Balaklava Submarine Base, Crimea

The Balaklava Submarine Base was a Soviet submarine base that was constructed during the Cold War. It once housed the war’s most destructive weapons in its now-abandoned tunnels. The place was ditched in 1993 and can now be seen by visitors on tours of the mysterious derelict site.

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Balaklava Submarine Base, Crimea

Balaklava Submarine Base, Crimea

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Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse, Denmark

THe Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse in the North Sea coast of Denmark was opened in 1900 and continued to operate until 1968. It was later used as a museum as well as a coffee shop but was shut down in 2002 as it became threatened by rising sands. It can still be visited by tourists, but is expected to fall into the ocean within the next several years.

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Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse, Denmark

Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse, Denmark

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Beelitz Heilstätten Hospital, Germany

This eery abandoned hospital has been through the mill. After being used as a sanatorium for various conditions, it was later used for treating machine gun victims in WWI, which happened to include a young Adolf Hitler when he was a soldier. After becoming a Soviet military hospital in 1945, it became mostly abandoned after the Berlin Wall fell.

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Beelitz Heilstätten Hospital, Germany

Beelitz Heilstätten Hospital, Germany

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Tianducheng, Hangzhou, China

Although it may look like Paris in a post-apocalyptic time, this is actually a place located in Tianducheng district in China. This failed real estate venture began in 2007, in hopes of recreating the City of Love, which included an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower and Champs-Elysees. The place is completely abandoned now.

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Tianducheng, Hangzhou, China

Tianducheng, Hangzhou, China

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City Methodist Church, Gary, Indiana

City Methodist Church was built in 1926 using donations from U.S. Steel. Located in Gary, Indiana (Michael Jackson’s birthplace!), it was a stunning site, complete with stained glass and nine stories. It was shut down in 1975 after the decline of the steel industry. Although abandoned, it was featured in films like Transformers: Dark of the Moon and A Nightmare On Elm Street.

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City Methodist Church, Gary, Indiana

City Methodist Church, Gary, Indiana

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Lake Reschen Bell Tower, South Tyrol, Italy

The Lake Reschen Bell Tower is the only remaining visible vestige of several villages that were built in South Tyrol, Italy. A dam was built in 1940 by Montecatini, an Italian electric company, in order to unify the two lakes there. The villages were then intentionally flooded while the dam was built. Only this tower remains visible.

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Lake Reschen Bell Tower, South Tyrol, Italy

Lake Reschen Bell Tower, South Tyrol, Italy

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Sarajevo Olympic Village, Bosnia And Herzegovina

In 1984, Sarajevo hosted the Olympic Winter Games as it was well known for its skiing facilities and natural beauty. After being affected by the Balkan war, the area was completely abandoned and is now covered in graffiti. However, several modern venues have popped up since, including condos and hotels, as well as a $12.7 million ski lift.

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Sarajevo Olympic Village, Bosnia And Herzegovina

Sarajevo Olympic Village, Bosnia And Herzegovina

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SS Ayrfield Shipwreck, Sydney, Australia

In the early 20th century, the Homebush Bay area was an industrial hub of Sydney. However, its waters became contaminated by toxic coal and oil until the 2000 Olympics solved this issue. A now popular suburban area, there are still remnants of its past, including the SS Ayrfield shipwreck that has become overgrown with mangrove trees.

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SS Ayrfield Shipwreck, Sydney, Australia

SS Ayrfield Shipwreck, Sydney, Australia

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St. George’s Church, Luková, Czech Republic

St. George’s Church has been through many unfortunate events, including its roof being partially collapsed in 1968. This convinced the local congregation that it was haunted and they completely abandoned it. After it was heavily vandalized for years, in 2012 it was restored by an art student who included 30 ghost sculptures. It is now a popular tourist attraction.

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St. George’s Church, Luková, Czech Republic

St. George’s Church, Luková, Czech Republic

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Kennecott, Alaska

Kennecott, Alaska was known for having about $200 million worth of copper processed there. However, the place has been abandoned for over 60 years and most of its buildings have deteriorated completely, but still remain an interesting sight to see. The National Park Service purchased many of the buildings in 1998.

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Kennecott, Alaska

Kennecott, Alaska

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Bodie, California

While it may look like a set of Westworld, the now-abandoned town of Bodie, California was once booming. It housed 10,000 people in the 1870s and 1880s during the gold rush around Mono Lake. It has since become a State Historic Park. It can be found in a state of “arrested decay,” meaning everything remains as it was.

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Bodie, California

Bodie, California

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Deception Island, Antarctica

Deception Island was known for its whaling and research station, which is now completely abandoned. The station was abandoned several times during 1931 and 1969, as it was affected by volcanic eruptions. The rusted boilers and beached boats remain there decaying until now.

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Deception Island, Antarctica

Deception Island, Antarctica

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Haludovo Palace Hotel, Krk, Croatia

The Haludovo Palace Hotel was built in 1971 and once hosted world leaders and actors visiting what was then Yugoslavia. After the war began in the 1990s, its popularity slowed down until it was finally shut down in 2001. The hotel has been left to decay, its once glorious saunas, casinos, and tennis courts all abandoned.

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Haludovo Palace Hotel, Krk, Croatia

Haludovo Palace Hotel, Krk, Croatia

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Land of Oz

The Land of Oz Resort was designed by Jack Pentes for $5 million in 1970 and was based on the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. In 1975, a fire destroyed two buildings with a vast majority of the resort’s equipment. By 1980, the park shut down and was abandoned for 40 years. In 2019, the park was resurrected with limited days, and will open once again in September 2023 for three weekends.

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Land Of Oz

Land Of Oz

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The Aquatics Stadium

In 2016, Rio de Janiero hosted the Olympics and in preparation, many structures were built, including the Aquatics Stadium to host the water polo and swimming finals. Construction began in 2014 and cost $38 million to finish. After the Olympics, the government said that it would repurpose the stadium, but that never came to fruition and is now completely abandoned and crumbling.

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The Aquatics Stadium

The Aquatics Stadium

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San-Zhi Pod City

TSan-Zhi Pod City is located in Taiwan. Originally built in 1978, these UFO shaped homes were initially meant to be a vacation destination for U.S. military officers, but the project never finished. Investors could no longer fund the project and it was completely abandoned. Now YouTubers come to explore the abandoned pod city.

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Sanzhi, Taipei County, Taiwan

Sanzhi, Taipei County, Taiwan

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Coco Palms Resort

In 1953, this luxurious resort opened up in Hawaii. Hollywood was all over the Coco Palms Resort and Miss Sadie Thompson with Rita Hayworth was filmed here. It was a popular resort until 1992 when a hurricane ravished it. In 2016, there were plans to revive the resort, but plans fell through in 2019.

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Coco Palms Resort

Coco Palms Resort

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Istana Woodneuk

Istana Woodneuk is an abandoned palace that is located in Singapore by the Botanic Gardens. It was built in 1932 and was once a home for Sultan Ibrahim and his Scottish wife Sultanah Helen. The palace and Tyersall Park was purchased by the government with plans to restore it, but it never happened. In 2006, a huge fire damaged it even further, leaving it totally abandoned.

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Istana Woodneuk

Istana Woodneuk

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NRG Astrodome

In 1962, the NRG Astrodome was built and it was under the care of Houston’s mayor Roy Hofheinz. Three of Houston’s sports team used it as their home venue and it even housed some survivors of Hurricane Katrina but by 2008 the stadium was permanently closed down. Parts of it have since been demolished and it lies completely abandoned.

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NRG Astrodome

NRG Astrodome

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Burj Al Babas

Located between Istanbul and Ankara in Turkey, Burj Al Babas broke ground in 2014. The residential development was meant to entice buyers to purchase vacation homes here. The project cost $200 million and ended in bankruptcy, leaving the developers in $25 million in debt by 2018. Many of the buildings were not completed at all.

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Burj Al Babas

Burj Al Babas

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Hudson State River Hospital

Close to Poughkeepsie, the Hudson State River Hospital was built in 1886, costing $800,000 at a time, which comes out to $14 million today. It was originally used as a psychiatric hospital. In 2003, it was abandoned following several fires damaged it. It is now going under renovation to be transformed into offices, apartments, and a hotel.

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Hudson State River Hospital

Hudson State River Hospital

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New York State Pavilion

Located in Queens, the New York State Pavilion was built in 1962 in honor of the 1964 New York World’s Fair. It was designed by Philip Johnson and Richard Foster and cost $14 million. It was eventually meant to be used again but never was, but it was used in films like Men in Black and Iron Man 2. It fell into disrepair, but New York City’s government decided to finally restore it.

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New York State Pavilion

New York State Pavilion

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Penn Hills Resort

The Penn Hills Resort, founded in 1944, came to life in the 1960s when Frances Paolillo helped turn it into a desirable ski resort and golf course that became a popular honeymoon resort featuring an ice rink, swimming pool, and streetlights from the 1964 World’s Fair. When Paolillo died in 2009, the resort shut down and fell into disrepair.

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Penn Hills Resort

Penn Hills Resort

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Star Jet Roller Coaster

In 2002, the Star Jet roller coaster was built in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. It brought in tourists and locals to Casino Pier, and it was a popular ride until Hurricane Sandy caused the pier to sink into the ocean, taking the roller coaster along with it. It was torn down in 2013 and was later replaced by a different coaster called Hydrus in 2017. They built the new coaster in a better location to avoid a similar fate to the Star Jet.

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Star Jet Roller Coaster

Star Jet Roller Coaster

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Mayan Ancient City of Tikal

The ancient Mayan city Tikal is located in Guatemala, and is believed to be one of the largest sites of its kind in the world. By the Late Classic period Tikal fell and its population began to decline. By the 10th century, it was completely abandoned, but its remains have been left behind so archeologists and historians can find out more about the ancient civilization.

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Mayan Ancient City Of Tikal

Mayan Ancient City Of Tikal

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Underwater Sculpture Park

The Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park can be found in Grenada in the Caribbean Sea, and for just $2 you can dive down to visit the strange underwater attraction. Designed by Jason deCarires Taylor, these sculptures have been here since 2006. While the attraction is not deserted, it does still give an eerie feel because of the underwater figures.

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Underwater Sculpture Park

Underwater Sculpture Park

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Constanta Casino

Originally built in 1910, Constanta Casino in Romania cost $8 million to build with all of the luxurious fixtures available at the time. By 1990, it was too expensive to keep open and it shut down. While there have been pushes to renovate it, any plans have since been stalled.

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Constanta Casino

Constanta Casino

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Disney’s River Country

In 1976, Disney built River Country in Bay Lake, Florida. While many of Disney’s parks are some of the most popular destinations in the world, that wasn’t the case for River Country. When Disney opened up Typhoon Lagoon, River Country’s attendance significantly dropped and was closed for good by 2005. Disney announced that its lot would be turned into a hotel.

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Disney’s River Country

Disney’s River Country

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Athens Olympic Venues

Athens hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 2004, and thus many stadiums were built to accommodate the games, costing the city $160 million. After the Olympics ended, these venues were not repurposed, though the government wanted to turn them into housing. However, much of the venues ended up completely abandoned.

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Athens Olympic Venues

Athens Olympic Venues

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Lynnewood Hall

Built in the 1800s in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, Lynnewood Hall was built in three years. Full of grandiose details, it was owned by Peter A.B. Widener, who used his Gilded Age mansions for lavish parties. After he died, the mansion was abandoned, and in 1952, the Faith Theological Seminary bought it for $192,000.

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Lynnewood Hall

Lynnewood Hall

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Mys Aniva Lighthouse

Located on Russian Island Sakhalin, the Mys Aniva Lighthouse was built by the Japanese military in 1939 but has since been completely abandoned. It was uninhabited until Russia wanted to begin annexation. The island is located between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. There is still a 662 pound pool of mercury inside of it.

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Mys Aniva Lighthouse

Mys Aniva Lighthouse

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Halcyon Hall

Halcyon Hall is part of the abandoned Bennett College, which was founded in the 1800s. These halls are said to be haunted and were built in 1893 by H.J. Davidson, a publisher from New York. It was meant to be part of a hotel but the college annexed the building when the hotel did not take off. Once the college went bankrupt, Halycon dell into disrepair.

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Halcyon Hall

Halcyon Hall

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Eastern State Penitentiary

Located in Philadelphia, Eastern State Penitentiary first opened in 1829 and housed about 400 prisoners up until 1877. Though it was officially shut down in 1971, it remains a popular destination for tourists. Famous criminals kept here include Al Capone and Willie Sutton.

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Eastern State Penitentiary

Eastern State Penitentiary

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