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I wonder if anyone else here on Wu's takes part in this activity? I'm probably too old to be doing this, but I still find it intriguing to get the flashlights out and investigate long abandoned buildings and properties. My brother joins me in this activity as does my brother-in-law and nephew. I took Lala and Nettie to one site as well a while back where we did a foot shoot.
I'll share a few shots from some of my recent adventures to some very amazing places that are within about an 80 mile radius of home. Just in case you're wondering this is not actually the safest of undertakings as you can run into who any kind of unsavory people that may be hanging out or living in these places, or of course get ticketed for trespassing. Always have your camera and a cover story... "Art Project!" and park your car well away from the site so as to not attract attention.
I won't give out any of the locations of these places other than give a little background info. Don't want anyone else to get into any mischief and blame it on me if they get hurt/caught.
This first place was formerly an army hospital that ended its service at the end of the Vietnam War and shut down in 1975. It appears in the 1990s it was briefly used to sell appliances and electronics as there was lots of vintage VCRs, TVs, and computer equipment as well as vacuum cleaners in all sorts of states of disrepair. Place was tagged quite a bit. The green tiled operating rooms and the morgue were actually in complete darkness. They are only illuminated by the flash of the camera and the small LED flashlights we were using. Place was 4 stories and a basement and sub-basement. Took over 100 pics and some video here.
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Another site is this formerly luxury hotel in that same area which was built in 1927 and closed its doors for good in 1972. Famous people stayed here at one time or another: Marilyn Monroe, Bonnie and Clyde, and some presidents! This one took a little acrobatic ability to get into as it is pretty well sealed off and in the middle of downtown. However, where there's a will there's always a way. Probably would be best to mention to take a respirator with you if you have severe allergies or worry about such things as black mold or asbestos. yeah....
Anyway this was about 12 stories tall as well as a huge basement with full kitchen. Took lots of pictures during our exploration of this place. Around every corner I was expecting creepy little girls in matching dresses to say "Come and play with us Danny. Forever, and ever, and ever..."
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This mansion was a originally a lodge built in the late 1920s that also used in later decades as an orphanage as well as a retirement home for widows. The place was shut down in the late 1960s due to code violations and then in the early 1970s a religious cult moved in! Around 1976 they moved out and the place has sat vacant since. In the 90s arsonists torched the building greatly damaging most of the structure.
Upper floors were not very safe to walk on though the basement was structurally sound. Well, maybe.
Creep Factor 6 out of 10. Mostly due to the fact that someone was recently camping out in it in front of the fireplace.
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Old meat packing plant and offices closed its doors in the early 1970s. The 1970s seems to be a common theme for this!
I came out to this one a couple of times. Scoped it out with my brother and then brought Lala and Nettie out to it a little later. This site was fairly big with two guard towers and several buildings. Evidence of gang activity abounds and also homeless camp out here at night. No problem checking it out in the middle of the day, but I would not venture out there after dusk.
Creep Factor 7 out of 10. Mostly due to the fact that someone might jump out and knife you.
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I hit a ghost town with my brother back in 2006 that we had visited once before in '92. It was within a few miles of the Oklahoma/Texas border. Houses and other buildings were abandoned as well as vehicles although the graveyard strangely was maintained.
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Well, I don't go into these places with the intention of taking anything. Just looking around. You will see some weird stuff though when something sits vacant for 40 years.
Yes, all these were in North Texas within an 80 mile radius of where I live. Plans are in a few weeks to hit another ghost town named Thurber which is about 100 miles or so from me. There is was an old brick factory, and coal mine there as well as old buildings that are now abandoned. Another friend of mine that is actually a nurse mentioned another abandoned hospital near the San Antonio area we may try to check out.
Anyone in New Orleans probably already knows about the Six Flags amusement park that was closed after hurricane Katrina indefinitely. That is a big possibility on my list. I've seen photos from it some other explorers have shot which have a creep factor of 11 out of 10.
These aren't my photos, but here's the abandoned Six Flags....
Sounds cliche to a horror movie. All you need is a few university/college students and you're away .... these may include; FEMALES - A Hot Blonde - A Mediocre brunette - A Sexy Redhead MALES - A Jock - A Geek/Nerd - A Musician - A Druggie ....
-------------------- "When this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're gonna see some serious shit" - Dr Emmit L. Brown (Back To The Future) Posts: 7894 | Registered: Jan 2007
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posted
Very cool photos. Interesting hobby. There is something fascinating about seeing buildings/towns/parks that used to bustle with activity sitting totally vacant.
Posts: 9728 | Registered: Feb 2004
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bluetoelover
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Thats some cool shit man. I had an old abandoned one room school house by my parents house that I would go and check out, been abandoned since the 60's. And just up the road from that was a 150 year old farm house that has been abandoned since the 50's that was in pretty rough shape, the whole bottom floor was basically caved in but left behind was some cool stuff from the 40's(a "fridge/ice box",radio) but the coolest thing was seeing newspapers that they used as insulation that had dates on it from 1882!
There was an old barn in the backyard that was full of tools and machinery from the 40's and blew my mind that it was just left there like that... if your an antique guy that place was a goldmine!
Since I moved across the country and am still getting use to my surroundings I haven't had time let alone seen abandoned buildings like that...would love to find some though. Great thread idea!
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Would love to, but you go poking around abandoned shacks in Australia, you're going to encounter all manner of deadly wildlife willing to kell you haha.
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Exploring places like this has always been one of my dreams. Out here in L.A., there isn't much that's readily accessible, other than the Old Zoo in Griffith Park. This is one of those old fashioned, turn of the century zoos where they kept the animals in cages instead of enclosures. Apparently, the park rangers don't bother with keeping anyone out of it, but it has been known as a gang hideout.
At any rate, does anyone remember that old MTV show "Fear"? It was something of a game show, where they'd take some skittish gen x-ers and have them stay at some of the oldest, most abandoned places in the country for a night or two and have them perform challenges. You want to talk about creep factor, these places ran the gamut from abandoned mills, cement factories, sugar refineries, a moth-balled WWII era aircraft carrier, an old civil war era fort, etc. However, nothing could touch the handful of prisons, asylums, and hospitals. Stuff of nightmares right there.
Posts: 2681 | Registered: Mar 2006
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