Abandoned places often become fascinating and mysteriously attractive. Some of those places inspire people and become symbols. Whether it’s a Temple of Santiago in Mexico or a Villa in Lake Como, Italy they all tell a story from different times in history. In this article, we have collected 40 of the most breathtakingly beautiful places in different parts of the world and their stories. If you want to be amazed by the beauty of these amazing places, this story is for you.
1. Gougi Island
This picturesque landscape is an Island in East China, South East of Shanghai. It is one of the hundreds of islands belonging to the Shengi Island family. Due to the surrounding polluted waters, the place was abandoned and mother nature took control.
Named after the plant that grows on the island, Gougi (wolfberry), has a couple of buildings and in recent years a popular place to visit, especially with artists. Artists of different disciplines from all over the world travel here to see the houses covered with lush greenery.
2. Craco
Craco, a beautiful town in the southern Italian region of Basilicata tragically became abandoned. The town is completely a ghost town today, but in the 1940’s it was a place filled with life.
During the 1960s the town was plagued with poor agriculture, a landslide, and a flood! This forced the locals to abandon the town and move to nearby cities. Today Craco is a tourist attraction and is a popular location for movie sets.
3. Rummu Prison
This partly submerged prison in Estonia has a dark history. Inmates in this former Soviet prison were forced to work in a local quarry until the early 1990’s when Estonia gained independence. With no maintenance after the Soviets moved out, the place flooded.
Just like many other abandoned places the Rummu Prison shares a similar fate. Today it's a popular tourist spot, especially among those that like water sports. During summers the place is flooded with tourists that snorkel, swim on paddleboards, and canoes.
4. Centralia
If you played the popular video game "Silent Hill" you “ran around” this town before, virtually at least. The abandoned town depicted in the game is based on Centralia, Pennsylvania.
The town is a coal mine town that had many major fires throughout the second half of the 20th century. An untraceable coal fire began in the 90s and lasted for a few years, partially underground, the fire would constantly reignite. This caused the town to become evacuated and eventually abandoned.
5. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, a psychiatric hospital in West Virginia, was constructed in the early 1860s. Originally intended to hold up around 250 patients by the 1950s the facility grew and housed more than 2,000 patients.
The hospital became surrounded by controversy over patient care and was accused of carrying out unorthodox treatments that did more harm than good. In 1994 due to a decrease in patients, the hospital closed. Today part of the facility is a museum with the rest of it being abandoned.
6. Ross Island
This island in India is a place that looks like it was taken straight out from the Jungle Book. Once being ruled by the Brits, the island was used as a Penal Settlement and housed mostly political prisoners that opposed the colonial regime.
After India gained its independence in 1947, the Brits abandoned the island. The penal colony became overgrown with wild Ficus and now is a beautiful place with a dark past.
7. The Floating Forest
If your heart starts beating faster when you hear about beautiful abandoned places, Homebush Bay in Sydney, Australia is a place you should visit. A lot of ships that were no longer used ended up in this bay.
One of these abandoned ships is the SS Ayrfield, which has been floating around in the bay for 102 years. It has become an impressive sight with fully-grown trees in it. The locals named the ship “the Floating Forest” and maintain the rusty ship making sure it doesn't sink.
8. Ta Prohm Temple
Built in 1186 and known initially as Rajavihara (Monastery of the King), Ta Prohm was a Buddhist temple. The now-famous temple in Angkor Wat, Cambodia was abandoned after the fall of the Khmer Empire in 1431.
For hundreds of years, the temple remained swallowed by the jungle until 1860 when it was discovered by French archeologists. Today, the ruins are looked after and preserved with parts of the temple accessible to tourists.
9. Hotel Del Salto
Hotel Del Salto is situated opposite the waterfall on the edge of the cliff in central Columbia. When opened in 1928 the hotel provided a breathtaking view for its guests.
Unfortunately due to the political situation of Colombia leading up to the 1990s the hotel was forced to shut down. Because of the beautiful French architecture that the building features it was not demolished and recently was converted into a museum.
10. Allerheiligen Monastery
Situated in the black forest in Germany, as it is called the monastery of the saints, was built in 1192. In 1804, already partly ruined, the building was struck by lightning and burnt down.
After the fire, the monastery was never properly restored, abandoned, and left in ruins the building is still standing as it was left. A smaller church was built nearby and a cafe surrounds the abandoned one.
11. Arthur G. Dozier School For Boys
Opened at the turn of the 20th century, Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Florida, was a juvenile detention center intended to reform young offenders. Reports of young boys at the school being abused surrounded the school for years.
In the mid-2000s media brought to light the horrors happening in the school. With pressure from the public, the authorities conducted an investigation. It was discovered that there was systematic abuse, beatings, rape, and torture in the school throughout its history. In addition to all of that, fifty-five unmarked graves were discovered on the school's territory.
12. Bombay Beach
This once-bustling beachfront in California today is a wasteland. Thickly covered in trash and sand it’s located on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea. A body of water artificially created by accident to bring water from the Colorado River to California farmland.
Over time, agricultural runoff transformed the area into a graveyard for fish and birds and a polluted site. Despite all of that it’s a fascinating place where you can find old billboards, beach toilets, and trashed cars.
13. Tennessee State Prison
The prison in Nashville gained popularity after it served as the set for "The Green Mile". Initially built to hold a maximum of 800 inmates, the number quickly exceeded that, and inmates were housed like sardines.
Overcrowding combined with sanitation issues became a disaster. As a result, the state prison had to shut down in the early 1990s. Within a very short span of time, the buildings were taken over by vines.
14. Tillamook Rock Lighthouse
Everyone loves old lighthouses in the sea. But if you're superstitious, you might want to steer clear of Tillamook Rock Lighthouse in Oregon. Although, that should be easy since it's basically impossible to access without a helicopter.
The lighthouse opened in 1881 and was decommissioned in 1957. From 1980 until 1999, it served as a columbarium, storage for burial urns. However, poor record-keeping and misplaced urns caused the company in charge to lose its license and the lighthouse to be abandoned for good.
15. North Brother Island
Nature and time have slowly reclaimed North Brother Island in New York City. Dense vegetation has found its way into the Island's 25 abandoned buildings, some of which date back to the 1880s.
The main building is the Tuberi Pavilion, which once housed the famous “Typhoid Mary", an asymptomatic typhoid carrier who infected dozens of people and was forcefully quarantined for 30 years. The island is off-limits to the public and serves as a bird sanctuary.
16. Grossinger’s Resort
Situated in the hills around the small town of Liberty, New York, this resort was a favorite summer vacation spot for New Yorkers in the 1950s. In 1952, it became the first resort in the U.S. to provide artificial snow slopes.
What started as a small family-run hotel in 1917 boomed under the management of a powerful hotel executive Jennie Grossinger. After her death in 1972, the resort started to fall into decline, and eventually, its doors were closed in 1986. Now it's an abandoned spot that is loved by photographers.
17. Hachijo Royal Hotel
On the Japanese Island of Hachijojima sits this beautiful French Baroque architecture built in 1963. As the most luxurious hotel in Japan at the time, it was a destination for many honeymooners.
With the increasing ease of overseas travel, the island became a less desirable vacation spot. Despite the difficulties, the hotel managed to operate up until 2006. Financial losses caused the hotel to be closed and some 15 years later the building is still abandoned.
18. Geamana
The Romanian village of Geamana had a copper mining boom in the 1970s. Unfortunately, the mining produced a massive amount of toxic waste, and Nicolae Ceausescu, the ruling dictator, ordered a total evacuation.
Around 400 families were evacuated, and the valley was used as a site for the toxic waste dump. Flooding by an artificial lake and a ton of waste dump created this striking site. The main tower of the submerged village can be seen poking through the water all year round, during the summers the rest of the building peaks out from the water.
19. Temple of Santiago
This 450-year old Roman Catholic church in Mexico is also a submerged building that creates a stunning scene. It was abandoned during the smallpox epidemic in the 18th century and was never used as a church again.
A change in water levels in a nearby water reservoir in 1966 submerged the abandoned church. In the summer of 2002 due to a drought the floor of the church was dry and the locals held a massive party.
20. Saint Nicholas Church
This church dedicated to the saint Nicholas AKA Santa Clause is located in a small town of Mavrovo, Macedonia. Built in 1850 for about 100 years the church was fully functional.
In 1952 a dam was built and the artificial lake Mavrovo was narturaly created, causing the church to become partially submerged. Just like the church in Mexico, this one is also accesible by land once evrey few years during the summer.
21. Miranda Castle
During the French Revolution, Count Liedekerke Beaufort together with his family had to flee to neighboring Belgium. Being used to castles they asked for one to be built in their new homeland.
Unfortunately, the architect died before the castle's completion and it has been abandoned until the 1940s. The nazis reconstructed it into a military camp during the war. After the war for a short period, it functioned as an orphanage but eventually was closed. The good news is, if you want a castle, this one is up for sale!
22. New Orleans
Once a popular theme park, this Six Flags was a casualty of Hurricane Katrina in the mid-2000s. Now it’s just a scenic wasteland that reminds us of a spooky Scooby-Doo set.
When the hurricane hit, the 162-acre amusement park was flooded and remained underwater for days. This caused damage to 80 percent of the rides and was just too expensive to restore. It serves as a scary reminder of what mother nature is capable of.
23. Hirta Island
Once an island with an active community, now is an abandoned Scottish village full of stone houses. The sea cliffs that the village is situated on are the highest in the United Kingdom.
The threat of starvation and harsh weather in the 1930s led to its evacuation. On 29 August 1930, a ship called Harbell took the remaining 36 inhabitants to Morvern. Currently, only military personnel stay on the Island year-round.
24. Marco Island
These alien-looking houses off the tip of Marco Island were built in 1981 to be eco-friendly family vacation houses by a retired oil tycoon. However, Florida's tough weather and eroding shorelines surrounded the domes with water and were eventually abandoned.
The abandoned houses have no landing or docking facilities and the six separate domes on stilts are a popular place for standup paddleboarding. Just like many other abandoned places, this one is a popular place for underground parties.
25. Kolmanskop
The discovery of a diamond by a railway worker in 1908 led to a diamond rush and the construction of this Namibian town. After years of intensive mining, there was nothing left.
With nothing but a desert surrounding the town, it was entirely abandoned in 1956. The desert slowly reclaimed its property and the town is now a bunch of sand-filled houses that are a popular spot for tourists to visit.
26. Kilchurn Castle
This authentic Scottish castle was built in the mid-1400s for a local Lord. Situated at the head of Loch Awe lake it is one of the most photographed castles in Scotland.
One family lived in it for over two centuries until it was abandoned entirely in 1760 after being badly damaged by lightning. The water levels around the castle are constantly monitored making sure that the long peninsula the castle sits on is not flooded.
27. Lake Como Villa
Villa de Vecchi is considered to be Italy's most haunted villa! The mountains of Cortenova made this villa an amazing summer house that once belonged to Count Felix de Vecci.
Under suspicious circumstances, the Count died in the early 1860s and left the house to his brother. In 2002 an avalanche destroyed all nearby homes in Cortenova but it left the villa untouched. The locals believe that the spirit of the count is still in the house.
28. Maunsell Army Sea Forts
Looking like some buildings out of Star Wars movies, these giant metal towers were erected during world war two. Constructed off the English coast in the Mersey and Thames they served as anti-aircraft towers.
In the early 1960s, some of the towers were illegally converted to radio stations by pirate British radio broadcasting channels. In the last 60 years countless movies, TV shows, and even video games were shot in these rusty towers.
29. Bodie
Bodie is a town in California that looks like it’s frozen in time. The town was constructed in the 1880s and once was a booming gold mining town. And was home to some 10,000 residence. In the 1940s the town went bankrupt and a majority of the minors abandoned it.
The town became a tourist attraction in the 60s and California State Parks took management. A few of the abandoned buildings are open for the public and are preserved to look just as they did when they were built.
31. New Idria
This small town in California was established to support the nearby mercury mining site. When the mine eventually was shut down in the early 1970s. The city slowly became a ghost town as the residents abandoned it.
By now you probably noticed that this is a common phenomenon. As a result of the mining, most of the surrounding area is contaminated with high levels of poisonous mercury and is closed for the general public.
30. The Great Wall
Most people think of the Great Wall of China as a carefully preserved national monument. And it is, just not all of it. Due to the huge length of the wall, it is just too costly to maintain it.
As a result, parts of the border are in very poor condition. The walkways are covered in wild grass, weeds, and thick shrubs. These areas are strictly off-limits to the public.
32. Old Franklin Park Zoo
When the bear dens in Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, Massachusetts became too expensive to maintain in the 1950s they were closed. The cages and the rest of the dens were left and slowly crumbled away.
Countless plans were made to revive this part of the zoo but no concrete steps to do so were made. The dens are closed from the rest of the zoo but visitors always seem to find their way in.
33. Love Canal
Love Canal is an abandoned neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York. When residents began to get sick with different diseases and experiencing various health issues the federal government started investigating the issue.
It was discovered that municipal and industrial waste was to blame. In 1978 the town was partially closed and a portion of the residents were relocated. It took 400 million dollars and 21 years to clean up the area and declare it inhabitable.
34. Titan 1 Missile Silo
This missile silo in Colorado is one of many abandoned locations in the United States designed to house nuclear warheads. Shutdown in the mid-1960s, the silos no longer hold missiles.
Due to the high radiation level, the state is working with the U.S. Army to ensure that the sites are monitored and maintained to avoid further contamination of nearby areas. The silo was intentionally flooded for safety and to prevent people from visiting it.
35. Riviera Drive-in Theatre
It's no news that drive-in movie theatres are now a thing of the past. But drive-ins like the Riviera in Oklahoma City were the place to go if you were a teen in the ’70s.
The place closed down in 1999 when a strong storm destroyed its single remaining screen. The property was partially demolished and the rest abandoned. Curious visitors and tourists occasionally sneak into the remaining parts of the theater and take some cool pictures.
36. Chanute Air force Base
The Chanute Air Force Base was once a technical training site for the U.S. Air Force and is considered to be the birthplace of many US warplanes. In the early 1990s, the base was mostly decommissioned and parts of it repurposed.
After its closure, it was discovered that the soil in the surrounding area of the base is contaminated with pesticides and dangerous metals. To this day the state of Illinois is cleaning up the area.
37. Hudson River State Hospital
This psychiatric facility was shut down in the early 2000s, but even more today, its Gothic architecture is quite a sight. As treatment for mental health progressed more patients could live outside residential facilities.
With fewer and fewer sections of the hospital remaining in use, it was eventually closed. The building was sold to a private company but was never reconstructed or reused. Just like many other places on this list, this one is also a favorite spot for cool pictures.
38. Kayakoy
Greeks and Turks lived happily side by side in this now Turkish abandoned village. But this was over a hundred years ago. Leading up to the Greco-Turkish War in 1919 people started leaving it due to political tensions.
The village was fully deserted within a year after the war started. The 350 abandoned homes in Kayakoy have never been claimed by anyone and the site has not been touched since people left it.
39. Beelitz
This German abandoned hospital is where Adolf Hitler recovered after being wounded in world war one. After the second war, the Red Army occupied the hospital and used it until the collapse of the Berlin wall in 1989.
The hospital was never reconstructed and has been abandoned for over 30 years. Today there is an elevated platform around it that was built for tourists in 2015. The abandoned hospital is also where parts of The Pianist were filmed.
40. Gamsutl
Gamsutl is a beautiful mountain village located in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. The village was built so high in the mountains to shield the population from the Otamans, Persians and Russians constantly passing in the region and starting wars.
During the Soviet Union, the village had a postal office, a school, and even a road that led down the mountain. After the collapse of the USSR factories in the region closed down. With no work, people slowly abandoned the village and moved to big cities.