10 Abandoned Places Across the World That Will Give You Chills
1. Eastern State Penitentiary – Philadelphia, PA
The Eastern State Penitentiary was in operation from 1829 until 1971 and is now one of the most popular abandoned locations to visit in the United States. The prison’s unique radial design allowed for maximum surveillance of inmates and isolation from one another. Famous inmates include Al Capone and Willie Sutton. Visitors can explore cell blocks, exercise yards, and view exhibits on the history of the prison.
2. Michigan Central Station – Detroit, MI
Michigan Central Station opened in 1913 as a bustling transportation hub but was closed in 1988 due to declining passenger traffic. Its grand architecture and Beaux-Arts style make it a popular spot for photographers and urban explorers alike. Efforts are currently underway to restore the station into a mixed-use facility that includes office space, residential units, restaurants, retail shops, and event spaces.
3. Six Flags New Orleans – New Orleans, LA
Six Flags New Orleans first opened its gates in 2000 as Jazzland before being rebranded after Hurricane Katrina devastated it in 2005. The park has been abandoned ever since with rides still standing but slowly deteriorating over time due to weather conditions including Hurricane Ida which recently hit Louisiana last August.
4. Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel – Liberty, NY
Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel was once a thriving vacation destination known for its luxurious amenities such as an Olympic-sized swimming pool and championship golf course attracting famous guests like Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Robinson during its golden age between the late-1940s through early-1960s before ultimately closing down in 1986.
5. City Methodist Church – Gary, IN
City Methodist Church located in Gary Indiana was built-in1926 at a cost of $1 million dollars making it one of Northwest Indiana’s most impressive structures at that time serving as a place of worship for over 50 years before the city’s population began to decline and the church was closed in 1975. Today, its beautiful Gothic Revival architecture and stained glass windows attract urban explorers from around the world.
6. Fisher Body Plant 21 – Detroit, MI
Fisher Body Plant 21 in Detroit, Michigan opened in 1919 and produced automobile bodies for General Motors until its closure in 1984. The facility once employed over six thousand workers but now sits abandoned with broken windows and crumbling walls creating a post-apocalyptic scene that is popular among photographers and filmmakers.
7. Château de Noisy – Celles, Belgium
The decaying Château de Noisy located near Celles in Belgium has been unoccupied since being used as an orphanage during World War II before being abandoned again due to financial difficulties after it became too expensive to maintain.
8. Willard Asylum for the Chronic Insane – Ovid, NY
Willard Asylum for the Chronic Insane was established in Ovid, New York in 1869 as a humane treatment center for those suffering from mental illness at a time when most patients were kept locked up in jail-like institutions where they received little or no care. The asylum closed down permanently in August of 1995 after more than one hundred years of operation leaving behind eerie remnants like patient records strewn about on floors throughout empty buildings.
9. Pripyat Amusement Park – Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine
Pripyat Amusement Park located within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone was set to open on May Day back in April of 1986 just days after the catastrophic nuclear accident occurred leaving everything deserted including unfinished rides such as bumper cars still sitting idle today serving as a stark reminder of what could have been if not for this disaster that changed everything overnight.
10. Waverly Hills Sanatorium – Louisville, KY
Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky was opened in 1910 as a tuberculosis treatment center to help combat the disease that was ravaging the country at the time. The facility once housed over four hundred patients and staff but now sits abandoned with broken windows and creaky floorboards attracting ghost hunters and thrill-seekers alike looking for paranormal activity.